Real Meanings Behind The Songs On Stevie Nicks 24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault Album

Real Meanings Behind The Songs On Stevie Nicks 24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault Album

Feature Photo: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

Our article looks at the Real Meanings Behind Stevie Nicks 24 Karat Gold: Songs From The Vault album. Stevie Nicks released 24 Karat Gold: Songs From The Vault in September 2014. This is her eighth studio album. The album peaked at number seven on the Billboard 200 charts. This was her sixth Top 10 album. This project features new demos of songs she recorded in 1969 – 1987. Two songs on the album are from the 90s. One of the songs is a cover of Vanessa Carlton’s song “Carousel.” 24 Karat Gold: Songs From the Vault is a rock album. Stevie Nicks was inspired to release this album because there were bootleg versions of her demos online.

Stevie Nicks wanted to record the songs the right way. She wanted them to be the way she intended to record them. The album features the singles “The Dealer,” “Lady,” “Starshine” and “24 Karat Gold.” The songs on the album are about relationships. She likes to talk about her past lovers in her music. She gives her fans an inside look on what’s going on in her life. The album received mostly positive reviews. Our article explains the real meanings behind Stevie Nicks’ 24 Karat Gold: Songs From the Vault.

# 1 – Starshine

The first song on our list of the Real Meanings Behind Stevie Nick’s 24 Karat Gold: Songs From The Vault is “Starshine.” “Starshine” is about a couple who aren’t on the same page about a relationship. One half of the couple wants to keep the relationship going while the other one is ready to go. They want different things and it’s time to move on from the relationship. The couple have been through ups and downs in their relationship. This song talks about how a couple feels when they no longer want the same things in life. One person needs to move on while the other wants to continue with the way things are. Stevie Nicks wrote this track in Tom Petty’s basement. She recorded the song with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The song has a similar vibe to “Gypsy” from her work with Fleetwood Mac. “Starshine” was the third single from the album.

# 2 – The Dealer

The next song on our list of the Real Meanings Behind Stevie Nick’s 24 Karat Gold: Songs From The Vault is “The Dealer.” “The Dealer” is about unrequited love. The song is about a relationship that has failed. She thought she was in love, but it turns out that she wasn’t. She owns up to the mistakes she made in the relationship. Her love was misplaced throughout the time of the relationship. She wasn’t sure what went wrong, but the relationship didn’t work out after all. She felt like the was “the dealer” in her relationship. She was the card shark in the relationship.

If she could have predicted what would have happened in the relationship, she would have walked away from it. She wouldn’t have stayed as long as she did. She uses metaphors to describe how she felt in the relationship. She regretted everything that went wrong while she was together with the man she loves. She finds it therapeutic that she was able to own up to what she did wrong in the relationship. She knows she wasn’t perfect in her relationship, and she takes full responsibility for it. This song is possibly about Lindsey Buckingham or Mick Fleetwood. She was in Fleetwood Mac when she wrote this song so it could be about either of them. She wrote the song in 1979 while Fleetwood Mac was working on their album Tusk. This was the first single from the album.

# 3 – Mabel Normand

“Mabel Normand” is a tribute to the comedienne. Stevie Nicks thought her life was similar to the actress. The actress cried even though she had everything. Stevie Nicks felt the same way. She was suffering in silence just like the late comedienne. She felt her life was parallel to the comedienne because she suffered from addiction the same way. Stevie Nicks felt like the late actress was walking on the edge for most of her life. Stevie Nicks felt a similar connection because she was doing the same thing. Stevie Nicks saw a documentary about “Mabel Normand” being addicted to cocaine. Once she saw the documentary, she wanted to write the song.

Stevie Nicks wrote the song in 1985. The singer thought about what she was going through between 1984 to 1985. She was battling her own addiction and realized that she could have died. Those years were very dangerous for her. She wanted to release this song because she wanted her fans to know how deadly drugs can be for people. No one wanted to tackle this track when she wanted to release it. She was determined to get this song out to the public. She wanted to overcome her addiction because of the comedienne. The song also inspired her to want to beat her demons. “Mabel Normand” couldn’t beat her demons, but Stevie Nicks was able to do it.

