True or false?
 

A friend of mine just sent me this story, she says it came from an interview with Stevie in the 80s but all she has is the written story. I don't know what it was written for or anything. It sounds like a magazine of some sorts. Anyway, supposedly, Stevie said in this interview that Edge of Seventeen was about the John Lennon thing, that we all have heard, but that it was also written at a time in her life when she had decided to go all the way with this boy who was a year younger than her and she lost her virginity to him.

All I'm saying is....thats personal and private, especially if this isn't even true. But if it is true, and you guys know about it, then all of a sudden Edge of Seventeen is going to weird me out, haha.

Any thoughts on this?

I think that's BS. You could tell that just by listening to EO17. There is nothing sexual in that song.

"Just like the white-winged dove, sings the song sounds like she's singing ooh, baby, ooh..."

There's nothing sexual about "ooh, baby ooh, said ooh..."?

Well not to me. I always sensed some anger in that song, but nothing sexual.

Stevie's sexy interpretation of the white winged dove's call. :lol:

Agreed Liam. That's the sound that doves make when they are calling to their mate.

It's so funny...I was just listening to this last night and thinking about the lyrics. Stevie's lyrics about sex are subtle. I would love to see that interview. But, think about it - just a coincidence that she met Lindsey when he was 16 and she writes: "he was no more than a baby then...the moment that I first laid eyes on him, somewhere on the edge of seventeen..."

The Nightbird isn't "death" either... :rolleyes:

i don't think that is right I have only heard stevie say that Edge Of Seventeen is about the Death of John Lennon and The Death of her Uncle John who died around the same time.

Well, during a certain part of the year Lindsey is a year younger than Stevie. He isn't right now - but will be turning 60 some time this year, right? (can't remember when)

There is also that guy she dated in highschool who she left for Lindsey.

But she said she learned about the noise the white winged dove makes, and said she was going to use that in her song, for sure. So in that context of where she came up with the idea, doesn't seem as sexual. But I think there is a lot more to EOS that we know. It is very confusing.

Also some of the inspiration comes from Tom Petty's wife at that time that said to Stevie that she met Tom at the age of seventeen. But she had a strong sothern accent and Stevie heard Edge of Seventeen and grabbed the menue from the table and wrote it down.

I think many of Stevie's songs are about many different things so the whole losing virginity thing may be in there somewhere.

His name was Dave Young. He was my 4th grade teacher and helped me meet Stevie :)

I don't doubt it for a second, either. I also think that a lot of Stevie's music has evolved throughout her life in terms of what they mean to her, herself. I think she wrote most of her lyrics with either a specified topic or none at all, just writing because the words and ideas seemed to flow together beautifully. She does put a LOT of weight on the aesthetic merit of her work.

Having that said, I am sure that after playing the same songs over and over for 30 years, she has often found new significance for the words she wrote. Time changes people.

Funny, it's one song of hers I don't find confusing at all.

I've been "screaming from the top of the rafters" for ages now that "Edge of Seventeen" is partly about losing your virginity. :nod: But no one's
believed me. :p Personally, I feel that most fans "got it" back when it first
came out; but somehow these days they don't see it.
Anyway, in my personal opinion, Stevie made it abundantly clear in her
performance in the HBO Concert. :shocked: . . . ;)

howd that go down/

EO17 comes off sexual to me only because I continually miss-hear the lyric (even though I know the correct version) to be "I would f*ck with an angel...desired to please..."

I guess the actually lyric could be subtly sexual if you wanted it to be. I think that's the point of Stevie's songs...they can be so abstract and mean 4 different things to her and different things to other people, depending on what's going on in their lives at the time.

Yes, I remember reading this a long time ago, and I was starting to wonder if I had my facts straight

Ah...here's the full quote

The immediate inspiration is from Jane Petty, who is Tom's wife, because she told me that when she met Tom he was, she said, 'at the age of seventeen' but she has this incredible southern drawl so it sounded like 'edge of seventeen' and I said, 'Jane, (I 'm writing it on the menu, right! Im going...) I'm writing a song called Edge of Seventeen.' And she laughs, you know, she didn't ever think I was ever serious. So it started out about Tom and Jane basically, who I have no idea what they were at 17, but I made it up. And, uh it went into being written about [her Uncle Jon and John Lennon].
~Stevie Nicks, The Stevie Nicks Story from The Source, 1981

Please explain your take of the song then. I'd like to read it

Even though I think that accent story is at least slightly contrived or greatly exaggerated....she did include Jane in the Wild Heart thank you's: Jane Petty (for the mirror) .

