The Highwayman

This is one of her best songs not only on Bella Donna but also of her solo work in general. It's imaginative and poetic. First of all that "Highwayman" is a metaphor for male rock'n'rollers. And she's singing what women have to do in music showbusiness and how they are treated by the others. "The Highwayman" is not only a rock'n'roller but also an male-alpha who has to be the best in everything because he always has to win. It's better when some woman walks slowly, doesn't do much noise, doesn't create art music, doesn't write intlelligent or controversial lyrics etc. That's why chicks like Kate Bush or Joni Mitchell mostly weren't taken seriously because they didn't suit that "male world". The same was with Stevie Nicks - she was also humulilated many times, and she also said that she had to be "sweet and femine" if she wanted to get along with men that mostly surrounded her. And she wrote this song about Don Henley and the rest of The Eagles for they were this kind of men. When she hung around with them she hoped they would treat her as a musican and songwriter but for them she was only chick to flirt with. But I have heard that she's singing about guys from Fleetwood Mac too and I wouldn't be surprised of it. Don't know about John but Lindsley and Mick were also male-alphas. Lindlsey was abusive and controlled her in everything but when she started to feel more confident (mostly thanks to her solo carieer) she argued with him about the songs which was frustrating for him. Mick wasn't saint neighter. When Nicks said about her plans for solo work he was against it because he thought that she - as a woman - wouldn't take it. .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Ok and here are also Stevie's own comments about this track: “My first knowledge of anybody else except outside of Fleetwood Mac was the Eagles, of whom, you have to realize, I’ve been singing along with forever on the radio, you know. And who am I to meet the Eagles? ‘The Highwayman’ is the highwayman of the road, the one that’s always on the road, that sometimes gives to the rich and sometimes keeps it. In ‘The Highwayman’, it says ‘She considers slowing down, but then he would never win. Enter competition, she chases beneath the sky, the pale and violent rider.’ It’s like, you kind of half to let them be their dramatic selves, and go with it, and not try to be anything else except an intelligent woman with them, that accidentally happens to be songwriter, because if you ever want to sit down and work with them, that’s the only way you can be.” ~Stevie Nicks, 1981

“The old rogue - the highwayman, who travelled on the road, and you hear his little horse’s hoof beats, you know, in the sparkling and shining night and you hope he drops by your inn with a glass of wine, the horse can be fed. Basically, a thief. Totally romantic. Probably die young. And every woman’s fantasy, absolute. And the new highwayman, for me, is definitely the rock and roll musician who is always gone and always travelling, and… you know, lear jets in and lear jets out. And you know, for me, I realized that in order to be a part of them at all, from the standpoint of being a songwriter, and not a woman, just a songwriter… that I would have to walk very quietly and be not pushy if I wanted ever to be accepted. So I decided to do whatever I had to do to get at least somewhat into their good graces, so I could learn from them. ‘Cause I felt they had a lot to teach me. And when it says, ‘And then she hears him coming, heartbeats on the wind… consider slowing down, but then he would never win…’, she considers slowing down, because she has to let him win. In order for them ever to get together and do anything, from writing a song to being married, to just being good friends, due to the fact that she is not only a writer, but she is also a woman.” ~Stevie Nicks, 1981

“It’s about what a woman in rock & roll has to do to keep up with the men. It’s their world. To be taken seriously a woman has to walk softly and carry a big stick.” ~Stevie Nicks, Smash Hits, 1-82

When did you - I’m not going to ask who, but when did you write The Highwayman? Well, it’s really even okay that you ask who because I, because it’s part of the great story. The Highwayman was written, uh, I wrote it about Don Henley. And I actually, in fact, wrote because I considered him and all his crazy gang, right, to be The Highwaymen. There’s an old English, an old poem - it’s not English, it’s just an old poem about the highwayman comes riding, riding and he’s coming riding down, the pale rider against the moon and they’re got Bess the inkeeper’s daughter and she’s tied up in the barn and when he comes through the door her hand’s going to move and flip the trigger and it’s going to kill him. So it’s this amazing poem that, somewhere in school you might remember it. So somewhere between Don Henley and The Eagles and that, I thought that these were the highwaymen. These were, in my world, they were the highwaymen. So that’s what I wrote it about and I was, you know, I was going out with Don for quite a while actually so that was really the song I wrote about Don. That’s why he’s singing and playing on it.

• Stevie Nicks, Jim Ladd, 2005

[Edit: Grammar]