Stevie Nicks Street Angel 1994

Thousand Days (1994)

“Thousand Days” is a completed track from the 1992-1994 Street Angel sessions. The track appears as a bonus track on the international single releases of “Blue Denim” and “Maybe Love.” A slightly longer version of the track appears on the compilation The Enchanted Works of Stevie Nicks (1998).

The remastered 1994 mix will also appear on the forthcoming compilation Complete Studio Albums & Rarities (2023).

Thousand Days (2023 Remaster)

YouTube

About the Song

Stevie Nicks first rehearsed “Thousand Days” for Rock a Little (1986). Some of the song’s lyrics appear in Stevie’s dedication on the back cover of the Rock a Little album.

And I,
like some kind of Time/Life edition
tradition, competition~
Being the only things that I really have
to remember~
The great singers, and the great, great players


This music is dedicated to the great singers~
and the great, great players (my teachers)~
And to those who have survived the Viet Nam War~
“No, we do not forget you…”


And, thank you, Joe

Stevie recorded “Thousand Days” for Street Angel (1994), but the completed version was not included on the album. It appeared as a bonus track on the single releases for Street Angel and on The Enchanted Works of Stevie Nicks (1998) box set. In 1998, Stevie revealed that the song was about her complicated relationship with Prince.

“‘Thousand Days’ was written about my non-relationship with Prince,” Nicks said, who had earlier composed “Stand Back” with him — although she notes he’s never called her back “to set up his payment on 50%” of the latter. “Days” recounts an abortive, all-night ’80s recording session with him at his Minneapolis home during a Fleetwood Mac tour, climaxing with Nicks “smoking my pot — he didn’t agree with my lifestyle — and going to sleep on Prince’s floor in his kitchen. I like him, but we were just so different there was no possible meeting ground.” (Modern Records, 1998)

Lyrics

The closest you’ve ever come to me
Was to help me up the stairs
You stood in the middle of the stairway
You nearly dragged me up the stairs
“You’ve been asleep.”
“Well, I’ve been asleep for how long?” she says
Ooh… “Why do you question me?”
He says, “You never cared about time before, my friend.”

It seems like a thousand days since you’ve been gone…
It seems like a thousand days since you’ve been gone…

Well, you’re not my friend, you’re not my love
And this is something that we really don’t discuss
If there is no time, and there is no place
And, if there was, well, you’d never leave a trace
And as all arch angels do to you
And as all arch enemies will finally do to you, too
Well, I found you

It seems like a thousand days since you’ve been gone…
It seems like a thousand days since you’ve been gone…
It seems like a thousand days since you’ve been gone…
It seems like a thousand days since you’ve been gone…

Quiet now, songbird, just for one night
Well, I know that you love to sing
And, oh baby, well, I know that you love to write
Well, you live by the light of the moon
I live by light of desire
Ooh, such words to her over the phone
“Just how many people are there with you now?”

Ooh, well, I can see the trouble
Well, the sun is here today now
And I requested a storm
But I like some kind of TIME/LIFE edition
Tradition, competition…
Being the only thing that I really have to remember
The great singers and the great players
And if the sun warms up the rain
And the rain puts out the sun
Why does the greatest love become the greatest pain?
A thousand days

It seems like a thousand days since you’ve been gone…
Well, where are you?
Sometimes I hear you crying
It seems like a thousand days since you’ve been gone…
And I wake up
And still I wake up crying
It seems like a thousand days since you’ve been gone…
It seems like a thousand days
It seems like a thousand days since you’ve been gone…
So, where are you?
Where you?
It seems like a thousand days since you’ve been gone…
It seems like a thousand days since you’ve been gone…
So, where are you?
Where you?