Not hard to conclude the "mirror" she is referring to, at least in regards to EOS, is that she and Jane both met their future mates in high school, when they were 16.

Ok... my interpretation. If anyone disagrees, then please don't jump down my throat. It's my opinion - nothing more, nothing less. It's all good. :nod:

Just like the white-winged dove
Sings a song...sounds like she's singing
Whoo...whoo..whoo
Just like the white-winged dove
Sings a song...sounds like she's singing
Ooo baby...ooo...said ooo

Simple - this is the mating call. She's singing to her mate. (Also, makes me think of the line in "Sara" - "I think I had met my match, he was singing..")

And the days go by
Like a strand in the wind
In the web that is my own
I begin again
Said to my friend, baby
Nothing else mattered

I find this part curious because of the spider analogy. Used again in "Gold Dust Woman" where she talks about the black widow. Anyway, basic gist here - nothing else matters besides this relationship and maybe the web is referring to something that is being created. If I were to elaborate my thoughts, it could refer to the "Landslide" time period (after the BN failure) when she has decided to continue with Lindsey and continue to pursue the music with him; which would explain the "I begin again" line.

He was no more than a baby then
Well, he seemed broken-hearted...
Something within him
But the moment that I first laid
Eyes on him...all alone
On the edge of seventeen

She remembers meeting Lindsey and the connection she felt with him.

Just like the white-winged dove
Sings a song...sounds like she's singing
Ooo baby...ooo...said ooo
Just like the white-winged dove
Sings a song...sounds like she's singing
Said, ooo baby...ooo...said ooo

Hello. Mating call.

Well, I went today
Maybe I will go again tomorrow
Yeah, yeah, well, the music there
Well, it was hauntingly familiar
Well, I see you doing
What I try to do for me
With the words from a poet
And a voice from a choir
And a melody...
Nothing else mattered

Memories of Fritz and the beginnings of Buckingham Nicks. Lindsey began working on her music. "I see you doing what I try to do for me" - Lindsey filling in the blanks musically on her songs.

"With the words of a poet" - her words
"and the voice from a choir" - their harmonies/one of the orders of angels
"and a melody...nothing else mattered" - To both Stevie and Lindsey, nothing else mattered but their music. It's interesting that this phrase is repeated, reinforcing their mutual dedication to their music. Also, 'melody' brings to mind the BN song "Without You": "you are song for me, melody, ingrained in my soul."


Just like the white-winged dove
Sings a song...sounds like she's singing
Ooo baby...ooo...said ooo
Just like the white-winged dove
Sings a song...sounds like she's singing
Ooo baby...ooo...said ooo

Mating call. Lot of that in here. They must have had a very active sex life. ;)

The clouds never expect it
When it rains
But the sea changes colours...
But the sea
Does not change
And so with the slow graceful flow
Of age
I went forth with an age-old
Desire to please
On the edge of seventeen
Ooh....

This is the "coming of age" part. Hence, the wail. Sorry, but that's always the way I have heard it since I was 11 and didn't really have a clue....

Just like the white-winged dove
Sings a song...sounds like she's singing
Ooo baby...ooo...said ooo
Just like the white-winged dove
Sings a song...sounds like she's singing
Ooo baby...ooo...said ooo

Here she goes again... lol

Well, then suddenly
There was no one left standing
In the hall
Yeah, yeah, in a flood of tears
That no one really ever heard fall at all
Well, I went searching for an answer
Up the stairs...and down the hall
But not to find an answer...
Just to hear the call
Of a nightbird...singing...
Come away...come away...come away...

Something happened in the hallway. (A fight with her parents, maybe? Refer to the original concept video of EOS.) She is devastated, broken-hearted and she is just running and she hears the "nightbird"... Lindsey asking her to run away with him, because...

Just like the white-winged dove
Sings a song...sounds like she's singing
Ooo baby...ooo...said ooo
Just like the white-winged dove
Sings a song...sounds like she's singing
Ooo baby...ooo...said ooo

Here she goes again! :D

Well, I hear you...in the morning...
And I hear you...at nightfall...
Sometimes to be near you...
Is to be unable...to hear you
My love...
I'm a few years older than you...
My love

She's with him, she hears him in the morning and at night because they live together. But, there are times when she can't "hear" him because they have trouble communicating. He is her love, however, no matter what. Because...

