When we asked Bob Welch about this song, he explained: "The lyric was probably referencing my first wife (at the time) Nancy. The original placeholder/dummy lyrics for the chorus (before I had 'real' lyrics) were, 'my legs are sticks and my feet are stones.' I have the old songwriting cassette I used, and that's what I'm saying ;-).
The Fleetwood Mac version had 2 verses, the 'hit' solo album version (5 years later), had only 1 verse, in order to get it down to less than 3 minutes, for radio."
Bob Welch was a member of Fleetwood Mac from 1971-1974. He died in 2012 at age 65. Songs he wrote for Fleetwood Mac include "
Hypnotized" and "
The Bermuda Triangle."
Such a shame.
Novelest Baron Birtcher wrote the song. He sold it when he was very young inexchange for a few hours in a recording studio.