Paper Doll

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

Anyway, I really do like Paper Doll. But I seem to like most any of Stevie and Rick's pairings. The song is just fun, upbeat, and more than a touch snarky... which I particularly enjoy. I've always wondered who the song was about. In my mind, it's about Mick Fleetwood, and the awkward transition of Fleetwood Mac away from Lindsey Buckingham. We all know that Stevie resented staying in Fleetwood Mac after Lindsey's departure, and my guess is that's what this song is about. About Lindsey instantly being replaced by "men with a future" and she was the "woman with a past" who would allow the band to keep floating along, even without one of it's major stars. Stevie obviously wasn't buying it, saying: "Do you really believe that? She said to the faces in the crowd." I could be totally off base, but I strongly suspect the song to be her directing anger towards Mick for insisting Fleetwood Mac trudge on despite the circumstances. Again, this is just my speculation. The song could be directed solely at Lindsey himself... but I just don't think that makes sense if you really listen to the lyrics.

Originally Posted by vivfox

I think she is talking about herself like she usually does. To me this refers to the Buckingham Nicks album cover photo shoot.

Mark, I know she used the same language in describing what her father said about the album cover, but to me it's unlikely that she was writing about that by the time Paper Doll came around.

But reflecting on what you said, I don't think song lines that are about Lindsey are not about Stevie too. They seldom seem to be mutually exclusive in her lyrics.

Louie, I also think many songs about Lindsey and Stevie are about Fleetwood Mac. Actually, I think the Scholastic Aptitude Test people should construct syllogisms based on these major and minor premises.

For instance, the way Stevie describes FFG she says its about FM on tour and then she breaks it down and says that almost always is going to be about her and Lindsey. To her, I think King's horses are Mick's horses and Mick's horses are Fleetwood Mac. In that same sense, I agree with you that Paper Doll is about FM as a whole. I mean, I see the same thing in Ooh My Love. I think it's about Lindsey leaving and I think it's about that departure leading to the disintegration of Fleetwood Mac's castle walls. So, you go from a very small picture about one or two people (starting maybe as early as BN in the coffee plant, in the shadow of the castle walls, where he used to love to be with her) to a much larger picture of Fleetwood Mac collapsing upon itself. I can see your take on "do you really believe that she said to faces in the crowd" as quite likely.

Also, I am not sure what I would have thought of Paper Doll if I'd never seen the video, but having loved the video as I did, I can't help but see FM in the song. The image of them on the wintry beach, huddled in coats, all looking sinister, together but not touching -- it's even more penetrating and stunning when it flits by in Paper Doll than it was originally in Big Love.

At any rate, I doubt that there are many of Stevie's songs that are about any one thing anyway.

If I'd just heard this song on the radio, without the video images in my mind, I don't know how I would have responded to it, but as it is, the rollicking melody almost resembles music you hear at a circus, as you ride the carousel or in the fun house. Giddy, exciting, but a little distorted, with a hint of the sad and macabre.

Michele

[OldTimer]

Originally Posted by michelej1

the rollicking melody almost resembles music you hear at a circus, as you ride the carousel or in the fun house. Giddy, exciting, but a little distorted, with a hint of the sad and macabre.

Michele

Wow, that's an excellent description! I hadn't thought of it that way but it's perfect.

Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5SOmSEZGzY

I thought WB took away all the FM vids?

[sjpdg]

Originally Posted by OldTimer

Wow, that's an excellent description! I hadn't thought of it that way but it's perfect.

Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5SOmSEZGzY

I thought WB took away all the FM vids?

Hey OldTimer!!

You can get this video, as well as a few others on the official FM site too. Here's a link to the video in question.

http://www.fleetwoodmac.com/media/videos/paper-doll

Cheers!
SJPDG

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by OldTimer

Wow, that's an excellent description! I hadn't thought of it that way but it's perfect.

Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5SOmSEZGzY

I thought WB took away all the FM vids?

And the video is just a collage of 80s video clips, though there are some shots from Tusk and Rumours years, but few seconds.

[Macfan4life]

Paper Doll is not great but I will say this.......Paper Doll and No Questions Asked are far better than any Stevie song on BTM. If you could put these on BTM, it would have been a better album.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

Paper Doll is not great but I will say this.......Paper Doll and No Questions Asked are far better than any Stevie song on BTM. If you could put these on BTM, it would have been a better album.

Agreed. Plus, I think PD is pretty good actually.

[DownOnRodeo]

I've never entirely understood the animus many fans seems to have against No Questions Asked. I can see how the 'wall of sound' production may not be to everyone's taste, and it's not exactly one of my favorite songs, but I think it's a good track and don't even mind it being on the Greatest Hits collection.

I am ambivalent about Paper Doll. It has good parts, but the drum and bass on the verses annoy me, and Stevie's vocal is not up to scratch. I don't care for the fact that it's on the Very Best collection either. But then, that has some other unusual inclusions (like 'Storms').

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by michelej1

Agreed. Plus, I think PD is pretty good actually.

We've always had a little love for PD.

[On Ice]

I can see the love for Paper Doll but I don't share it. What irks me is the overuse of the word "well". We were mirrors of our former selves WELL... overwrought and overemphasized in a not so great vocal part. Well made so many appearances in her lyrics over the Rock a Little onwards, well it's worthless thing so... and in Thousand Days, similar to Paper Doll. But, that said, well is used to great effect in older songs like Races are Run- if we could start again, well, who knows have we really changed. The difference is that the line has follow through and connects to the next phrase where later, it was left dangling. So in the end, well, ruins Paper Doll and so many other songs for me.