# 4 – Blue Water ft. Lady Antebellum

“Blue Water” is a soulful song about dealing with fame and love at the same time. It was a challenge for her to juggle being famous and having it all. She had it all, but she was dealing with losing the love of her life. She wanted to hold on to the man she loved. She wanted to be able to prove that she could do it all. She wanted fame and love. It didn’t go the way she planned. The reflective song is also about choosing to stay in a relationship when you are ready to go. You feel like you’re stuck because you can’t do any better. This is a metaphor about how she felt when she was in her band.

She was ready to branch out and do other things. She chose to stay with the band. She felt she couldn’t do anything, but be in the band. She felt no one would have the courage to say they want to make their own decisions and walk away. She was determined to make her own choices when it concerned what was best for her. She made the decision to leave, but she didn’t know if she was going to come back. Lady Antebellum provides the backing vocals on the track. Stevie Nicks wrote this song in 1978. The song is similar to the demo. The only difference is that she added the organ, drums and harmonies.

# 5 – Cathouse Blues

The next song on our list of the Real Meanings Behind Stevie Nick’s 24 Karat Gold: Songs From The Vault is “Cathouse Blues.” “Cathouse Blues” is a unique song about street cats. She talked about writing this metaphoric song about bad cats who like to hang out with each other. She wanted to refer to them as street cats. She also talks about strutting around in her high-heeled shoes. In addition to the metaphor about cats and strutting, the song is a love song. Stevie Nicks admitted the song is possibly about Lindsey Buckingham. She talks about the passionate way she felt about him.

She met him and thought he was handsome. She refers to one of the cats as having blue and gray eyes. Lindsey Buckingham has blue and gray eyes. Stevie Nicks’ relationship with Lindsey Buckingham didn’t end well, but she was grateful for the relationship. She loved the way she felt when she was with him. She may not be with him anymore, but she will always have a passion for him. Her passion for him inspired this love song. She wrote the song when she was about 15 years old.

# 6 – 24 Karat Gold

“24 Karat Gold” is meaningful song about a short-lived romance. She talked about how her relationship was. They had some “24 Karat Gold” moments at times. They had great times together when everything was going great between her and her lover. They were the happiest they had ever been. She was truly in love with the man. He made her happy for the time they were together. They weren’t together long, but she enjoyed the good times when they were a couple. “24 Karat Gold” meant that her relationship was perfect. She compared it to gold. She loved him deeply and thought there were times when their love was perfect.

Unfortunately, all that glitters isn’t gold. Her relationship with the man didn’t last long. She cherished the time they were in love, but it didn’t last the way she hoped. They broke up so she’s taking a stroll down memory lane talking about the relationship she had that she described as gold. The song is reportedly about Fleetwood Mac member Mick Fleetwood. She talked about this song and told reporters the song was about Mick Fleetwood. Stevie Nicks wrote the song in 1980. It was the fourth single from the album.

# 7 – Hard Advice

“Hard Advice” is about a woman getting advice from someone in her life. She had several conversations about what was going on with her life. She told her friend about everything. The friend didn’t want to sugarcoat anything with her. The friend wanted to be honest with her about what was going on in her life. She was advised not to keep pining away after men who were going to break her heart. Stevie Nicks was involved with different musicians. She was advised not to keep getting involved with them because the relationships didn’t end well. She was also battling addiction. The friend gave her “hard advice” about giving up the addiction.

Stevie Nicks’ friend wanted her to beat her addiction so he had to convince her to write songs again. He wanted to say whatever he could so she would be able to write again. He advised her about men as well as her addiction. He was a true friend to her because he didn’t placate her. He was the friend who gave her the truth about what was going on in her life. “Hard Advice” is about singer and songwriter Tom Petty. He was a good friend of Stevie Nicks. She wanted him to help her write a song about an old boyfriend who visited her while she was down. He didn’t want to write the song because he thought she was one of the best songwriters he knew. He believed she was able to write the track herself. She did exactly what he wanted, and this track was born from that.

# 8 – Lady

“Lady” is an autobiographical story about her life before joining Fleetwood Mac. She wrote this song about the struggles she and Lindsey Buckingham faced when they were trying to break into the music business. Getting into the music business isn’t easy so they had to deal with their struggles before they achieved success. The soul-baring song talks about the loneliness she felt when she was trying to make it in the music industry. She went through a lot of emotions because she wasn’t certain they would make it as musicians. They weren’t sure if they would make it in the music industry. Stevie Nicks pondered what would become of her if she and Lindsey Buckingham didn’t make it in the music business.