Just like the white-winged dove
Sings a song...sounds like she's singing
Ooo baby...ooo...said ooo
Just like the white-winged dove
Sings a song...sounds like she's singing
Ooo baby...ooo...said ooo

There they go again! ;)

Ending ad libs now include:

I hear the call of a nightbird
I hear the call of a nightbird
I still hear the call of a nightbird
He says, "come away, come away, come away!"
Come with me now!
Oh, yeah!

I know what it sounds like
I know what it sounds like
I know what it sounds like
It sounds like you

In summary, I do not think every song is about Lindsey and I do believe many of her songs are/could be about multiple topics. However, I think this song is about one subject - the beginning of her relationship with Lindsey and their love. If you think about it, it's sort of a great tribute to him, since it was her first true solo single.

As she has said, read between her lines. In my opinion, this song has nothing to do with John Lennon or Uncle Bill. The song was recorded/released around that time in her life when those two major events occurred and so it gave her great fodder for interviews. And, at that time especially, there was no way in the world Stevie would have candidly admitted this song was about having premarital sex with Lindsey. In fact, I don't think there's a whole lot she does candidly admit...and as frustrating as that is, I actually have come to love her for that. Her lyrics are great fun to dissect and if she had always given the breakdown on all her songs, it wouldn't have been near as interesting!

I don't really think EO17 is about Lindsey, but in HSML when she says that it's her that's talking to him in the still of the night, I do think she's talking to Lindsey. And I also think the EO17 lyrics pair with the HSML lyrics nicely, so in a roundabout way . . . Michele

As far as the Spider Analogy goes, wouldn't Spider Man have a big abdomen?
And you can imagine where he'd shoot that web from, can't you? Now I don't know
what this has to do with sex, virginity and doves, but it is something to think about.

Long story short: I was a Stevie-obsessed fourth grade girl who would twirl around at lunch. Another teacher saw me and we started talking about Fleetwood Mac. She told me that my teacher at the time had dated her, so I asked him about it. They still talk and he goes backstage every time she's in town. He told me to type up some of the poetry I'd written so he could give it to her (she's really influenced me as a writer). She came to town on the TISL tour and he helped us get really good seats. That night, I got to talk to her a little at the stage and she signed a tour book for me with a little personalized note inside. It was awesome :)

I think CADreaming has an awesome interpretation, but I'd like to add a few things to support that/change it.

"And so with the slow graceful flow
Of age
I went forth with an age-old
Desire to please"

An "age-old desire to please." It shows that need in the process of maturing into a much less innocent need to please in an entirely different way :)

"Well, then suddenly
There was no one left standing
In the hall
Yeah, yeah, in a flood of tears
That no one really ever heard fall at all
Well, I went searching for an answer
Up the stairs...and down the hall
But not to find an answer...
Just to hear the call
Of a nightbird...singing...
Come away...come away...come away..."

The fight could have been between her and Lindsey and a different man (more accurately, men) was the nightbird.

Hey, this is random, but does anyone know if Stevie was still married to Kim during the US Festival performances? Or was she already divorced by then?

Good point, Michele. I thought of the HSML lyrics too, especially the Soundstage version where she says, "it's always been me talking to you."

Excellent.

I haven't thought of that. But, mostly because of the lyrics from "Nightbird":

And when I call
Will you walk gently
Through my shadow

I always think of them being on stage when she talks about shadows

In the darkness
Through the net of the lace
Pulls back the net
It's hard to see her face
(Just like the white-winged dove)

Here she refers back to the same subject, the white-winged dove

And you see...she turns the eyes
And you see the eyes of a nightbird
The ones who sing at night
The ones you dream of
Finally...the nightbird
Finally...the nightbird
Tonight

The "eyes of the nightbird" makes me think of how she has written about Lindsey's eyes.
Stevie and Lindsey are the "ones who sing at night".

I just find these two songs to sort of parallel, since she refers to the "nightbird" in Edge and then uses some of the Edge lyrics in Nightbird. Of course, that's her perogative. :)

http://papercuts.blogs.nytimes.com/2...age=2#comments

Here is a link to Camille Paglia's playlist mentioning EOS...... Lots of interesting comments follow the list.
I too always thought there was a sexual energy that carried that song, although never really addressed by Stevie in any interview I know of....

Oh Stevie...John Lennon?!?!:distress: I don't think so.

bring on the usual Gate and Garden discussion...... :lol:

CAdreaming...that was an awesome insight
ive always thought the "edge of 17" referred to her meeting lindsey
doesnt mean the whole song is about him
but woah, love ur interp

Michele, ive always gone for the GYOW/HSML combo...but Edge works too LOL

Oh, yeah, I like that response, as well: you go your way, but you won't forget me.

Michele