Fleetwood Mac – Say You Love Me

This song was on Fleetwood Mac’s self-titled album, the first one with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.

I know that Rumours is the big album of Fleetwood Mac but I have a special place for the Buckingham and Nicks debut album with the band. For me, it was up there with Rumours. The songs include Monday Morning, Rhiannon, Landslide, Over My Head, World Turning, and this song. It was the tenth album by the band and was released in 1975. I have to admit that I favor it now over Rumours because of the extensive play of that album.

FM

After Bob Welch left the band in 1974 the band was talking to producer Keith Olsen and he played Mick Fleetwood the Buckingham and Nicks album. Mick liked the guitar player and wanted to hire him to take Welch’s place. Buckingham would not join unless they took Stevie Nicks…which they did.

This album had 3 top twenty hits (Say That You Love Me, Rhiannon, and Over My Head) and songs like Landslide and Monday Morning that remained favorites by fans. Say That You Love me peaked at #11 on The Billboard 100, #29 in Canada, and #40 in the UK.

The album peaked at #1 on the Billboard Album Charts, #2 in Canada, #23 in the UK, and #4 in New Zealand. Christine McVie wrote this song and personally, besides Buckingham…she is my favorite singer/songwriter in the band.

From Wiki:  Shirley Eikhard covered “Say You Love Me” and released it as single several weeks in advance of Fleetwood Mac in early June 1976. Eikhard’s version became a Canadian top 40, peaking at No. 34; Fleetwood Mac’s version, released only a few weeks later, peaked at No. 29 in September. That version is below.

Say That You Love Me

Have mercy baby,On a poor girl like me,You know I’m falling falling,Falling at your feet.

I’m tingling right,From my head to my toes,So help me help me,Help me make the feeling grow.

‘Cause when the loving starts and the lights go down,And there’s not another living soul around,You woo me until the sun comes up,And you say that you love me.

Pity, baby, just,When I thought it was over,And now you got me runnin’, runnin’,Runnin’ for cover.

I’m begging you for, a bit ofSympathy,If you use me again,It’ll be the end of me.

‘Cause when the lovin’ starts and the lights go down,And there’s not another living soul around,You woo me until the sun comes up,And you say that you love me.

Baby, baby hope,You’re gonna stay away,‘Cause I’m getting weaker,Weaker every day.

I guess I’m not as strong,As I used to be,If you use me again,It’ll be the end of me.

‘Cause when the lovin’ starts and the lights go down,And there’s not another living soul around,You woo me until the sun comes up,And you say that you love me.

‘Cause when the lovin’ starts and the lights go down,And there’s not another living soul around,You woo me until the sun comes up,And you say that you love me.

Say that you love me,Say that you love me,Say that you love me.

Fallin’ fallin’ fallin’,Fallin’ fallin’ fallin’,Fallin’ fallin’ fallin’,Fallin’ fallin’ fallin’.

Unknown's avatar

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, 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. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

39 thoughts on “Fleetwood Mac – Say You Love Me”

  2. Fleetwood Mac certainly became more accessible in the record stores when Buckingham/Nicks joined the group and captured fame in the U.S. Almost every guy I knew lusted after Stevie. But I sure missed Bob Welch’s songwriting. However, Christine Perfect McVie became a better singer during those Buckingham/Nicks years. Perhaps it was because she was the only female in the group before then.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. They did open up to the masses because of their new songs. I loved their debut album…at least the new pop Fleetwood Mac debut.
      Yea I also like the Peter Green era also…the band was like 3 separate bands.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. It was one of those songs…strangely for them…that didn’t have a lot of personal history on the internet. It’s been in my drafts for a year. I finished it when I was on my break finally.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Yes I like the songs she wrote and her voice….which is odd for me really. I always like the gravelly voice female singers…and don’t get me wrong….I do like her also.

      Like

      Reply

      2. Yea I like Stevie alright…but I just think Christine is a better songwriter. Now…the band with Peter Green was awesome…I wish people would look at that version some also…and Bob Welch

        Liked by 1 person

  5. Good song, but like Hinouema , I do like ‘Rhiannon’ more from that record. Definitely a really good album, I still like ‘Rumours’ better, but this one set the tone – they really found the musical magic (pixie dust was it?) when they added in Buckingham and Nicks even if it was like lighting a fuse in a box of TNT inter-personally.
    I’d totally forgotten about the Shirley Eikhart cover! Yes, it was big in Canada- especially in my part perhaps, she was a hometown gal. I just looked it up, I remembered she wrote a huge hit, it was ‘Something to Talk About’ for Bonnie Raitt.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Oh yea they did…to me like Rubber Soul and Revolver being related…I think these two are also. I guess it’s because of overexposure on the other one so these songs sound a bit fresher… also I heard this one before Rumours…not real time but later on. I like Monday Morning also off of that album.
      That Eikhart version was new to me!!!! Its good but I never heard it before.

      Like

      Reply

  9. After yesterdays Mac comment anything more I may say is redundant! All I can say is that at any Sunday market, arts fair or farmers day there’s a live band playing 50% Mac covers. But the public laps it up.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  12. Max, re earlier Mac, oh yes I did like the very early stuff. ‘Albatross’ especially, ‘Man Of The World.’ I even bought his later album ‘In The Skies’ but that was after he wandered away from the real world and returned a changed man. But back in his day, brilliant.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Ok.. yea around a year ago I found many songs in that era that I liked… Green Manalishi stayed on my playlist for a long time. Yea Green’s story is sad that he just lost it.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  13. While I wouldn’t go as far as preferring the album over “Rumours”, I love this song. I also agree with you that Christine McVie has written some great tunes.I feel she gets a bit overshadowed by Stevie Nicks who undoubtedly has also penned great songs. I think in part that is because Nicks has enjoyed a higher profile as a solo artist compared to McVie. Her collaboration with Tom Petty also helped.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I like Stevie…I do but Christine does it for me but yea I like some of Stevie songs.
      Now the album…yea I’m much closer to that album. Monday Morning is great…I think of those albums as brother and sister…they are very close to each other.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  16. Pingback: Fleetwood Mac – Say You Love Me – MobsterTiger

Leave a comment