Stevie Nicks wrote this song around 1971 or 1972. “Lady” was one of the first tracks she wrote on a piano. She wrote the track once she got the piano. She and Lindsey Buckingham were living together at Keith Olsen’s house when she wrote the track. The song was supposed to appear on the Buckingham Nicks album. She kept the song in a trunk and used it for this album. “Lady” is the second single from the album.

# 9 – I Don’t Care

“I Don’t Care” is a tumultuous song is about a couple going through turmoil. She doesn’t care what he does as long as he loves her. She isn’t worried about rings because she would rather have him there. She wants him to love her regardless of what he does. She would follow him anywhere in the world because she loves him that much. She feels her life is empty without him. She needs him to stay in her life because she doesn’t know what she would do if he weren’t in it anymore. She needs him like the air that she breathes. He is everything to her. Her heart would be shattered if he weren’t in her life anymore.

The singer doesn’t want him to take his love away from her. She is fine with anything that he does as long as he comes back to her. The music for the song was written in the 1980s. Some of the lyrics were written in the 80s while the rest of the song was written in 2014. The song is most likely about Lindsey Buckingham or about Mick Fleetwood. She didn’t confirm who the guy is that she’s talking about in the song. Stevie Nicks wrote this song as a tribute to one of her favorite bands Led Zeppelin.

# 10 – All the Beautiful Worlds

The next song on our list of the Real Meanings Behind Stevie Nick’s 24 Karat Gold: Songs From The Vault is “All the Beautiful Worlds.” “All the Beautiful Worlds” is a cautionary tale about a man who cheats on someone he loves. She wants to be with him, but he’s spending time with someone new. She lets him know that his relationship with the other woman won’t be good when the thrill is over. She thinks he should be spending time with her. He might start wishing he weren’t so quick to leave her for someone else. She questions his whereabouts, but he refuses to let her know where he’s going.

She lets him know that she’s not falling for his fake smile. She knows he’s been cheating on her, and she knows where he’s going when he goes out at night. The singer figures out why her boyfriend doesn’t say where he’s going. Despite his cheating, she wishes he would love her instead of the other woman. This song gives Stevie Nicks a chance to explore her darker side. She originally wrote this song in 1982. She didn’t indicate who the inspiration was behind the song.

# 11 – Belle Fleur

“Belle Fleur” is French for beautiful flower. The song is about how hard it is to be in a relationship when you are in the music industry. The people who aren’t in the industry don’t understand why you have to leave all of the time. They want you to be there, but it’s impossible if you are on the road. Your significant other wonders when you will be back, but you can’t give the person an answer. The person has to be understanding because you are gone all of the time. The song is about the people who are being left behind because they are in love with rock stars.

Stevie Nicks had trouble keeping relationships because she was always on the road. The men in her life weren’t able to handle the time she spent on the road. She had to deal with that issue a lot because she had to be gone for long periods of time. The heartbreaking song was written for the Bella Donna album, but it didn’t make it on the album.

# 12 – If You Were My Love

“If You Were My Love” is a different type of love song. She talks about loving someone like a friend. Stevie Nicks talks about a platonic relationship. She loves the man, but she isn’t in love with him. He’s someone who means something to her, but not in a romantic way. She had no intention of being with the man because he’s involved with someone else. He isn’t free to be with her so she is happy being his friend. She loves him without any strings being attached to their friendship. She considers herself to be one of the guys when she’s with him. She knew nothing would ever happen because he’s not free.

He’s married and expecting a baby so it took the pressure off of being around him without any romantic feelings. Stevie Nicks admitted this song is about her relationship with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. She had a platonic relationship with the band because they were involved with other people. The song was supposed to be on three different albums. It was supposed to appear on Bella Donna, Fleetwood Mac’s Mirage and Stevie Nicks’ fifth album Street Angel. She didn’t use the song because her producers didn’t think it fit with her album.

# 13 – Carousel

“Carousel” is a remake of Vanessa Carlton’s song. “Carousel” is about living your life to the fullest. Stevie Nicks wants people to enjoy life. She wants people to seize the day and not waste a minute of the day. A friend is dealing with a broken heart so she lets her friend know that she will move on from the pain. She will find someone new. She advises her not to waste time sulking and live for the moment. She doesn’t want people to waste time on something they can’t control. She insists that it’s not too late to make a change in your life. She assures her friend that goodness will come to her.

