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The Penguin Discography: How Still My Love




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    Song Title »
How Still My Love
    Authors »
Stevie Nicks

    Year Written »
1979

    Lyrics »

Still the same old story
What price glory
You make it easy
In the still of the night
In the still of the night...
How still my love
In the still of the night...
How still my...

Doing all you can for me
They say you're not the man for me
Don't make it easy
In the still of the night
In the still of the night...
How still my love
In the still of the night...
How still my love

Standing... in the doorway
Watching out to sea
Calling out to me
You go... your way
Go on... go on
But you don't forget me
Ooo no... you don't forget me
Oooo no... my lonely one
You're doing all you can for me
They say you're not the man for me
Don't I make it easy
In the still of the night
It's... me... talking to you

How still my love...
In the still of the night...
How still my love...
In the still of the night...
It's me that's talkin' to you
In the still of the night

    Fan Interpretation »

The title "How Still My Love" may have been inspired by The Five Satins, a 1950's doo-wop group, and their lovely song "In the Still of the Night".

The still of the night is the most romantic time of the night, but also the loneliest, depending on individual circumstances. In Stevie's scenario, it is a time of cross-currents, crackling with energy and electricity, as two voices call out to each other, sending messages back and forth in a desperate, urgent, means of communication. The song itself (which was written in 1979, and appears on Stevie's Bella Donna album) seems to have many connections to Stevie's other songs "Dreams" and "Outside the Rain". Like these songs, it seems to be a wistful, passionate reflection on her feelings for Lindsey.

"Still the same old story
What price glory"

Lindsey and Stevie broke up in 1977, but in the aftermath, their feelings were never really resolved. Stevie is acknowledging the fact that professional competitiveness played a big part in driving a rift between them. Both Stevie and Lindsey have spoken many times about the fact that, when they were together, they had great passion, but not always the best rapport. They were both deeply involved in music and they had a rivalry there. She felt that he had trouble dealing with her popularity. She, in turn, resented him spending so much time on his music, at times when she wanted him to pay more attention to her.

When Stevie talks about "what price glory" she is partly talking about Fleetwood Mac, and partly talking about her solo career, which was just beginning at that time. She knew that it would cost her in many ways. Fleetwood Mac would resent her, Lindsey would have trouble handling it, and Stevie's own personal happiness would have to be sacrificed.

"You make it easy
In the still of the night
In the still of the night...
How still my love
In the still of the night...
How still my..."

Sometimes at night when she's alone, she remembers Lindsey, and her memories are bittersweet. Tender feelings are mixed with heartache. In the still of the night, she thinks about him. The phrase 'still of the night' is used somewhat ironically, since even in the deepest, quietest part of the night, her feelings are tumultuous, not still.
How does he "make it easy"? She may be referring to him being difficult, which makes it easy for her to be apart from him. Or she might be talking about their past relationship as lovers, and saying that he made it easy for her to be with him at night, [when they were making love], as opposed to during the day, when they were always fighting. She still remembers the loving times between them. When she sings "...in the still of the night" it echoes the line "In the stillness of remembering" from her song "Dreams". Perhaps she is saying to Lindsey, 'Our love will always be there, and I'll know it, and you'll know it, and we can't escape that.' She may also mean that "he makes it easy" by his skillful musical arrangements. She has often spoken about how he put "magic" into her songs. There were many times during the recording of Rumours and Tusk when she and Lindsey were not getting along, but they still had to work together, and sometimes the musical part - singing together, or his arrangements on her songs - were the best part of their communication. That may have made her remember the love between them and to think about what still might be, if only things were different. In the still of the night, her thoughts turn to fancy. Even though they are not a couple anymore, she still loves him, and she feels him loving her too.

