Like or Dislike: The Highwayman
 

My love for this song seems to have faded a bit over time. I still like it, I never skip it, but I do not feel the urge to put in the CD just to hear it. I prefer the demo with Henley, when they sing "she the love" even higher than the album version.

The music is nice, very countryish which I do like. The vocals - nice harmonies, I prefer this over L&L for sure. Lyrics - bittersweet. I especially love"

"a pale and violent rider, a dream begun in wine" and "he the glory, she the love"

I notice this was copywrited in 75 - wonder if she ever presented it to Mac and/or if they ever did a demo. :shrug: Wonder if it was written around Landslide time, the lyrics seems to fit. I am also going to assume this might be about LB. :cool: Just maybe.

The Highwayman........
 

I totally love this song. It's in my top five Stevie-penned tunes ever - yes - top five. :nod:

I can't really explain why I'm so drawn to it, except to say that I love the vocal, I love the guitar, especially in the beginning, and it's just got an overall sense of anguish that is really appealing to me...but then, I'm sort of anguished myself.

As far as the meaning....well, I think alot of Stevie's songs are about many, many different men all at once, and I guess this one is no different. I don't think of Lindsey when I hear it though.....I think of Tom Petty, Don Henley, Bob Welch, Jimmy Iovine, Mick Fleetwood....and all the other industry men that Stevie was involved with...and yes, that would include Lindsey I guess. The best part of all with this song, is that all these years later, despite the ups and the downs of her life, Stevie kept her word in the end. She kept up with 'The Highwaymen". She became a legend, in her own way, with her own voice, just like the rocker guys she was so enthralled by.

I never thought it was about LB until I noticed the copyright is 1975. Got me thinking.

Great song from an awesome cd

This is the ONLY song on bella donna I dislike. And when I say dislike I really really mean dislike. I cannot get into this song one bit. I really despise it. :sorry:

.......that's understandable..... we all have different tastes. Maybe it will slowly creep up on you, until one day, suddenly, you'll love it and wonder why you ever doubted it's greatness. :laugh:

I don't like this song at all. Hm... I never really got into a lot of songs from Bella Donna :shrug:

I don't like this song. I LOVE it. It's one of my favorites ever from her. Even my AOL s/n is named after this song. I just <3 it that much. It's so pretty. :nod:

I used to just like it....now I love it. There is such meaning behind the song and you can hear her heartache through her vocals. It's a great closing track to Bella Donna. It sums up the album perfectly.

I love that song. It should've been a top country hit for Stevie.as a country music freak that I am.The Highwayman will be part of my own Stevie Nicks country music Collection cd I will be making for myself. I will name it Stephanie Lynn Nicks, with art work.

One of her more autobiographical songs, this one rings soo true to her deep love of the legends and to her stamina and deep determination to "keep up with the likes of those". A fabulous ending to BELLA DONNA, as well...I can't think of another song that could have closed that LP out any better.

And, like a previous post, I don't really think of LB at all when I hear this song. It's more the Eagles...Dylan...Tom Petty and Jimmy...the various Paul Fishkin types and that whole Waylon Jennings pack...at least, that is my take on "the men"...

I wish she would pull this out sometime live...I think it would be a killer...

rbs

I really like this song. The lyrics are poetic and it's a great closing song for Belladonna. I like one of the master versions better than the BD version though. I was also looking forward to hearing it in Vegas but other time perhaps. :rolleyes:

LOVE it. Haunting vocal, beautiful lyrics. I like Don on it too.

I really like this song. Stevie sounds great and if she had just dumped Henley on vocals, it would be perfect-o.

Epic.

My love for it grows over time.....

Too bad she didn't know most of these guys when she wrote it. Stevie has talked about thinking of guys like Don and the Eagles when she wrote this song. She knew them well by the time she recorded it, but when she wrote Highwayman she was likely thinking of generic rockers, or men in general, or the guys in her bands before Fleetwood Mac. Maybe it's another case of the crystal visions and prophecy in her songs? I think she penned this one pre-FM. On Jim Ladd earlier this year she said she wrote Highwayman when she was going out with Don. In 1975? Hmmm? That opens up a different can of worms doesn't it? :laugh:

I hated it until I bought BD on vinyl and listened to it on there. :shrug: I don't know what difference that would've made. Now it's ok.

I can take it or leave it. I wouldn't skip it if I was listening to the album, but if I was listening to random Stevie it would most likely be skipped.

I love the lyrics but I do not love the song because of one Mr. Don Henley. I just do not like when she records with him, EVER.

