Walter Egan – Magnet and Steel

One of my favorite pop/rock songs. Beautifully crafted melody. In 1978 this song peaked at #8 in the Billboard 100. Walter wrote this song about Stevie Nicks and she sang on the track. The bass and drum sound in this song is fantastic.

From Songfacts.

Stevie Nicks sang on this track and provided inspiration for the lyrics. Walter Egan tells us about this song:

“In 1976 I was living in Pomona, California and I had a notion to write a song with the ‘stroll’ beat (made famous by Chuck Willis) and so began the rough outline of what was tentatively called ‘Don’t Turn Away Now.’ Now, this was also at the time of putting together my first album, Fundamental Roll, and my two new friends and producers, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks and I were starting the recording process.

On the night when Stevie did the background vocals for my song ‘Tunnel o’ Love,’ my nascent amorous feelings toward her came into a sharper focus – I was smitten by the kitten, as they say. It was on my drive home at 3 AM from Van Nuys to Pomona that I happened to be behind a metal flake blue Continental with ground effects and a diamond window in back. I was inspired by the car’s license plate: “Not Shy.”

By the time I pulled into my driveway I had formulated the lyrics and come up with the magnet metaphor. From there the song was finished in 15 minutes.

It was especially satisfying to have Stevie sing on ‘Magnet,’ since it was about her (and me).”

This was used in the 1997 movie Boogie Nights.

This was Egan’s only Top 40 chart entry for his own recordings, though he also wrote Night’s first hit, “Hot Summer Nights,” which reached #18.

Magnet and Steel

Ooh ooh ah
Now I told you so you ought to know
Ooh it takes some time for a feelin’ to grow
Ooh you’re so close now I can’t let you go
Ooh and I can’t let go
For you are a magnet and I am steel

I can’t hope that I’ll hold you for long
Ooh you’re a woman who’s lost to your song
Ooh but the love that I feel is so strong
Ooh and it can’t be wrong

With you I’m not shy to show the way I feel
With you I might try my secrets to reveal
For you are a magnet and I am steel
For you are a magnet and I am steel

 

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

12 thoughts on “Walter Egan – Magnet and Steel”

      4. Not all the songs are fighting but some were… It must have been an interesting album to make for them

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  2. One of the best one hit wonders of the decade! Love it. Egan was definitely head over heels with Stevie, but whether she reciprocated is iffy. He says she was his girlfriend for a few months around then but she seems to utterly ignore him in her bio despite covering the era quite well (from my quick scan of it in a bookstore)

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