Stevie Nicks Features Prominently on Taylor Swift's Latest Album, 'The Tortured Poets Department

Fellow tortured poet, Stevie Nicks has written the introductory poem in the new Taylor Swift album.

All physical (LP and CD) copies of Taylor Swift's new album "The Tortured Poets Department" include Stevie's introductory poem.

Inscribed "For T — and me," the handwritten poem bears Nicks' graceful prose, foreshadowing what unfolds next. But there's more to the tale: Stevie's influence echoes through the album, notably in the track "Clara Bow." She embodies one of the "It" girls, evoked as: "'You look like Stevie Nicks / In '75 / The hair and lips / Crowd goes wild at her fingertips / Half moonshine / A full eclipse."

Their collaboration isn't new; they graced the stage together at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards in 2010, and performed Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon" and Taylor's "You Belong With Me." 

In a Time magazine tribute that year, Nicks hailed Swift as a reflection of herself, offering glowing praise: "Taylor is writing for the universal woman and for the man who wants to know her. The female rock-'n'-roll-country-pop songwriter is back, and her name is Taylor Swift. And it's women like her who are going to save the music business."

Just last year, during a tour performance, Stevie shared how Swift's "You're on Your Own, Kid" from the "Midnights" album brought solace as she mourned her late Fleetwood Mac bandmate, Christine McVie. "Thank you to Taylor Swift for doing this thing for me, and that is writing a song called 'You're on Your Own, Kid,'" Nicks said at the time. "That is the sadness of how I feel."

The Tortured Poets Department is out now.

For T — and me

He was in love with her

Or at least she thought so

She was brokenhearted

~Maybe he was too~

Neither of them knew.

She was way too hot to handle

He was way too high to try —

He couldn't even see her

He wouldn't open his eyes

She was on her way to the stars

He didn't say goodbye

She looked back from her future

And shed a few tears

He looked into his past

And actually felt fear.

For both of them

The answers ~ would never be ~

Ever clear —

Don't ask questions now

Do that later —

She brings joy

He brings Shakespeare —

It's almost a tragedy —

Says she "don't endanger me —

[Pause] Don't endanger me"

He really can't answer her

He's afraid of her —

He's hiding from her

And he knows that he's hurting her

She tells the truth

She writes about it

She's an informer

He's an x-lover

There's nothing there for her

She's already gone

There's nothing that can stop her —

She was just flying —

Thru the clouds ~

When he saw her...

She was just making her way —

To the stars ~

When he lost her...

TAYLOR SWIFT lashes out at critics who slammed her off-key Grammy duet with STEVIE NICKS

Swift Takes Aim At Grammy Critics In New Song: 

TAYLOR SWIFT has lashed out at the 'mean' critics who slammed her off-key Grammy night duet with STEVIE NICKS in a candid new song from her upcoming album "SPEAK NOW".

The 20-year-old star was panned for her lackluster vocals at the awards show last January (10), which Swift's team blamed on technical issues.

And now the singer is speaking out about the controversy in a track called "Mean" from her new record."

Full Article Includes Lyrics 

TAYLOR SWIFT: by STEVIE NICKS Time Magazines 100 Most Influential

The 2010 TIME 100

In our annual TIME 100 issue we name the people who most affect our world

Taylor Swift
By STEVIE NICKS
Time.com
4/29/10

When I first got the call from Taylor Swift about performing with her at this year's Grammy Awards, I really didn't want to do it. She's 20 years old, 5 ft. 11 in. and slender; I'm 40 years older and, to be frank, neither of the other two things! I was not about to stand next to this girl on national television. But her little face just lights up like a star, and I couldn't say no.

Taylor reminds me of myself in her determination and her childlike nature. It's an innocence that's so special and so rare. This girl writes the songs that make the whole world sing, like Neil Diamond or Elton John. She sings, she writes, she performs, she plays great guitar. Taylor can do ballads that could be considered pop or rock and then switch back into country. When I turned 20 years old, I had just made the serious decision to never be a dental assistant. Taylor just turned 20, and she's won four Grammys.

I still walk around singing her song "Today Was a Fairytale." All of us girls want that boy to pick us up and think that we look beautiful even though we're in jeans and clogs. We want it at 14, and we want it at 60. Taylor is writing for the universal woman and for the man who wants to know her. The female rock-'n'-roll-country-pop songwriter is back, and her name is Taylor Swift. And it's women like her who are going to save the music business.