"Doing all you can for me
They say you're not the man for me
Don't make it easy
In the still of the night
In the still of the night...
How still my love
In the still of the night...
How still my love"

He arranges her music - this is something that he does for the good of the band, and maybe at this point in their lives it is the most that he can do for her. Considering all of the difficulties that they have been through - breaking up, and yet still having to work together - he is actually making an enormous effort by still being able to help her in this way. However, this does not stop her from feeling wistful.

Some of the people in Stevie's life say that Lindsey is wrong for her. However, she does not share their opinion. She does not want him to make it easy for her to hate him because she knows that she really will always love him. When things are calm, she feels more of that love.

"Standing...in the doorway
Watching out to sea
Calling out to me
You go...your way
Go on...go on"

She feels them both at a standstill right now, not really knowing if they will always have a rift between them. She watches him work in the studio and feels like an entire sea separates them. She contemplates the future, knowing that her solo career represents a new step toward a brave, independent Stevie, but also a lonely one. She feels Lindsey calling out to her. She knows he does not want her to go solo and leave Fleetwood Mac behind. She acknowledges their connection, and then she says "You go...your way", responding to his song "Go Your Own Way". It is also possible that she means Lindsey is calling out to her (he is saying to her "You go..your way...Go on..go on").

"But you don't forget me
Ooo no...you don't forget me
Oooo no...my lonely one
You're doing all you can for me
They say you're not the man for me
Don't I make it easy
In the still of the night
It's...me...talking to you"

She is speaking to him directly. She specifically says "Don't *I* make it easy", meaning that she will make it make it easy for him to remember their love. Again, this echoes "Dreams" ("..in the stillness of remembering...what you lost") and "Outside the Rain" (" ... Look in my eyes, touch my face, there's no one that can take my place.."), and her promise to him that their love will forever haunt him. She will let him go, but he will never forget her, and she will never forget him either.

"How still my love...
In the still of the night...
How still my love...
In the still of the night...
It's me that's talkin' to you
In the still of the night"

During the night, he is filled with loneliness. She is lonely too, and she feels his loneliness acutely, like an ache in her heart.

(The interpretations to these lyrics were compiled through discussions on the message boards of the Penguin, The Ledge. It is entirely possible that the artists had something completely different in mind.)

    Tabs »
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    Performances »
Performance #1:
Running Time 3:51
Performers Roy Bittan (Arranged By), Russ(ell) Kunkel (Drums), Waddy (Robert) Wachtel (Guitar), Davey Johnston(e) (Acoustic Guitar), Bob Glaub (Bass), (Ms.) Bobbye Hall (Percussion), Roy Bittan (Piano), Ben(mont) (M.) Tench(, III) (Organ), Stevie Nicks (Lead Vocals By), Sharon Celani (Ladies Vocals By), Lori Perry-Nicks/Perry/Nicks (Ladies Vocals By)
Appears On
Bella Donna (1981)
Stevie Nicks
Performance #2:
Date Performance 1986-06-21
Performers Stevie Nicks (Vocals)
CommentsRecorded at Poplar Creek, Chicago
Appears On
Cloaks And Daggers (0000)
Stevie Nicks
Performance #3:
Running Time 3:51
Performers Roy Bittan (Arranged By), Russ(ell) Kunkel (Drums), Waddy (Robert) Wachtel (Guitar), Davey Johnston(e) (Acoustic Guitar), Bob Glaub (Bass), (Ms.) Bobbye Hall (Percussion), Roy Bittan (Piano), Ben(mont) (M.) Tench(, III) (Organ), Stevie Nicks (Lead Vocals By), Sharon Celani (Ladies Vocals By), Lori Perry-Nicks/Perry/Nicks (Ladies Vocals By)
Appears On
Stevie Nicks: Bella Donna (0000)
Warner Brothers Publications Inc.

    Comments »

(C) 1979 Published by Welsh Witch Music/BMI

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    Last Modified »
2007-05-29

    Discography Credits »
Lyrics contributed by Lyrics supplied by Christina White. Interpretation prepared by Justine, Rhiannon, Les, Tracy G., Samantha and Eliza..