Your Favorite Song Stevie Did NOT Write

[KarmaContestant]

Originally Posted by tabruns

Going off on a tangent here.....how is it that Stevie could have really good songs in her vault like "Annabel Lee", "Planets of the Universe", "Smile At You", and "Sorcerer" and yet songs like "Welcome to the Room...Sara" and "When I See You Again" end up on Tango In The Night and all the songs of hers on Behind the Mask (which to me are all pretty pedestrian efforts). I understand that "Secret Love" basically was 'lost' and never offered to Mac but they never took any of the other ones. Any speculation why?

Well...I think it's got a lot to do with what was going on in her life. Welcome To The Room...Sara was a jab at her management and the people in her life who basically forced her into rehab when she wasn't ready to make that step for herself. Mikebise has expresseed some great insight regarding this song on other threads.

When I See You Again is a very beautiful song I think, relaying Stevie's fears about giving up drugs and knowing that she will not be the same person when she's back from Betty Ford.. Will it be the same? Will it be over? And in fact, it proved to be a great premonition of things to come with Lindsey walking out on Fleetwood Mac to find the means to settle his own demons.

Stevie could have taken the easy route and used old demos for Tango, but I think she made the right choice by offering us songs that told the story of what was happening at that time in her life.

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by KarmaContestant

Well...I think it's got a lot to do with what was going on in her life. Welcome To The Room...Sara was a jab at her management and the people in her life who basically forced her into rehab when she wasn't ready to make that step for herself. Mikebise has expresseed some great insight regarding this song on other threads.

When I See You Again is a very beautiful song I think, relaying Stevie's fears about giving up drugs and knowing that she will not be the same person when she's back from Betty Ford.. Will it be the same? Will it be over? And in fact, it proved to be a great premonition of things to come with Lindsey walking out on Fleetwood Mac to find the means to settle his own demons.

Stevie could have taken the easy route and used old demos for Tango, but I think she made the right choice by offering us songs that told the story of what was happening at that time in her life.

Nice post. You see, I never looked at "When I See You Again" as being Stevies re-emerging into her life again after Betty Ford. I always looked at it as simply a mournful lost love song. But it makes total sense! Duh! ding ding ding *light bulb moment* "There are many doors in the hallway. And she stares at the stares...Ooh there are many things to stare at these days"

I always knew WTTRS & Affairs Of The Heart (all the set of doors "in the long hallway"-reference appears again) specifically deal with her rehabilitation inside her different perceptions. Also, Two Kinds Of Love touches on her addictions with its subtle but direct drug references.

And you also bring up an important reference point. We see WTTRS & WISYA get bashed a lot around these boards. But it's important to remember that Stevie always wants to bring something current to the project she is working on at that moment in time. Remember that was why it was so important for Stevie to bring 4 new songs into the fold of the SYW project.

So especially for Stevie or FM fans who became so after many releases already out there, it's an important reminder, that Stevie's lyrics, music and albums are a journal of where her heart and mind was at during those years. This post alone, makes me re-appreaciate these songs even more, even though I was already well past major fandom at the time of TITN. And in 1987 I loved all of Stevie's Tango songs. Thanks KarmaContestant for reminding me again why I loved these songs.

Sorry for being off topic....But I just couldn't resist responding to this post.

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by Christopher

Nice post. You see, I never looked at "When I See You Again" as being Stevies re-emerging into her life again after Betty Ford. I always looked at it as simply a mournful lost love song. But it makes total sense! Duh! ding ding ding *light bulb moment* "There are many doors in the hallway. And she stares at the stares...Ooh there are many things to stare at these days"

I always knew WTTRS & Affairs Of The Heart (all the set of doors "in the long hallway"-reference appears again) specifically deal with her rehabilitation inside her different perceptions. Also, Two Kinds Of Love touches on her addictions with its subtle but direct drug references.

And you also bring up an important reference point. We see WTTRS & WISYA get bashed a lot around these boards. But it's important to remember that Stevie always wants to bring something current to the project she is working on at that moment in time. Remember that was why it was so important for Stevie to bring 4 new songs into the fold of the SYW project.

So especially for Stevie or FM fans who became so after many releases already out there, it's an important reminder, that Stevie's lyrics, music and albums are a journal of where her heart and mind was at during those years. This post alone, makes me re-appreaciate these songs even more, even though I was already well past major fandom at the time of TITN. And in 1987 I loved all of Stevie's Tango songs. Thanks KarmaContestant for reminding me again why I loved these songs.