Nicks is a multiplatinum-selling solo artist and a member of Fleetwood Mac

US Magazine February 15th

BACKSTAGE WITH STEVIE NICKS, ROBERTA FLACK AND MAXWELL

It's brief... But it's a glimpse of Stevie backstage at the Grammy Awards. She's watching Roberta Flack and Maxwell sing together. This is part of Taylor Swifts backstage video that she sent in to the Ellen show.

IN DEFENSE OF STEVIE NICKS - SWIFT LABEL CONFIRMS TAYLOR HAD PROBLEMS

Stevie did her best to pull Taylor back on key - you can only do so much in a short amount of time - it happens.... Stevie needs to get out there and do something amazing this year so that 2010 isn't defined by this.

Taylor Swift Defended by Record Label Executive

NYTIMESBLOG

"Mr. Borchetta told The Associated Press that Ms. Swift had a technical problem during her duet with Ms. Nicks and was unable to hear the complete mix of the song as she performed it."

NOW IT'S THE BOSTON HERALDS TURN.... SWIFT / NICKS

(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

PHOTOS AND PRESS MENTIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Just some of the newspapers featuring photos of Stevie from the Grammy's

Chicago Tribune (USA) | Toronto Star (Canada) | Calgary Herald (Canada) | The Press (New Zealand) | The Gulf News (UAE) | The Dominion Post (New Zealand) | The Kansas City Star (USA)

LA TIMES: CALENDAR SECTION (Pg. D1) STEVIE NICKS AND TAYLOR SWIFT

Monday February 1, 2010 - LA Times

(HI-RES GRAMMY PHOTOS) STEVIE NICKS AND MICK FLEETWOOD

TAYLOR SWIFT COULDN'T COMPETE WITH VOCALS OF STEVIE NICKS

Grammy Awards Brought Most of Pop’s Big Guns Together
By Jeff Miers
Buffalo News

"Trotting Stevie Nicks out to sing “Rhiannon” with Taylor Swift was meant, one assumes, to suggest that Swift is to her generation what Nicks was and is to hers. That was tough to swallow once Swift started singing the Fleetwood Mac tune next to the gravel-voiced but still spot-on Nicks—Swift was out of tune and her tone was thin and reedy. Swift fared better on her own when the pair went into the younger singer’s “You Belong To Me,” though the nursery rhyme-like melody left Nicks without much to do".

Butch Walker admits his appearance last night on the Grammys playing banjolin in Taylor Swift’s backing band may have confused some viewers.
Entertainment Weekly

I had a blast, it was so fun. And it was great being onstage. You could tell by watching me: I was dancing like a… a… jerk, basically. I was elated to hear this huge pop star doing my version of her song. And performing with Stevie Nicks (who sang with Swift on both “You Belong With Me” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon”) didn’t suck either.

Was there a problem with the sound onstage? There seems to be a wide consensus of opinion that Taylor was struggling to find the right notes when she was singing “Rhiannon.”

I didn’t really notice it being out of key that much. But I guess the TV doesn’t lie. I think a lot of people give her unnecessary grief. Her appeal is not in [having] some sort of big diva voice. Like, Pink obviously has a voice of God coming out of her when she sings and it’s beautiful and it’s powerful and bluesy. Taylor comes from country. It’s a difference approach to singing.

It must also be pretty terrifying to perform with Stevie Nicks for a global audience.

There is that factor, you know. How about anybody try doing that without being nervous? It wasn’t even my show and I was nervous.

Taylor Swift Duet with Stevie Nicks at 2010 Grammy Awards Worst Ever?

Taylor Swift Won Four Grammy Awards but Couldn't Compete with Vocals of Stevie Nicks

Associated Content

One of the more persistent rumors circulating before the 2010 Grammy Awards aired was that Stevie Nicks would appear, with some mentioning that she would do a duet with young country pop phenom Taylor Swift. With the confirmation that Lady Gaga and Elton John were opening the Grammy Awards ceremony, anticipation grew that the Stevie Nicks rumor would prove to be true as well. And it did. But what looked to be a promising duet left that promise unfulfilled and the quadruple Grammy-winning Taylor Swift sounding far out of her vocal league.

