Contributors to this interpretation included: Lauren (November 28, 1999). BIG thanks to Lauren for her help…it may not have been much in your eyes but it sure was in mine. Hope y'all like it!
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The period of 1971-72 was nothing less than chaotic for Christine McVie. After joining Fleetwood Mac permanently in 1971, she was spending 24 hours a day with husband John-- which was something our lovely Christine was not used to, due to the fact that she had come out of early retirement of being a housewife and didn't see John nearly as much then.
It was in these years that Christine had a "barely concealed" affair with Bare Trees engineer Martin Birch after John's drinking routine became stronger and stronger. At this time, they decided to give their bumpy marriage another go.
Why not lie here in my arms
And listen to the night
You must know you have certain charm
And I feel the time is right
I think that the third line "You must know you have certain charm" is referring to the fact that Martin IS married, and Christine is too...but Martin's vibe is so strong that she really cannot resist. The "time is right" because John is so "out of it" and Martin is just the thing she needs to break away for now.**
So spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little of your love (or your love)
Spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little of your love (of your love)
Lauren had a lot of good ideas on this one. Christine isn't asking for a lot, just a little bit of John's love, which she hasn't seen for a long time. It is thought that Christine had/has low self-esteem, which can come from a man that is only partly there to her. By this I mean what Christine called "John's Jekyll and Hyde Routine", which would come from his drinking. As Lauren reflected, it's like saying, "if it's not too much to ask…"
Now I know that I feel much more
Oh, in every single way
And it's not the same as before
It gets stronger every day
Maybe Christine is saying that she loves him more and more every day, as if she has lost that sight since her affair and all the mad things going on in her life. Maybe "not the same as before" is implying that maybe Chris felt a little pity for John with all the craziness in his life too.
So spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little of your love (of your love)
Spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little of your love (of your love)
Now I know how the sun must feel
Every time it shines
And now I know this time is real
And I want you to be mine
Christine is saying that she knows that her love for both men is real and she wants them both. She tries to work things out with John but maybe things with Martin seem to click more. They make her feel almost like she is "shining".
So spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little of your love (of your love)
Spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little of your love
Just a little bit
(The interpretations to these lyrics were compiled through discussions on the message boards of the Penguin, The Ledge. It is entirely possible that the artists had something completely different in mind.)