‘Go Your Own Way’ was a creation of Lindsey Buckingham, the principle songwriter of Fleetwood Mac. Stevie Nicks, another important member of the band, often threw hurtful barbs at him, which hurt him deeply. While Nicks wrote the song about the end of their relationship, it is clear that Buckingham also felt devastated by the breakup. It is difficult enough to regularly sing songs about someone you used to love, but it becomes even harder when you have to remain in a band with them.
Initially, we had an excellent relationship. I adored looking after him and the household. Nicks once expressed in a televised interview, “I cherished him for all the appropriate motives. We were two youngsters from Menlo-Atherton High School. I adored him prior to his wealth.” The enjoyable moments didn’t endure indefinitely, but the ex-couple had been acquainted since their high school days.
As a pair, it became evident to Nicks over time that they were no longer harmonious. Ultimately, it was a clash of personalities that led to their parting, with Nicks describing him as “extremely possessive”. In 2015, she informed Rolling Stone, “Right from the start, Lindsey exhibited a great deal of control and possessiveness.” “And after listening to all the accounts from my mother and how she valued her independence and instilled the same in me, I never fared well with possessive or controlling individuals,” she added. While the challenges and hardships of being the face of a rock band certainly took a toll on them, it was the clash of personalities that served as the primary reason behind their separation.
Some people are simply not supposed to be together, which was the case with Fleetwood Mac, in which Nicks wrote about the breakdown of the relationship in ‘Silver Springs’, with the intention of haunting Buckingham.
(Via Society of Rock). Rolling Stone informed her, “It was simply an enraged remark that he made,” she stated. He was aware that it was not accurate. “Moving out, cohabitating” with various men was all I desired to do. I strongly disliked him publicly stating that Buckingham wrote ‘Go Your Own Way’, which deeply disturbed Nicks as it insinuated her promiscuity. Meanwhile.
And I did.” I will suffer like you make me, I really pushed those buttons through, he knew it. I wanted to go over and kill him, every time those words would come onstage. Those lyrics singing would prove nearly fatal for the couple, Nicks added, while the professional duo remained relatively split during the split.
“Get on your bicycle, girl!” Essentially, Lindsey strongly felt this but Stevie thought it was unfair, there was some disagreement over the ‘crackin’ up, shackin’ up’ line. Mick Fleetwood, the drummer of the band, remembered the tension in the studio while they were recording ‘Go Your Own Way’ in 2009 and how Nicks felt uneasy about the line. He confessed to Q (as mentioned on Songfacts): “I regret to admit that I took advantage of my own incompetence.”
Due to a series of bitter events that led to the termination of the relationship between Nicks and Buckingham, Nicks still feels morose about this day. He wanted to use ‘Go Your Own Way’ as a way to inflict pain on his ex-partner, explaining why he is sorry about the affair and why they were incompatible.