As for the meaning...I agree with Paula but I think there are other men in there too. Like the Eagles. I always thought the competition line was about when Don entered the picture, or SnL competing against each other musically. With all the dream references, I don't think there should be any doubt that Lindsey is in the song somewhere. He was probably her Highwayman when she wrote it but the song also relates to many men and subsequent relationships when she looks at it now. I chose the take it or leave it one. The lyrics are stellar but Don, bleck. I know Stevie thinks Don is a huge selling point, either when she records or when she tours.....but I completely disagree. Stevie and Chris Issack....big draw for me. Stevie and Lindsey...big draw for me. Stevie and Sheryl Crow are a bigger draw for me than Don. I have always hated Leather and Lace just because he is singing on it. I only use the HBO version on any cd I make with L and L on it.

I can take or leave this one. I like better then After the Glitter Fades, but its just average to slightly below average for me. Im glad Don and Stevie decided not to perform this one and instead opted for some exciting covers.

My thoughts exactly :nod:

It actually took me a little time to warm up to the song - but now I just love it.

I LOVE IT!!! This one and "Belladonna" are my two favorite songs from the album.

"And she wonders is this real....
Or does she just want to be Queen
And he fights the way he feels
Is this the end of the dream?"

Gives me chills every time.

Yep - and her FUC&ING VOICE on "she DREAMS as the thunder wakes . . . ." SHEEBUS - I, to this day, think her voice was celestial on BD and WH and the mere sound of it at times can make me cry.

[QUOTE=strandinthewind] I, to this day, think her voice was celestial on BD and WH QUOTE]

It was indeed; she was able to convey so many emotions on those albums, often several within the same song. I don't think she does that very well anymore.

I love Highwayman and agree it's a perfect album closer.

It took me ages to get into it...perhaps because by the end of BD I am already wanting to skip back to the title track and others. But I do really really like the song..the voice, the lyrics, the emotion..wonderful. I always thought it was about all the men mentioned in earlier posts, but if it was written in 1975, well that just makes it all the more intriguing. Probably it was about men and rockers she'd already met in general, but who know?!

~Nicki

When I first heard this song, I couldn't stand it at all, but now I've come to really like the damn thing. The lyrics are beutiful as is the emotion that she portrays, but something about it holds me back from full out loving this song...possibly Don Henley? I'm really not sure, but I love the lyrics and I love her voice, I just don't LOVE the song.

Love the lyrics. The music and vocals are a bit twangy for my taste.

[QUOTE=Rickypt]I do not think she does either and has not since WH - but I do like if not love a bunch of her stuff since then, but it is just different to me.

[QUOTE=strandinthewind]Same here

I completely agree with this.
When I first got Bella Donna, I loved this song to pieces. But now, it's just ok...Still love the lyrics though, and would have enjoyed seeing it done on the Two Voices tour...oh well.

[QUOTE=Rickypt]and I don't really know how to explain it. The BD, Mirage, and WH voices were almost shrouded in mystery in that they almost sounded different each time. Much of that is due to her incredible sense of harmony - but there is something even on the lead solo vocal in songs like That's Alright - when she does the "Meet me down by the railway station" I get chills. Whatever it was, she never really gained it back, though she still thrilled with much of RAL, some of TOSOTM and SA, and The Dance - actually SS from The Dance and the GDW howl are amongst her finest moments ever and they were, of course, after that BD, Mirage, WH voice. She also dazzled my with Sleeping Angel on the Enchanted Tour - but the dazzle came from a different place than the album cut. I hope that made sense :laugh:

IMO the closest she has come to that early 80's voice was on her harmony to Say Goodbye on the SYW your, though she was great if not stellar on BC.

Really can't stand this song (because of the music). It's my least favorite song on Bella Donna. You know I was thinking the other day and this is so hard to believe - I think BD may be my second to least favorite Stevie album, although I do adore them all deeply. Can you imagine? To be honest there are only 2 songs on there I absolutely love - Bella Donna and HSML and I tend to skip more songs on this album than any other. I LOVE her voice and the lyrics of this album over some others but music wise it's just not my favorite. A lot of it has to do with the fact that there are a lot of country-ish songs on here and I can't stand country music.

[QUOTE=strandinthewind]Oh, indeed. That was the show's climax, just like Silver Springs in '97 and Beautiful Child in SYW tour.

I find remarkable moments in Stevie's voice even today, but it's just different from the early 80's. I agree that Mirage is part of the BD/WH magical time.

I completely relate to everything you're saying, just not able to articulate it very well...more like I feel it on a gut level.

i worship this song, it still gives me goosebumps~ stevie's voice sounds so small like & i think she does a flawless job on the vocals!!!~

[QUOTE=Rickypt]I good example of that gut UUUUUUHHHHHH feeling is on the SNL and Solid Gold performances oh Nightbird. I swear it is like I am being sucked into zero gravity when she hits those high notes. So, I know where you are coming from :nod:

I love the highwayman, I think it's b/c it has one of my fave Stevie lines in it
"And She was never sorry for wishes that would burn..."
It meant alot to me as I had to let one wish burn to chase another...