"Don't Let Me Down Again", from the 1973 Buckingham Nicks album, shows us the rarely-seen vulnerability of Lindsey Buckingham. Lindsey and Stevie are in an intense relationship at a relatively young age, and with that at times comes fear. In this song, Lindsey conveys not only fear, but desperation, hope and passionate love....the myriad of emotions we have all experienced in our most heartfelt relationships. Lindsey and Stevie's relationship was a roller-coaster....constant ups and downs, helpless at times, out of control, unpredictable....but all-in-all you don't ever want to get off. This is Lindsey's plea to Stevie to stay on this ride.
Baby, baby don't treat me so bad
I'm the best boy that you ever had
You wanna leave now and find a new start
It's gonna kill me if you break my heart
They have gone through some rough times, and Lindsey is saying he doesn't deserve this poor treatment from Stevie. He doesn't say how she is treating him poorly....she could be acting cold towards him, she may be distant or not giving him the emotional support he wants or needs. She may have possibly threatened to end the relationship, and Lindsey is saying that right now, he can't handle it....he can't lose her.
Ooh, once you let me down again
Ooh, you're just bound to see the end
His empty threat...."If you hurt me again, it's over for good!" Yeah right, Lindsey! We all know that this isn't true....he couldn't leave her.
Baby, baby don't treat me this way
I'm gonna make it again someday
There's just one thing I'd like you to know
I got no more to lose if you go
Here, Lindsey could be talking about fame when he refers to "making it," or he could be referring to a relationship. "If you leave, Stevie, I can find someone else to make me happy." But at the same time, he's telling her that he will have lost everything if she leaves. He's contradicting himself here....but their relationship was full of contradictory feelings. Also, Lindsey was in a very delicate emotional state at this time. He had just lost his father, whom he was very close to, and now he's about to lose Stevie. He needs her now more than ever. These events are the reasons we are seeing Lindsey's desperation and vulnerability.
Ooh, once you let me down again
Ooh, you're just bound to see the end
Once again, Lindsey's empty threat to her....which we have all made at one time or another.
Finally, this song also reflects his innocence, which could tie in with the Buckingham Nicks album. Notice in the lyrics in the first stanza how he uses "boy" to describe himself instead of "man," even though he's 22 or so. Both Stevie and Lindsey seem so innocent on this album, and this innocence is reflected in the lyrics.
(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.)