Ryan Seacrest, host of American Idol, introduced Swift after prefacing her performance with the announcement that she had already won three Grammy Awards (she would end up winning a fourth, Album of the Year). The young starlet began by singing a couple of lines from her song "Fairytale," then introduced Stevie Nicks to wild applause as the music to Fleetwood Mac's classic, "Rhiannon," started up.

Stevie Nicks is the consummate performer, her voice a unique blend of smooth and gravel. But when Taylor Swift stepped in to sing a few lines of "Rhiannon," her reedy, almost flat vocals stood at stark contrast with Nicks'. And as the song progressed, as Taylor Swift kept producing flat renderings (except in the harmonies, which were done fairly well), it became glaringly apparent that Taylor Swift's level of vocal stylings paled in comparison to that of Stevie Nicks.

Sadly, it went from bad to worse. When Taylor Swift sang her hit, "You Belong With Me," Stevie Nicks stepped back, providing back-up vocals and keeping time on a tambourine. And although the song sounded a bit better than "Rhiannon" (possibly because it was recognizably Swift's own song), the flatness in her voice continued. The entire performance came off as if a delusional Stevie Nicks were letting her pretentious and marginally talented niece take the stage...

Unfortunately, anyone who has ever seen Taylor Swift perform live can attest that she always performs that way...

WE CERTAINLY DIDN'T GET MUCH NICKS LAST NIGHT

It's not all about the music
Ann Powers
LA Times

Today's biggest stars are those who embody powerful archetypes so well that a misplaced note or two may be kindly overlooked.

That last situation applies to Taylor Swift, who continued her winning streak by taking home album of the year for "Fearless," a recording that has seemingly won every available prize in the last year. Swift, 20, is a songwriter; she thanked her record label for "letting me write every song on my album" while accepting one of her awards.

But as well-crafted as her platinum-selling tales of suburban high school life are, it's Swift's persona that really sells. This smart young woman comes across as a perky, living American Girl doll, and that appealing version of traditional young womanhood, not her music, is at the heart of her stardom.

Her singing certainly can't be credited. Appealing enough on record, it always seems to let her down live. Swift gave a strikingly bad vocal performance at Staples Center on Sunday, sounding tinny and rhythmically flat-footed as she shared the microphone with the distinctive Stevie Nicks. Swift's inability to match or support Nicks as they worked through a medley of each woman's hits stood in stark contrast to the evening's other pairings, particularly soul man Maxwell's sensitive response to Roberta Flack and Lady Gaga's bravado turn with Elton John.

Taylor Swift and Stevie Nicks

Time.com

Taylor Swift isn't even old enough to drink legally and yet the country-pop crossover picked up four Grammys, including Best Album of the Year. Man, I have done nothing with my life.

But something is off in her performance. Swift doesn't sound her best, especially in comparison to Stevie Nicks, her duet partner. And who made the decision to let Nicks sing a high school love anthem? Really, Stevie — you feel like you're the type of girl who's left sitting on the bleachers? The duet seems more like a p.r. stunt than a true performance. But I really like Nicks' ridiculously ribboned tambourine, so maybe I'll forgive her.

10 Things I Learned from the 2010 Grammy Awards Show

Accociated Content

#2 Steve Nicks doesn't mind being a backup singer. You'd think at a show like this, there wouldn't be enough space for all of the egos in the room. Still, I was surprised to see the legendary Stevie Nicks play second fiddle to Taylor Swift during their duet together. It seemed as though Stevie only sang a few bars of her hit song Rhiannon by herself before Swift quickly swooped in and dominated the performance. Maybe it was supposed to be that way. It was just surprising, since we haven't seen much of Nicks lately and we certainly didn't get to see much of her last night.

MICK AND LYNN FLEETWOOD (GRAMMY RED CARPET) MORE STEVIE NICKS AND TAYLOR SHOTS

(VIDEO) STEVIE NICKS PERFORMING ON GRAMMY'S WITH TAYLOR SWIFT

Taylor Swift Shares The Stage With Stevie Nicks At The Grammys
After 'Today Was a Fairytale,' Swift is joined by the former Fleetwood Mac singer for 'Rhiannon' and 'You Belong With Me.'
By Eric Ditzian
MTV.COM

Little over an hour after accepting the Grammy Award for Best Country Album, comparing the win to an impossible dream, Taylor Swift took the stage at the Staples Center to perform a medley of her own tunes, as well as a song from one of her childhood heroes, who joined her onstage.

