In September of 1982 Fleetwood Mac released their album, Mirage. Fleetwood Mac song, Gypsy. A sweet and melancholy song of a woman reflecting on a life-long love affair ultimately ending as the lovers go their separate ways.
At the time of its MTV World Premiere Fleetwood Mac’s master work Gypsy music video was the most expensive ever produced. It is an ethereal video featuring Stevie Nicks‘ unique, sultry, dreamy voice, highlighted by her graceful dance moves. It spotlights her talent as a brilliant lyricist. The band’s famous hypnotic harmonies make this song and video legendary.
I chose this song at this time, because it brings me back to an age of innocence and naivety, a sad and sweet time. Its first three guitar notes transport me immediately to September 1982 in Tuscarora Dorm, SUNY Albany. Watching him drive out onto Western Avenue, back to his school 140 miles away. Head pressed against the window sobbing. Playing lowly on the turntable was his gift, Fleetwood Mac’s album, Mirage. Chosen he said because the fifth cut reminded him of me.
Gypsy was a mirror of our lives, the older we got the more it reflected our relationship. He was in my life nearly 30 years, beginning at the age of 13, he had been my first everything, crush, boyfriend, love, heartbreak, husband, and ex-husband.
The opening scene is Gypsy alone in her room decorated in Victorian style, lace and flowers throughout the room, the lighting is soft. She dressed in a romantic pink handkerchief hem lace dress with leg-warmers dancing, twirling, then settling into a split in front of a cheval mirror looking deep into her reflection. Camera focusing on her in the mirror looking deep past her reflection.
Camera taking an intermediate shot brings us to a Depression age black and white street scene. She is dancing, weaving her way through images of soup lines, the camera takes close up shots of the band members as characters playing, starving people in anguish, the pain obvious on their faces. In stark contrast, the next scene opens with close up on Lindsay Buckingham and the Gypsy dancing close, but not looking at each other. Camera transitions to an overhead shot into a posh speakeasy. Beautifully dressed men and women sliding across the floor. Camera pans around the set to a two shot on Christine and John McVie as patrons of the bar. Lindsay and Gypsy go through the motions of their dance. The extras sweep in front of and swirl around the pair. Camera pans again cutting to close up of Mick Fleetwood his eyes follow the Gypsy as she runs out into the rain claiming her freedom, her bonds are washed away.
As camera pulls back revealing the scene continuing inside a picture frame back in Gypsy’s room, transition back to color film, where she is still looking at her reflection in the mirror. As she is dancing fading into a forest scene where she is dancing, floating, weaving around the trees, she is joined by 3 small little girls dressed as woodland fairies. Wide shot camera locates the rest of the band picnicking in the forest.
During this quarantine period people begin to reflect on their lives. Bringing to mind past friends and lovers. I am trying to remember the good times. And for me Gypsy is the epitome of the most innocent time in my life. During this Covid-19 pandemic lock-up, waning nostalgic searching songs on Pandora, Gypsy was one of the first songs I searched. The next was Watching the Detectives by Elvis Costello, which well kind of probably more accurately describes my wild days, it was after all the 80’s.
Stevie Nicks recently posted this to her official Facebook page.
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