Sorry for being off topic....But I just couldn't resist responding to this post.

Was that a typo or was that really the lyric, i.e., stares=stairs? I always thought it was stairs, which never seemed to make sense to me in that metaphor. But "stares at the stares" sounds like a spooky way to describe all the people she must have encountered in rehab- the blank stares of people trying to get better, as well as the stares of people gawking at her from the open doors in the "hallway." I think I like "stares" better than "stairs!"

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

Was that a typo or was that really the lyric, i.e., stares=stairs? I always thought it was stairs, which never seemed to make sense to me in that metaphor. But "stares at the stares" sounds like a spooky way to describe all the people she must have encountered in rehab- the blank stares of people trying to get better, as well as the stares of people gawking at her from the open doors in the "hallway." I think I like "stares" better than "stairs!"

No, it wasn't a typo. It was intentional. Because, like you mention "stairs" makes absolutely no sense. And I'm very sure that Stevie's lyric was a typo - probably a cruel inside jab - by some hack who hated Stevie *ahem... l i n d s e y*. The line "Stares at the stares", as you so eloquently stated above, is just so stark. You feel Stevies nakedness and vulnerability in that line, and how it must have felt/seemed while she was in rehab.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by Christopher

No, it wasn't a typo. It was intentional. Because, like you mention "stairs" makes absolutely no sense. And I'm very sure that Stevie's lyric was a typo - probably a cruel inside jab - by some hack who hated Stevie *ahem... l i n d s e y*. The line "Stares at the stares", as you so eloquently stated above, is just so stark. You feel Stevies nakedness and vulnerability in that line, and how it must have felt/seemed while she was in rehab.

I don't think Lindsey had much control over the lyric sheets, but I like your interpretation, because I thought of it in a similar way, even though I used "stairs."

When she mentions stairs there, I think of stairs in EO17 and stairs in SOTM and both times they are referenced in those iconic songs, they mean fear and vulnerability. Darkness, emptiness, no help, no answers to be found when you go searching for them.

If you take SOTM on its face, you don't necessarily get that, but in interviews, Stevie has described what she meant when she wrote that song, how she was feeling. The endless tour. The exhaustion. The weight loss. Used up, being used. The feeling that you're living a fishbowl life and people are clawing at you. I think that matches your stare a bit. Curious eyes looking at you, when you're stripped bare and most in need of privacy.

Michele

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by michelej1

I don't think Lindsey had much control over the lyric sheets, but I like your interpretation, because I thought of it in a similar way, even though I used "stairs."

When she mentions stairs there, I think of stairs in EO17 and stairs in SOTM and both times they are referenced in those iconic songs, they mean fear and vulnerability. Darkness, emptiness, no help, no answers to be found when you go searching for them.

If you take SOTM on its face, you don't necessarily get that, but in interviews, Stevie has described what she meant when she wrote that song, how she was feeling. The endless tour. The exhaustion. The weight loss. Used up, being used. The feeling that you're living a fishbowl life and people are clawing at you. I think that matches your stare a bit. Curious eyes looking at you, when you're stripped bare and most in need of privacy.

Michele, I was j/k about Lindsey sabotaging the lyric sheet. It wasn't meant to be literal, just a stab at slight humor, considering the heightening tension in their relationship during Tango. But you may be on to something about the symbolism and metaphor - if Stevie truly did intend her lyric to be "Stairs".

Stairs in dreams generally mean that you are coming to a conclusion about some issue. The ground floor in dreams symbolises the reality in any given situation - the facts. The upstairs symbolises the higher consciousness or conclusions surrounding some issue. It means that you have come to a decision.

But the one thing that still throws me off, is why then, would she follow the lyric "And she stares at the stairs" with "There are many things to stare at these days"? It still doesn't fit.

So still (until I get to ask Stevie for confirmation one of these days), in my little world, I like to believe she intended it as "stares", which also recalls a lyric in yet another one of Stevie's addiction/disillusion songs - Space Needle: "I remember the loss of enchantment. In everyone I'd meet. Seeing my own face, in each one of their faces. Looking back at me."

