Here’s another way to keep memories.
“Gypsy” is one of Fleetwood Mac’s most well-known tracks; still, not everyone knows the significance of “Velvet Underground” in Stevie Nicks’ composition. Although this is one of the most famous songs, it was initially written for another artist.
Stevie Nicks composed the song for her début solo album, Bella Donna, released in 1981, and she lacked space on the record, so she included it on Fleetwood Mac’s “Mirage” album from 1982. Mick Fleetwood, drummer and founding member of “Fleetwood Mac,” has stated that “Gypsy” is one of his favorite compositions by the band.
“It crystallizes the entire era of the early 1980s when we were in our mid-30s and looking back on our lost youth,” he said. Nicks sings on the track about something called “the velvet underground.”
The lyrics are: “So I’m back, to the velvet underground / Back to the floor that I love / To a room with some lace and paper flowers / Back to the gypsy that I was.” Stevie Nicks clarified the meaning of the “velvet underground” lyric in “Gypsy” during Fleetwood Mac’s 2015 concert at The Manchester Arena.
Before Nicks became renowned, she lived with her then-boyfriend, Lindsey Buckingham, as referenced in the song. They slept on the floor of their shared apartment on a mattress and browsed at thrift stores.
“Lindsey and I lived in San Francisco in 1968, and we were in a perfect band that opened for nearly all of the famous San Francisco bands at the time,” Nicks said, naming Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Santana, and Creedence Clearwater as some of the musicians she had opened for. She stated, “We were truly living the dream. We were young, and the experience was fantastic.”
Nicks clarified that the “velvet underground” mentioned in “Gypsy” was an apparel store. “There was a rumor that there was a store in downtown San Francisco where all the affluent rock and roll ladies purchased their clothes. And I reasoned, ‘Well, I’m saving my money, so I’ll go up there and buy something from this amazing store.’ The name of this shop was The Velvet Underground,” she told the audience.
Young Stevie Nicks was impacted by the fact that she was standing in the same store as her idol, Janis Joplin. The singer explained, “So I went up and found the store. When I walked into this magnificent store with wonderful items, I was sure I couldn’t afford anything. But I was standing exactly where I knew Janis Joplin stood. And I was experiencing affection.”
Stevie Nicks claimed that while standing in “The Velvet Underground” store, she had a hunch that inspired Fleetwood Mac’s song “Gypsy.” She claimed she could see the future, and “Fleetwood Mac” was what she saw.
Nicks stated, “When I left that store empty-handed, I was different. Because I knew then that my dream would come true, although the rest of the world – my world – said it would never happen.” She told the audience that she wanted to tell them about the velvet underground because she didn’t want them to give up on their aspirations.
Nicks instructed them to disregard the tired people who told them they couldn’t do it or weren’t good enough. “Because that’s not true,” she concluded. “You will, and you can. You only need to reach up and grasp one of those stars, bring it down to you, and bring it to The Velvet Underground to stay there.”