It seems like a thousand days since you’ve been gone…
Oh, sometimes I hear you crying
It seems like a thousand days since you’ve been gone…
Well, it seems like a thousand days…

Lyrics (demo)

The closest you’ve ever come to me
Was to help me up the stairs
You stood in the middle of the stairway
You nearly dragged me up the stairs

“You’ve been asleep
Well, I’ve been asleep for how long?”, she says
“Why do you question me?”
He says, “You never cared about time before, my friend”

Seems like a thousand days since you’ve been gone
Seems like a thousand days since you’ve been gone

You’re not my friend, you’re not my love
And this is something that we really don’t discuss
If there is no time and there is no place
And if there was, well, you’d never leave a trace

And as all arch angels do to you
And as all arch enemies will finally do to you too
Well, I found you

Quiet now, songbird, just for one night
Well, I know that you love to sing
And, oh baby, well, I know that you love to write

You live by the light of the moon
And I live by light of desire
Ooh, such words to her over the phone
Just how many people are there with you now

Well, I can see the trouble
The sun is here today and I requested a storm
But I like some kind of ‘Time/Life’ edition
Tradition, competition
Being the only thing that I really have to remember
The great singers and the great players

And if the sun warms up the rain and the rain puts out the sun
Why does the greatest love become the greatest pain?
So where are you? Sometimes I hear you crying
and I wake up, and still I wake up crying

Well, he is on my mind, he’s everywhere
And if he followed me home
Will the sound of both of our voices simply disappear?
Well, I miss you now

He laughs, he has an attitude so I have an attitude too
He knocks on the door next to the courtyard
Well, he frightens me so, I let him in
But I’m already, well, I’m already screaming
How can the greatest love come from the greatest pain?

Thousand Days / Whole Lotta Trouble / I Call You Missing / Love Is Like a River

“Thousand Days” is related to “Whole Lotta Trouble” (recorded for The Other Side of the Mirror, 1989), “Love Is Like a River” (recorded for Street Angel, 1994) and the unreleased “I Call You Missing,” other songs Stevie had been writing at the same time. All four songs share some of the following lyrics:

Thousand Days, Whole Lotta Trouble

You’re not my friend
You’re not my love
And this is something that we really don’t discuss

I Call You Missing, Whole Lotta Trouble

And the angel said
Well you must have had a dream
And you remember it
’til the dream followed through
’til the end of the dream
And the dream came true
When I want something
I get it

I Call You Missing, Love Is Like a River

You used to call her wicked
She used to call you friend
You say her life is wild
Compared to what lifestyle

Thousand Days, Whole Lotta Trouble

So where are you
Sometimes I hear you crying

Interpretation

One Thousand and One Nights

Some fans have speculated that Stevie may have drawn literary inspiration from One Thousand and One Nights (better known as Arabian Nights), a collection of 18th century Middle Eastern and South Asian folk tales. In the tales, Scheherazade is the female protagonist who has developed remarkable storytelling skills by studying the histories of kings, poets, and philosophers. For 1001 nights, Scheherazade tells the harsh King Shahryar — embittered by his first wife’s infidelity — engaging stories, which entices him to fall in love with her and eventually trust women again.

Early Version (7/22/1992)

Stevie Nicks - Thousand Days (Unreleased Version 07-22-1992)

YouTube

References

Modern Records/Atlantic Records (1998). The Enchanted Works of Stevie Nicks [press release].
White, T. (1998-Apr 18). Atlantic honors Stevie Nicks with lavish 3-CD ‘Enchanted’ anthology. Billboard.

< Inspiration | Thousand Days

LIVE IN CONCERT (2023-2024)

Billy Joel and Stevie NicksStevie Nicks

November 29, 2023
San Diego, CA
Viejas Arena

December 2, 2023
Inglewood, CA
The Kia Forum

December 5, 2023
Palm Desert, CA
Acisure Arena

December  8, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Phoenix, AZ
Chase Field

