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WEBMISTRESS speculates:
This song seems right along the lines of the theme of Trouble in Shangri-La in that it talks about the up and down nature of "adventures in paradise" - or her time in Fleetwood Mac. During that time, she and Lindsey caused each other a lot of pain, and he was insulting and condescending to her at times, hurting her self-esteem and feelings. And yet there were good things, too - she and Lindsey had a lot of love before it went bad, and even afterwards there was still a thrill of passion there - not to mention the good things about being a famous rock star, doing what she loves and getting practically worshipped by adoring fans. Those kind of things "cast doubt away" - make her stay in Fleetwood Mac and stay connected to Lindsey as well.
Then she seems to go forward in time, to the "adventures in paradise" that were "just like the first time." When Fleetwood Mac had its reunion, she was caught back up in the whirlwind of being in a successful rock band, sharing the stage with Lindsey. Just like always, it was wild, "the best of times" and the "worst of times" (straight out of Dickens!). Just like before, however, the good things cast doubt away and make her sure she's where she needs to be. She didn't understand it all the first time around, but now she does - she knows that it's real.
RUISRYAN speculates:
I think this song is Stevie's way of affirming both sides of her relationship with Lindsey. This song seems like an afterthought of Frozen Love to me... highlighting the fire and ice aspect of their love affair. I also think this is a way for her to prove to herself and the world that their love wasn't fake then, nor is it fake now, however different it may be from when they started out together. That they will always be a part of eachother, romantically or not. That the connection they have is real and forever.
JOE speculates:
This song could be considered also as a kind of assertion of self-validation by Stevie in terms of her 'stage persona' and her songwriting. Like any major artist, Stevie cops a fair degree of flack, mostly about her 'witchy' persona or her 'airy-fairy' songs. In 'Not Make Believe', Stevie uses what could be perceived as the story of herself and Lindsey, as the basis for a song wherein Stevie tells those listening to her music that she is real. Behind her stage persona and even within that persona, there is a 'real Stevie'; a real person with stories of real love and excitement just like anyone else has experienced. The thrill and satisfaction she gets from being 'Stevie Nicks, the queen of rock' makes her seem less real to many onlookers, but here in this song she is saying 'Hey, I was always true to myself when I started and I'm staying true now. This is what I do and I've always kept real about it - maybe that's why I've lasted so long'. Many other megastars never kept as tight a grip on reality, and because they were addicted to their stardom, they remained languishing by the pool of Narcissism and they suffered for it. Stevie, on the other hand, realises the basic importance of 'staying real', and tells us that behind the veneer of fantasy that her image and songs manufacture, there is the down to earth heart and soul of a midwest romantic with a passion for storytelling.
The stories told in Stevie's songs may not generally be like the "meat and potatoes" fare that, for instance, Christine writes, but behind each song there is a constant thread of ideas, experiences, inspirations and insights that come from the imagination of a songwriter who writes about what happened in merely a round-about way, not necessarily one who indulges the 'make believe' of fiction. Without children of her own, Stevie's ouvre is more important to her than anything, and in this great song she reminds us that it would be a sleight to her integrity, to her 'everything', to consider the songs, and the songwriter, as anything less than real.
Want to speculate about "Not Make Believe"? E-mail me and I'll post your comments.
Say You Will | BN Albums