By Brad Gallagher:
White wing doves are small birds that live in Arizona, who build their nests in the saguaro cactus to keep them protected from predator’s. When they sing, they sing a song that sounds like, Ooh.. Ooh.. Ooh… This is the bird that was the inspiration for Stevie Nicks’ 1981 hit song titled “Edge Of Seventeen”. This song premiered on her debut album titled “Bella Donna”.
Back in 1982, when I moved across the country , I took with me about 20 vinyl albums, and about 30 cassette tapes. “Bella Donna” was one of those tapes, and I listened to it over and over on that 3000 mile drive from Pennsylvania to Oregon. It has always been one of my favorite albums, and “Edge Of Seventeen” has always been one of my favorite songs.
But what does being on the edge of seventeen have to do with birds, anyway?
As The Story Goes:
In December 1980, Stevie Nicks was in Australia when she heard the news that John Lennon had been shot and killed. She had never met Lennon, but had heard a lot about him from a close mutual friend, and upon hearing the news she was deeply saddened. Her travel plans took her from Australia to Phoenix and she intended to write a song when she got there to honor Lennon, but upon her arrival in Phoenix she found out that her Uncle had just been diagnosed with cancer and so she spent her time at the hospital with him instead. Sadly her Uncle passed away a couple weeks later, and she ended up writing the song in honor of him as well as John Lennon.
On the flight out of Phoenix back to her home in California after her Uncle’s funeral, a flight attendant handed her a menu. On the menu, in addition to the food and drink offerings, it apparently had some stories about Phoenix and Arizona. One of these stories was about the white wing dove. It read, ‘The white wing dove sings a song that sounds like she’s singing ooh, ooh, ooh. She makes her home here in the great Saguaro cactus that provides shelter and protection for her…”. 1 And that menu was her inspiration for the song.
The dove, a symbol of peace, was for Lennon who sang about peace. In her description of him she sings, “With the words from a poet and a voice from a choir. And a melody, and nothing else mattered”.
The dove also represents, to her, the spirit leaving the body at death, and she wrote part of the song it in memory of her last days in the hospital with her Uncle. She describes those days this way; “Well, I went searchin’ for an answer, Up the stairs and down the hall, And not to find an answer, Just to hear the call, Of a nightbird singing, “Come away”, “Come away”, Come away”.
Yes, I know what you are thinking. “So what does this have to do with the Edge of Seventeen?” Well, that is a different story.
As That Story Goes:
Some months or years earlier, Nicks was chatting with Jane Petty, Tom Petty’s first wife, and the subject came up of how the couple had first met. During the conversation, Jane said they met “at the age of seventeen”, but Jane’s strong Southern accent made it sound to Nicks like “At the edge of seventeen”. She liked the sound of the phrase so much that she told Jane she would write a song for it and give her credit for the inspiration. 2 Although Nicks had originally intended for the song to be about Tom and Jane Petty, she used the title for her song tribute to John Lennon and her Uncle. Sometimes it is interesting how artist’s minds work isn’t it.
The song “Edge of Seventeen” went on to reach #11 on the Billboard top 100 chart. Nicks’ debut solo album “Bella Donna” was released in July of 1981 and sold so well, it was awarded platinum status in less that three months after it’s release. A total of four songs from the album reached the top 40 on the Billboard charts, including the duet “Stop Dragging My Heart Around” with Tom Petty, and the duet “Leather And Lace” with Don Henley. The album itself reached number 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and spent almost three years on that chart.
So now you know a little trivia about Arizona’s white wing dove. Go tell a friend. And come back and see me real soon right here at As The Story Goes.
Edge Of Seventeen official video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmPgMc3R8zg
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[1] Spanos, Brittany (April 7, 2020). “Stevie Nicks Meets Dove, Reveals ‘Edge of Seventeen’ Lyric Inspiration”. Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 3, 2020
[2] “Old Trivia Questions”. Retrieved September 11, 2007. She was telling me about Tom, about when she met him, and she has an incredible Southern accent … and she said that she met him at the age of seventeen, but I thought she said ‘edge,’ and she said ‘no … age’ and I said, ‘Jane, forget it, it’s got to be “edge.” The “Edge of Seventeen” is perfect. I’m gonna write a song, ok? And I’m gonna give you credit.’ She didn’t believe me, you know? She couldn’t believe it when it came out on the album.
AS THE STORY GOES 