Tusk

Album: Tusk (1979)
Charted: 6 8
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  • Why don't you ask him if he's going to stay?
    Why don't you ask him if he's going away?
    Why don't you tell me what's going on?
    Why don't you tell me who's on the phone?

    Well, why don't you ask him what's going on?
    Why don't you ask him who's the latest on his throne?
    But don't say that you love me
    Just tell me that you want me, ah yee haw

    Don't say that you want me, ah yee haw
    Just tell me that

    Tusk
    Tusk
    Tusk
    Tusk

    (Shut your mouth, talkin' 'bout tusk) Writer/s: Lindsey Buckingham
    Publisher: Hipgnosis Songs Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 24

  • Sasha from ArizonaI believe this song was written by Lindsey Buckingham on finding out Stevie Nicks (who was still sleeping with him despite being broken up and him in a relationship) was hiding from him an affair she was having with bandmate Mick Fleetwood (who was also married at the time).

    "Why don't you tell me what's going on?
    Why don't you tell me who's on the phone?

    But don't say that you love me
    Just tell me that you want me"
  • Bill from WashingtonDid the audience know the USC band was going to play?
  • Gyro ZeppeliJohnny…even I don’t think that’s funny…
  • Johnny Joestar"P*nis Act 4!"
  • Ashley from TexasSo interesting....exactly everything I wanted to know about this song....the record, the USC Trojans. So cool!!! Thank you!
  • Wenchie from Fife, ScotlandI remember reading that Fleetwood Mac broke a world record with the number of folk involved in making/ appearing in final take of Tusk.
    Is this true?
  • Mavis from Upper MidwestEh, it’s a fill-in song: What do you expect? I don’t actually mind it. It definitely works as a football song.
  • Tmb Embo from Usc@ James - AL - Nice revisionist history, expect nothing less from a Southerner. You probably don't realize you had a segregated team, until Bear invited USC to Bama in 1970, and intentionally took a loss just to prove to your admin that they needed non-white players to stay relevant. FACT.
    As for this drivel that Tusk is referencing, I can only hope this was a bad attempt at humor. The Spirit of Troy (USC Band) did the recordings, has the gold records, and continued appearances with Fleetwood Mac to put your version to shame. Anything less sir is libelous. ; )
  • James from NjJohn didn't have a fallout with Lindsey for the Dodger Stadium filming. He was on a planned cross Pacific sailing to Tahiti. End of story. On that sail, a whale knocked into his boat, and it almost sank. source: "Two Sticks and a Drum", by Mick Fleetwood.
  • James from Tuscaloosa, AlYou're all wrong. The song "Tusk" is about the University of Alabama Football Team, and its former Head Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. The "He" in the song refers to Paul "Bear" Bryant and the fact that he was the winningest coach in College Football history and refused to concede his title as such to anyone else. The song is played on the University of Alabama campus daily, and is part of the rich heritage of the Alabama Crimson Tide. There is a local publication in the Tuscaloosa News ("Tusk"aloosa, original spelling), entitled "Tusk" which has been around for decades, and is part of the party/rock'n'roll/football legacy of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. :D
  • Martin from Fresno, CaWhenever I hear this song it reminds me of my best friend in High school.He went to U.S.C. when this song was a hit and said it played in the dorms a lot.I lost contact with him after college but hopefully will see him again in the future.
  • Paul from Washington Dc, DcSo "tusk" is slang for penis, huh? Gee whiz. I never heard that until just now, and I'm a 48 year old urban gay man. Pretty cool tune, all the same. I enjoyed Tusk every bit as much as I did Rumours. Plus, "Sara" is my favorite song of all time.
  • Dean from Denver, CoThis is a GREAT song, I always thought this song sounded really bad, not that good. Then I grew up and bought SUPERIOR AUDIO GEAR,(A-class amp,etc)ONLY THEN did i finally appreciate this GREAT piece of music. Listen to this song thru a really good system and you'll finally understand.
  • Tony from Chicago, IlI love the Drum Riff on this song! it's awesome!!! Lindsey Buckingham is one of my favorite guitarists!!!! It sounds like a song about sex
  • Constance from Dallas, TxCreative song! Bringing the band in was great idea. Christine playing the accordian. I might have spelled that wrong.
  • Bob from Oceanside, CaI always remember this song as being much better than it actually is. Then I hear it again, and cringe.

    It's a great song absolutely ruined by the worst production values I can think of on any major label release ever. It's hideous. It sounds like they put the microphone four blocks away from the stadium. At a bus station. In a restroom. That people were using at the time.
  • Joshua from Twin Cities, MnStrangely fitting that a song about sex would feature a college marching band whose mascot (the Trojan) is also a brand of condom. Maybe their choice of marching band was just a coincidence, but I'd prefer to think that the "longest-running soap opera in rock & roll history" (as FM has been called) had a sense of humor about their legendary sexual tensions and were playing it to the hilt.
  • Gerard from Honikiwi, New ZealandOf course it's overblown and pretentious; it sounds like a huge 'rich white hunter' elephant safari. Really wacky.
    My dad's a huge fan of FM, and I am not at all, but after hearing this song and "Oh Well" I am not so sure...
  • Mckenzie from Indy, Ini saw fleetwood mac in concert when i was like 12 and this was the best song they sang, even though they had to use a recording...and the 100 piece marching band is an amazing touch
  • Dale from Rumford, Methis was a big hit for linsey
  • Dale from Rumford, Mei alway enjoyed linseys voice. he also sang on monday morning and second hand news
  • Pat from Albuquerque, NmyduR--Listen to the song or watch the video. The USC marching band's great, because while they're perhaps overblown, they're _not_ pretentious.
  • Rick from Humboldt, IaThis is a great song. I heard that the words "don't say that you love, just tell me that you want me" are about mick and stevie having sex just for fun and it's pissing lindsey off. It was soo cool on "the dance" when the marching band came in the middle of the song.
  • Ydur from Knoxville, TnDid they really need a 100 piece marching band to play a three note riff? Overblown and pretentious...
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