Let’s face it, we all know how it feels when that special relationship we thought was going to be “the one” turns out to be the complete opposite. Breakups are never easy — whether it’s between significant others, friends, or any other sort of connection. Music has helped me through some of my toughest breakups as merely a listener, so I can only imagine how therapeutic writing or composing a piece must feel. When the concept of Saturday Song Sisters was introduced to the Honorable Mention team, I immediately knew that I wanted to write about the connection between “Bang the Doldrums” and “Silver Springs.” Two very different sounding songs written approximately 30 years apart; lyricists Pete Wentz and Stevie Nicks both share their pain from the end of their respective relationships. I associate these two songs as sisters because they elaborately mourn the past and dream of what could have been (they also both mention the idea of casting a spell over the one you once loved).

“Bang The Doldrums” is the 11th track on Fall Out Boy’s critically acclaimed album Infinity On High. There has been lots of speculation as to who the subject of the song might be, but I personally enjoy the anonymity of it because it feels more relatable. The track opens with a nod to an entry in Pete Wentz’s livejournal about the final night between him and a partner. The verses and chorus detail the idea of the relationship failing due to lack of commitment, yet Wentz believes the couple is “better off as lovers and not the other way around.” The bridge is one of my favorites in Fall Out Boy’s entire catalogue and features Wentz on vocals, further driving home that this mystery relationship caused him great pain. Wentz writes “and I cast a spell over the west to make you think of me the same way I think of you,” which I believe is a nod to the chorus of “Silver Springs.”

“Silver Springs” is a song written by Stevie Nicks, originally for the Fleetwood Mac album Rumours. It was excluded from the final cut and instead released as a B-side to lead single “Go Your Own Way”. It finally got its well deserved recognition 20 years later when a live version was released as its own single on the album The Dance in 1997. The subject of this song has always been public as Nicks is very open about her past relationship with Lindsey Buckingham. “Silver Springs” opens with lyrics detailing a naive Nicks expressing her hopefulness for this relationship to succeed. As the song continues into the refrain and the second verse, the loyalty of this relationship is questioned and infidelity is heavily implicated. By the time the chorus hits, Nicks quite literally casts a spell on Buckingham and makes sure that he will forever be haunted by his actions and “never get away from the sound of the woman that loves [him].”