[drzubritsky]

Originally Posted by KarmaContestant

Well...I think it's got a lot to do with what was going on in her life. Welcome To The Room...Sara was a jab at her management and the people in her life who basically forced her into rehab when she wasn't ready to make that step for herself. Mikebise has expresseed some great insight regarding this song on other threads.

When I See You Again is a very beautiful song I think, relaying Stevie's fears about giving up drugs and knowing that she will not be the same person when she's back from Betty Ford.. Will it be the same? Will it be over? And in fact, it proved to be a great premonition of things to come with Lindsey walking out on Fleetwood Mac to find the means to settle his own demons.

Stevie could have taken the easy route and used old demos for Tango, but I think she made the right choice by offering us songs that told the story of what was happening at that time in her life.

I think you're correct that she wanted to include material that spoke to her life at that time. I think this is generally true of all her FM and solo albums...she generally includes a fair amount of newly written songs.

But while her contributions to TITN may have fulfilled her desire to express her then-current concerns, I wish she had exercised more judgment and QA before submitting some of these songs. An album (and ultimately a singer/writers's reputation and legacy) lives or dies by the quality of its songs. An older, well-written composition should trump a new, poorly written song. And IMO, her contributions on TITN are poorly written, heartfelt though they may be.

[Artemis]

I'm loving the interpretation of "she stares at the stares" it only serves to add to my new-found appreciation for WISYA!

I'll never ever ever ever ever understand why WTTR...S is on the album instead of Joan Of Arc. I really won't. That song was (at the time) new, and infinitely better. It would have made a good album closer, I think.

Back on topic, I love Stevie's cover of Free Fallin', far more than the original. And I love her singing Face The Promise.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by Christopher

Stairs in dreams generally mean that you are coming to a conclusion about some issue. The ground floor in dreams symbolises the reality in any given situation - the facts. The upstairs symbolises the higher consciousness or conclusions surrounding some issue. It means that you have come to a decision.

But the one thing that still throws me off, is why then, would she follow the lyric "And she stares at the stairs" with "There are many things to stare at these days"? It still doesn't fit.

In dreams, stairs can also mean success (ascending) and lack thereof (descending) and I think that staring at the stairs can be interpreted as stagnation and fear of a slide, a descent from which there is no recovery. I think the reason that there can be so many things to stare at these days is just an expression of the static emptiness of her life at the time. No forward movement.

However, I don't disagree with your "stare." I'd never thought of it before and when your post and Hejira's made me try to interpret it that way, the meaning I got went nicely with the "stair" meaning I had too. I don't contradict you. I was thinking of your stare as expanding my thoughts on her words, not opposing them.

Michele

[sorcerer999]

My favorite song that she did not write is "Sit On My Face, Stevie Nix" by The Rotters!

Oh wait. Were we supposed to pick something SHE actually sings on?

[michelej1]

[Since there was talk of SDMHA, thought I'd put this in from a July 1981 interview Petty did with Dave Marsh in Musician magazine]

MUSICIAN: How did you happen to give Stevie Nicks 'Stop Draggin' My Heart Around' for her solo album? And aside from the fact that Iovine produces both of you, how did you wind up singing a duet on 'The Insider' on your album?

PETTY: It's funny, you get such preconceived ideas about artists. I knew Stevie, but not real well, and she'd been asking me for a long time for a song. I thought that 'The Insider' would be the thing for her, because it's acoustic, it has that kind of feel. She really liked the song, so we went to do the vocal and she started to sing harmony every time. Because my track was playing in her headphones as a guide. So she said, "Just let me sing the harmony one time." So she did, and when it was over, I just sat there, in awe. She walked back in and said, "How was it?" I said, "It's amazing." She said, "I can tell by the look on your face, you don't wanna give me this song. I'm giving it back to you right now." I really thought a lot of her for that.

Then I went through this terrible guilt. Jimmy and I thought, we can't take it back, because we promised it to her. So we went to her and said, "Stevie, what if we trade you another song for 'Insider'?" She said, play it for me, and we played her 'Stop Draggin' My Heart Around'. She says, "Wow! That's why I wanted you to write me a song – it's rock 'n' roll, that's what you do. 'The Insider' sounds like what I do." And I thought, how dumb of me, to think that she'd want me to write like her. We've got some videotapes of those sessions that are very funny.

