Stevie Nicks lights the way with ‘The Lighthouse,’ a powerful feminist anthem!
Stevie Nicks is casting a spotlight on pressing societal issues with her first new single in years. Her latest release, ‘The Lighthouse,’ stands as a powerful feminist anthem. In the evocative music video, Nicks delivers her iconic vocals from atop a lighthouse, symbolizing hope in times of darkness, while scenes of protestors holding signs like “if it’s not your body, it’s not your decision” and “real men are feminists” flash across the screen.
The song's origin has a compelling backstory. It was sparked by the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Nicks reflects, “Suddenly, everyone was asking, ‘What can we, as a collective force, do about this?’ For me, the answer was to write a song.” Although touring delayed the process, one morning a news broadcast struck a chord with her. “...a certain newscaster said something that felt like she was talking to me, explaining what the loss of Roe v. Wade would come to mean.” Inspired, Nicks penned the song the next morning and recorded it that same night. She calls it a defining piece, stating, “This may be the most important thing I ever do. To stand up for the women of the United States and their daughters and granddaughters – and the men that love them.’ This is an anthem.” However, this isn't the first time the Grammy-winning artist has ventured into political territory with her music. There are two notable examples from her past. Let’s explore them.
(Credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
In 2022, during the midterm elections, Stevie Nicks shared ‘Get It Back,’ a poem-turned-song, and earlier, during the 2020 election cycle, she released the single ‘Show Them the Way.’
On October 9, 2020, Nicks unveiled her first new music in six years, accompanied by a video directed by Cameron Crowe. Although Nicks wrote the lyrics for ‘Show Them the Way’ three election cycles prior, the video features someone holding a sign saying, “November is coming,” highlighting the weight the 2020 election carried for her. Nicks described the song as “nonpartisan” and “a prayer,” though that didn't imply a lack of strong opinions about the country’s direction or her hopes for the upcoming elections.
In 2022, Nicks announced that she had written ‘Get It Back,’ urging people to register to vote ahead of the midterms. Sharing the lyrics on Instagram, she explained that the song began as a poem and is a call to action, encouraging people to use their voice by voting. She pointed to the “disintegration of Roe v. Wade” as a key motivator for voters to make their voices heard.
(Credit: Ralph Arvesen)
Is the new song ‘The Lighthouse’ an endorsement of any candidate in the upcoming presidential election?
As we’ve seen, this isn't the first time Nicks has written and released a politically charged song ahead of elections. With the release of her feminist anthem, some speculate that it could be seen as an endorsement for a candidate in the upcoming presidential race. While Nicks hasn’t explicitly backed either candidate, she hinted at aligning with her longtime friend Taylor Swift in supporting Kamala Harris. In a Sept. 11 Instagram post, Nicks shared, “As my friend @taylorswift so eloquently stated, now is the time to research and choose the candidate that speaks to you and your beliefs.”
