For years, music fans around the world speculated on the meaning of Fleetwood Mac’s song “Beautiful Child”. Everyone figured it was related to her tangled history of affairs with fellow band members Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham.
That is until 2013, when Stevie Nicks finally lifted the veil during an interview, revealing the poignant story behind the song (video below). Guess what? You’re about to dive into the captivating tale of a brief love affair with a remarkable figure from music history – none other than The Beatles’ road manager, Derek Taylor.
In 1977, a young Stevie Nicks found herself entwined in a whirlwind romance with this influential man who would ultimately leave an indelible mark on her heart.
Beverly Hills Hotel Incident
“This is one of my very favourite ballads. It’s so from the heart. It was written about an English man I was crazy about who was quite a bit older than me — another one of my doomed relationships. He used to read poetry out loud to me in his beautiful English voice, and I would sit at his feet, just mesmerized, and he would say, ‘You are a beautiful child,’ and I’d say, ‘I’m not a child anymore.’ He was married, so we stopped because it was going to hurt a lot of people. The song is like a straight retelling of the last night of that relationship. Every time I sing it I’m transported back to the Beverly Hills Hotel and walking across the grounds to get a cab after saying goodbye” —Tusk Deluxe Edition (2015) liner notes.
The echoes of their time together, however, live on through the lyrics of “Beautiful Child.” We’ve found and linked the part of the interview in 2013 where Stevie reveals the truth behind the song meaning:
Derek Taylor
Derek Taylor, the press and road manager for The Beatles, was a man of many talents and stories. Did you know that before his days with the Fab Four, he was a budding journalist?
Taylor worked as a reporter for the Liverpool Daily Post. It was a chance assignment covering the Beatles’ concert at the Cavern Club that led to his life-changing encounter with the band.
As fate would have it, he would later become the “fifth Beatle” of the public relations world, crafting the image and narrative that helped propel the group to legendary status.
One of Taylor’s lesser-known but quite endearing contributions to the Beatles’ legacy is the creation of the delightful “Beatles Book” monthly magazine.
First published in 1963, this fan club magazine offered a charming glimpse into the lives of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, including their personal stories, hobbies, and even their favorite recipes! Derek’s wit and warmth shone through in every issue, making it a beloved treasure for fans across the globe.
Among the many highlights of Taylor’s career, one mustn’t forget his pivotal role in the organization of the groundbreaking “Our World” satellite broadcast in 1967.
As part of the team working with the Beatles, Derek helped coordinate their performance of “All You Need Is Love,” which was beamed to an estimated 400 million people in 25 countries. It was a resounding testament to his dedication and vision, proving that, in the world of Derek Taylor, love (and the Beatles) truly conquered all.
It was only after these major accomplishments that Taylor went on to meet, fall in love, and influence the meaning of the song Beautiful Child by Fleetwood Mac.
George Harrison – Blue Jay Way
“Blue Jay Way,” a song written by George Harrison for the Beatles’ 1967 album Magical Mystery Tour, is said to be inspired by a real-life experience. Harrison was waiting for Derek Taylor and some friends to arrive at his rented house in the Hollywood Hills on Blue Jay Way. Due to heavy fog, Taylor and the others had a difficult time finding the house, which left Harrison waiting anxiously.
While it is not explicitly mentioned in the lyrics, the song’s background story does suggest that Derek Taylor was one of the “friends” Harrison was waiting for in “Blue Jay Way.” The song’s eerie, atmospheric quality captures the uncertainty and anticipation that Harrison must have felt during that foggy night.
The Plastic Ono Band – Give Peace a Chance
Derek Taylor is indeed mentioned in The Plastic Ono Band’s “Give Peace a Chance,” which was released in 1969. The song was written by John Lennon during the famous “Bed-In” with Yoko Ono in Montreal, and it features numerous names and references.
In the song, the line “Everybody’s talking about ministers, sinisters, banisters and canisters, bishops, fishops, rabbis and popeyes, bye-bye, bye-byes” includes the word “fishops,” which is actually a play on the word “Bishops” and a nickname for Derek Taylor.
Tim Leary (Timothy Leary), an American psychologist and counterculture icon, is also mentioned in the song with the line “Timmy Leary, Rosemary, Tommy Smothers, Bobby Dylan, Tommy Cooper.”
Full Lyrics
Beautiful child
Beautiful child
You are a beautiful child
And I am a fool once more
You fell in love when I was only ten
The years disappeared
Much has gone by since then
I bite my lip, can you send me away?
You touch, I have no choice (ooh, ooh)
I have to stay (ooh)
Ooh, I had to stay
Ooh, I had to stay
Sleepless child
There is so little time
Your eyes say yes
But you don’t say yes
Well I wish that you were mine
I wish that you were mine
You say it will be harder in the morning
I wait for you to say, just go
Your hands held mine so few hours
(I fell into love) But I’m not a child anymore
I’m not a child anymore
I’m tall enough to reach for the stars
I’m old enough to love you from afar
Too trusting? Yes
But then women usually are
I’m not a child anymore
I’m not a child, oh no (I’m tall enough to reach for the stars)
I will do as I’m told (I’m old enough to love you from afar)
Even if I never hold you again (too trusting? Yes, but then women usually are)
Hold you again (hold you again)
Sleepless child
There is so little time (I will do as I am told)
Your eyes say yes, but you don’t say yes
(Even if I never hold you again)
I wish that you were mine (hold you again)
I wish that you were mine (even if I never hold you again)
Well I wish that you were mine (hold you again)
Well I wish that you were mine
Love and Relationships
One fascinating aspect of the song is the apparent back-and-forth between Stevie Nicks and Derek Taylor in the lyrics. It feels as if they’re alternating verses and recapping their brief, yet impactful relationship.
As a listener, you can feel the heartache that often accompanies love affairs when the individuals involved have a significant age gap and vastly different life experiences.
Nicks, ever the master songwriter, effectively conveys her feeling of being both a fool and an admirer, bringing you closer to her perspective during this emotional time in her life.
The Tusk Album
The song Beautiful Child was only one of several bangers on Tusk, Fleetwood Mac’s 1979 eclectic gem! Did you know that its creation was a wild adventure? As the follow-up to the mega-hit Rumours, Tusk was the brainchild of Lindsey Buckingham, who was inspired by the emerging punk and new wave scenes.
Keen on experimenting and pushing the band’s boundaries, he transformed a bathroom at his home into a makeshift studio. His bandmates, intrigued by the new creative direction, contributed their parts from different locations, piecing together a musical puzzle that would become the iconic double album.
Let’s talk about the peculiar title track, “Tusk,” which features a rousing performance by the University of Southern California’s Trojan Marching Band. The recording session was a spectacle like no other, taking place at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
The band members, alongside their intrepid producer Richard Dashut, were armed with a 16-track mobile recording studio to capture the magic. Fleetwood Mac’s drummer, Mick Fleetwood, even conducted the marching band in full regalia, complete with a classic conductor’s hat and baton!
