Stevie Nicks’ “Sable on Blond” weaves a tale of introspection, lost love, and grappling with freedom and sacrifice. At its core, the song seems to be a poetic rumination on a relationship’s complexities, perhaps even touching on Nicks’ own experiences with love and fame. It hints at the pain of holding on to dreams and memories and the struggle between holding on and letting go. There’s a resonance with the legend of Excalibur, symbolizing something powerful and out of reach.
Nicks often embeds her work with personal anecdotes, and this song may very well be about her own encounters with love – the kind that leaves you questioning and yearning for answers. She seems to be addressing a lover, reflecting on what was lost, and the pain lingering.
Curious about the mystique of Stevie Nicks’ “Sable on Blond”? Want to know what lies beneath the haunting lyrics and the whisper of Excalibur? Keep reading to uncover the secrets stitched into this melodious enigma.
“Sable on Blond” Lyrics Meaning
Stevie Nicks’ “Sable on Blond” opens with a call to “Learn to be a stranger,” possibly a nod to the necessary detachment one might need after a breakup or a profound change. “Blond on blond” suggests a mirroring, a reflection of oneself in another or in one’s past experiences.
“In silence, she says ‘Excalibur'” connects us to the Arthurian legend—a tale of power, and of something desperately sought after, much like the elusive nature of love or fame. Nicks could be comparing her personal quests to the mythic search for the sword.
“I beg of you now, what was it that fell?” This question may be a metaphor for the pivotal moment in a relationship or life event. The “fallen leaf” could symbolize something minor that signals a greater change, akin to how a single leaf can herald the coming of autumn.
Was it “freedom by choice or baby, was it love?” These lines question the reasons behind the sacrifices we make. Is the loss experienced a result of our own decisions, or is it the byproduct of love’s unpredictable nature?
“Was it a thorn in your side?” could be speaking to the hidden pain, the part of a person’s story they keep buried. And asking “Well, have you come to see that my face is not seen?” might suggest an acknowledgment of becoming unrecognizable, even to oneself, after enduring such pain.
The chorus, “In your hands each night, this time,” feels like a reflection on holding onto the dream of what love and life could have been, cradling the ‘what ifs’ every night.
“Oh, was it you I heard calling?” Nicks may be revisiting old memories, questioning if the echoes she hears are from the past or from something present and unresolved.
The repeated questioning, the reference to a voice, and the invocation of a “sacred name of love” show a struggle with memory, with what was said and what was meant. It’s as if Nicks is wrestling with the past, trying to find clarity.
The closing lines, “Well, this time I think it was you, babe,” reflect a realization or conclusion she’s reached. It could imply an acknowledgment of the other person’s role in the relationship’s end or the acknowledgment of one’s own role in a personal downfall.
The Story Behind “Sable on Blond”
The time when Nicks penned this track, she was amidst the whirlwind of her career, battling the pressures of fame, and navigating through her own complex personal relationships. The song can be seen as a window into her soul, a snapshot of her innermost thoughts and struggles.
She may have been in a state of contemplation about the dualities of her life—her public persona versus her private self, the love she held onto versus the freedom she yearned for. This duality is painted in the contrasts of the song, “Sable on blond, dark upon light,” suggesting the interplay of shadows and brightness in her life.
“Sable on Blond” is not just a song but a cathartic expression for Nicks, a means to process her feelings and experiences. It shows her profound introspection and the courage to question the very fabric of her experiences—love, identity, and the pains of letting go. It’s a beautifully woven tapestry of doubts, realizations, and the delicate threads of memories that Nicks holds onto, perhaps as tightly as she holds onto her dreams, each night.