[skcin]

^Every once in a while, the alternative/underground classic rock station in Buffalo (107.7 The Lake) plays the Petty-only version of SDMHA from his Playback box set. It freaks me out - me no like. He defintely made the right decision in giving it to her for BD & making it a duet.

Originally Posted by GypsySorcerer

I love Stevie's interpretation of "It's Only Love." One of my favorite songs on TISL. In fact, I was amazed at the vocal she pulled off.

I agree. Fantastic. Far better than Sheryl's own version.

Originally Posted by GoldDustOrphan

I love the live version of "Insider" from Tom Petty's "Packin' Up the Plantation."

Me too. I love every version of this song. The 2006 live ones were shockingly good!

Originally Posted by seekerj

Too Far From Texas.

Now I guess I better get "too far from the ledge" because I know how much everyone hates that song!

No, not everyone.

Originally Posted by chiliD

Without hesitation or doubt:

Maybe Love Will Change Your Mind (either version, love 'em both)

other than that....to quote someone kinda famous:

"you write your songs yourself!"

Really? Doesn't strike me as a "ChiliD" song. Not sure why. Too "pop?"



My picks, in addition to the ones mentioned above:

Album:

Reconsider Me
Talk To Me
Whever I Call You Friend

Live/rare/bootleg (hmmmm...just realized these are all duets.)

Needles & Pins w/Petty
New York Minute w/Henley
Red River Valley w/Isaak
Solitary Man w/Isaak
Strong Enough w/Sheryl from Storytellers

[StandbackStevie]

Stop Draggin My Heart Around
Talk To Me
Reconsider Me
Magnet and Steel
Gold
Midnight Wind
Some Become Strangers
Unconditional Love
Maybe Love Will Change Your Mind
Everyday
Whenever I Call You Friend
Love's a Hard Game to Play
Insider
Needles and Pins
Inspiration
It's Late
I Still Miss Someone (Blue Eyes)
I Need To Know
God's Garden
Docklands
Cry Wolf

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by michelej1

[Since there was talk of SDMHA, thought I'd put this in from a July 1981 interview Petty did with Dave Marsh in Musician magazine]

MUSICIAN: How did you happen to give Stevie Nicks 'Stop Draggin' My Heart Around' for her solo album? And aside from the fact that Iovine produces both of you, how did you wind up singing a duet on 'The Insider' on your album?

PETTY: It's funny, you get such preconceived ideas about artists. I knew Stevie, but not real well, and she'd been asking me for a long time for a song. I thought that 'The Insider' would be the thing for her, because it's acoustic, it has that kind of feel. She really liked the song, so we went to do the vocal and she started to sing harmony every time. Because my track was playing in her headphones as a guide. So she said, "Just let me sing the harmony one time." So she did, and when it was over, I just sat there, in awe. She walked back in and said, "How was it?" I said, "It's amazing." She said, "I can tell by the look on your face, you don't wanna give me this song. I'm giving it back to you right now." I really thought a lot of her for that.

Then I went through this terrible guilt. Jimmy and I thought, we can't take it back, because we promised it to her. So we went to her and said, "Stevie, what if we trade you another song for 'Insider'?" She said, play it for me, and we played her 'Stop Draggin' My Heart Around'. She says, "Wow! That's why I wanted you to write me a song – it's rock 'n' roll, that's what you do. 'The Insider' sounds like what I do." And I thought, how dumb of me, to think that she'd want me to write like her. We've got some videotapes of those sessions that are very funny.

I have never heard this and it makes me think soo much better of the situation. I always thought Tom was duped out of the song. Not so. Everything happened honestly. I did hear on interview before say, that when he heard Stevie's vocals on that song, he about kicked himself. He knew it was going to be a mega hit, but it was too late to get it back. In my opinion, Tom made a mistake, but that was his mistake. He sorta blamed Jimmy. Well, Tom wasn't even going to record Stop Dragging. He didn't like it that much. Can't blame Jimmy or Stevie.

[mitzo]

When Somebody Stand By Me appeared on the Boys on the Side soundtrack I immeditaely loved it - a new song by Stevie after the Street Angel disappointment and during a time when she was out of sight. The song was really well produced and her vocals hit the sweet spot, full of the old Stevie pathos and feeling. A kind of hidden gem. I'd say it is one of my faves of hers that she did not write.