December 12, 2023
Sacramento, CA
Golden 1 Center

December 15, 2023
San Francisco, CA
Chase Center

February 10, 2024
Atlantic City, NJ

Mark G Etess Arena
On Sale Friday, September 29. 2023

February 14, 2024
Belmont Park, NY

UBS Arena
On Sale Friday, September 29. 2023

February 21, 2024
Greenville, SC

Bon Secours Wellness Arena
On Sale Friday, September 29. 2023

February 24, 2024
Hollywood, FL

Hard Rock Live ^
On Sale Friday, September 29. 2023

February 28, 2024
New Orleans, LA

Smoothie King Center
On Sale Friday, September 29. 2023

March 3, 2024
Omaha, NE

CHI Health Center
On Sale Friday, September 29. 2023

March 6, 2024 – North Little Rock, AR
Simmons Bank Arena
On Sale Friday, September 29. 2023

March 9, 2024 – BILLY JOEL
Arlington, TX
AT&T Stadium

Two Icons One Night presented by Live Nation
^ Non-Live Nation show


Previous 2023 dates

March 10, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Los Angeles, CA
SoFi Stadium

March 15, 2023
Seattle, WA
Climate Pledge Arena

March 18, 2023
Las Vegas, NV
T-Mobile Arena

May 12, 2023
Raleigh, NC
PNC Arena

May 16, 2023
Knoxville, TN
Thompson-Boling Arena

May 19, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Nashville, TN
Nissan Stadium

May 22, 2023
Atlanta, GA
State Farm Arena

May 25, 2023
Orlando, FL
Amway Center

June 16, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Philadelphia, PA
Lincoln Financial Field

June 20, 2023
Toronto, ON (Canada)
Scotiabank Arena

June 23, 2023
Chicago, IL
United Center

June 27, 2023
Louisville, KY
KFC Yum! Center

August 5, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Columbus, OH
Ohio Stadium

August 8, 2023
Milwaukee, WI
Fiserv Forum

August 12, 2023
Houston, TX
Toyota Center

August 15, 2023
Austin, TX
Moody Center

August 19, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Kansas City, MO
Arrowhead Stadium

September 23, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Foxborough, MA
Gillette Stadium

September 27, 2023
Pittsburgh, PA
PPG Paints Arena

October 1, 2023
New York, NY
Madison Square Garden

October 4, 2023
Buffalo, NY
KeyBank Center

October 7, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Baltimore, MD 
M&T Bank Stadium

October 28, 2023
Memphis, TN
FedEx Forum

November 1, 2023
Savannah, GA
Enmarket Arena

November 4, 2023
Allentown, PA
PPL Center

November 7, 2023
Detroit, MI
Little Caesars Arena

November 10, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Minneapolis, MN
U.S. Bank Stadium



2022 Tour

Stevie Nicks

Jazz Aspen Snowmass
Snowmass, CO
Labor Day 2022

Ravinia Festival
Highland Park, IL
September 8, 2022
September 10, 2022

Pine Knob Music Theatre
Clarkston, MI
September 13, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Sea Hear Now Festival
Asbury, NJ
September 17, 2022

Xfinity Center
Mansfield, MA
September 19, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Maine Savings Amphitheatre
Bangor, ME
September 22, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Sound on Sound Festival
Bridgeport, CT
September 24-25, 2022

Ohana Festival
Dana Point, CA
September 30, 2022

Hollywood Bowl
Los Angeles, CA
October 3, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

POSTPONED
Ak-Chin Pavilion

Phoenix, AZ
October 6, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

POSTPONED
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

The Woodlands, TX
October 9, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Alpharetta, GA
October 12, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Ascend Amphitheater
Nashville, TN
October 16, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Credit One Stadium
Charleston, SC
October 19, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

PNC Music Pavilion
Charlotte, NC
October 22, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Tampa, FL
October 25, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
West Palm Beach, FL
October 28, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Orion Amphitheatre
Huntsville, AL
October 31, 2022

RESCHEDULED SHOWS

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
The Woodlands, TX
November 2, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Ak-Chin Pavilion
Phoenix, AZ
November 5, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton


For What It’s Worth (2022)

Edge of Midnight (2020)

Beautiful People Beautiful Problems (2017)

New Release

Stevie Nicks, Stand Back 1981-2017, compilation

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