Stevie Nicks is good friends with Vanessa Carlton. She officiated her wedding because they are close. Stevie Nicks wanted to cover the song because it’s a tribute to her mother. Stevie Nicks’ mother loved the song so she wanted to cover it for her. Vanessa Carlton provides background vocals for Stevie Nicks’ version of the song.

# 14 – She Loves Him Still

The last song on our list of the Real Meanings Behind Stevie Nick’s 24 Karat Gold: Songs From The Vault is “She Loves Him Still.” “She Loves Him Still” is a haunting song about a woman who will always love her ex. She knows they aren’t right for each other, but she still loves him. She loves him unconditionally. It doesn’t matter how he treats her. There’s still a part of her that will always love him. She misses him as her friend. They were friends before they were lovers. When they broke up the friendship ended along with the relationship. She wanted to have him back in her life as a friend or a lover. It’s okay with her that he’s complex. She feels like she gets him. She loves the fact that he’s complex.

People questioned how she could still love him, but she can’t help herself. She’s can’t get over him. Her feelings won’t go away. She knows they won’t get back together, but she will always love him. She will love him until he dies. She feels like the fire will never burn out because it’s too strong. The song was written for the Mirror Mirror. The song was finished, but Stevie Nicks didn’t want it on the album. The song was shelved until she recorded for this album.

Real Meanings Behind The Songs On Stevie Nicks 24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault Album article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022

Classicrockhistory.com claims ownership of all its original content and Intellectual property under United States Copyright laws and those of all other foreign countries. No one person, business, or organization is allowed to re-publish any of our original content anywhere on the web or in print without our permission. All photos used are either public domain creative commons photos or licensed officially from Shutterstock under license with ClassicRockHistory.com. All photo credits have been placed at the end of the article. Album Cover Photos are affiliate links and the property of Amazon and are stored on the Amazon server. Any theft of our content will be met with swift legal action against the infringing websites.

DMCA.com Protection Status

Add Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Randy Newman Songs
Top 10 Randy Newman Songs
Dashboard Confessional Songs
Top 10 Dashboard Confessional Songs
Fountains of Wayne Songs
Top 10 Fountains of Wayne Songs
10 Best Rock Songs With The Word 'Red' In The Title
10 Best Rock Songs With The Word ‘Red’ In The Title
Eagles Albums
Picking Out Our Favorite Eagles Albums
George Harrison Albums
Our Favorite George Harrison Albums
Electric Light Orchestra Albums
10 Electric Light Orchestra Albums Everyone Should Own
Stevie Nicks Albums
Top 10 Stevie Nicks Albums
Monsters of Rock Cruise 2024: Day Five Review
Justin Hawkins of The Darkness Monsters Of Rock Cruise 2024: Day Four Review
Monsters Of Rock Cruise 2024: Day Four Review
M3 Rock Festival Is Back For 15th year! May 4 & 5 In Columbia, MD
Monsters of Rock Cruise 2024: Day Three Review
Russell Marsden Interview
An Interview With Russell Marsden of Band Of Skulls
Jeff Fabb of Black Label Society Interview
An Interview With Jeff Fabb of Black Label Society
Joey Vera of Armored Saint: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview
Mel Gaynor Interview
An Interview With Mel Gaynor, Formerly Of Simple Minds
Ace Frehley Albums
Complete List of Ace Frehley Albums And Discography
Status Quo Albums
Complete List Of Status Quo Studio Albums And Discography
Phantom, Rocker & Slick Albums
Complete List Of Phantom, Rocker & Slick Albums
Paul Young Albums
Complete List Of Paul Young Albums And Discography
Music CDs Comeback
Why Music CDs Have No Chance Of Making A Comeback
Classic Rock Bands Still Together But Overdue For A New Album
Classic Rock Bands Still Together But Overdue For A New Album
When Glam Bands Went Grunge In The 1990s
When Glam Bands Went Grunge In The 1990s
25 Most Famous Female American Singers Now!
25 Most Famous Female American Singers Now!
11 Tracks Of Whack Album Review
Walter Becker – 11 Tracks of Whack Album Review
Sammy Hagar Album Review
Why Sammy Hagar’s 1977 ‘Sammy Hagar’ LP Was One Of His Best
Grand Funk On Time Album Review
Looking Back At Grand Funk Railroad’s Debut Album ‘On Time’
Ghost Writer Album Review
How ‘Ghost Writer’ Turned Us On To The Music Of Garland Jeffreys