Ditching her sparkling evening gown for a more casual blouse-and-jeans combo, Swift took center stage with her guitar strapped to her shoulder for "Today Was a Fairytale." Swift then announced, "It's a fairly tale and an honor to share the stage with Stevie Nicks."

The former Fleetwood Mac singer then walked onstage. The two stood side by side, singing Fleetwood's "Rhiannon," at times a tad less harmonically than one would have hoped. Nonetheless, the women made for a compelling twosome, a portrait of two generations separated by years but drawn together by music.

Swift then grabbed her guitar for the third and final part in her medley, jumping into a twangy version of "You Belong With Me." Nicks stood back, tapping her tambourine and nodding in appreciation, every so often stepping up to the mic to share singing duties with the young artist.

At the end, Swift and Nicks embraced. It would have already been a killer night for the 20-year-old singer: Before her Best Country Album win (Fearless), she notched victories for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song ("White Horse"). But there's a lot more still to come, including Swift's battle for Album of the Year against Beyoncé, the Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga and Dave Matthews Band.


Taylor Swift Duets With Stevie Nicks at the Grammys
Spinner.ca

It was a pairing with a legend and one in the making, as Fleetwood Mac's leading lady Stevie Nicks joined Taylor Swift onstage at the Grammys. Earlier in the evening, Swift described Nicks as "her hero" and she opened her performance with 'Today Was a Fairytale,' playing a quick version on the acoustic before bringing out Nicks for Mac's 'Rhiannon.'

"It's a fairytale and an honor to share the stage with Stevie Nicks," she said as Nicks walked out. The version was cut short so they could duet on a banjo-driven version of Swift's hit 'You Belong With Me.' Throughout the performance, Swift and Nicks were making constant eye contact, with Swift dancing up close to her while strumming the guitar and Nicks playing the tambourine.

While Fleetwood fans probably wouldn't say this was Nick's best vocal duet, it was still one of the nicer surprises of the evening. Earlier, Swift took home the Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal.

Taylor Swift and Stevie Nicks' Grammys duet: Out of sight, or out of tune?
by Clark Collis
Entertainment Weekly

The last thing I want to do is ruin another awards ceremony for Taylor Swift. But there’s no doubt that someone was badly off-key during the version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon” that the country superstar just performed with Stevie Nicks at the Grammy Awards. And I’m afraid my money’s on Taylor. Moreover, I’m not the only person at the Music Mix who cringed at the sight of Stevie acting as Taylor’s backing singer on “You Belong To Me.” As one of my colleagues just emailed me: “Stevie Nicks is the ‘Gold Dust Woman,’ goddammit!”

TAYLOR SWIFTS FIRST EVER GRAMMY PRESENTED BY MICK FLEETWOOD

Colbie Caillat and Mick Fleetwood present Taylor Swift with her very first Grammy Award and also her second.  View the clips here:
Grammy #1 | Grammy #2

Stevie and Taylor will duet later tonight on the main televised show... Should be good!!

GRAMMY REHEARSALS DAY 1 (TAYLOR SWIFT AND STEVIE NICKS)

SWIFTWOOD MAC IN ACTION
Entertainment Weekly

Friday brought the chance to see Taylor Swift and Stevie Nicks collaborate in one of those moments the Grammys are known for. Swift — who has a very good shot at sweeping this year’s major categories, in my opinion — doesn’t wear her Fleetwood Mac fandom on her sleeve as a songwriter, but it is apparently there, for after running through her current single, “Today Was a Fairytale,” she used her very most dramatic voice to introduce her duet partner: “And now, my fairytale dream comes true: I get to share a stage with Stevie Nicks.” The two women’s voices complimented each other nicely on the harmonies of “Rhiannon,” before moving into a more awkward mandolin-fueled hoedown version of “You Belong With Me.” Never thought I’d see Stevie Nicks playing tambourine behind Taylor Swift, but that’s the magic of Music’s Biggest Night.

For Swiftwood Mac and all the rest of the action, tune in to the 52nd annual Grammy Awards, live on CBS, Sunday, Jan. 31, at 8 p.m. ET/PT