Songs I Love To Play: Blue Letter (Fleetwood Mac Cover)

Nothing gets a live show going like a good fast song. I like this one, as it's not the usual thing that everyone plays...and it takes people by surprise when you play a Fleetwood Mac song that isn't a Stevie Nicks song. "Blue Letter" is from the 1975 Fleetwood Mac album, which was the first one with Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. The song is sung by Buckingham, and it was also released as the B-side to the "Say You Love Me" single.

"Blue Letter" has an interesting history. It's the only song recorded by the band's classic lineup that was not written by a member of Fleetwood Mac. The song was written by Michael and Richard Curtis. The two worked with Buckingham and Nicks on their self titled album from before they joined the band. Buckingham Nicks had made demos of two of their songs: "Blue Letter" and a song called "Seven League Boots", which was later reworked and became the hit "Southern Cross" by Crosby, Stills and Nash.

So, here's my version of "Blue Letter". It always turns heads when playing it live. One of those songs that makes people go "Oh, yeah! I remember that one!". Those are sometimes the best!

BLUE LETTER
words and music by MICHAEL & RICHARD CURTIS

It was a blue letter
She wrote to me
Its silver words she told
Wanna be on the road to paradise
I want a lover who don't get old

Do I read a message In Your Eyes
You want a love to stay another night
Baby when the day goes down
I won't be waitin' around for you

For every voice you've ever heard
There's a thousand without a word
Redbird, don't say you told me so
Just give me one more song to go

Do I read a message In Your Eyes
You want a love to stay another night
Baby when the day goes down
I won't be waitin' around for you

© Michael & Richard Curtis