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Stevie Nicks’ *"I Can’t Wait,"* released in 1985 as the second single from her third solo album, *Rock a Little*. This track is a fascinating snapshot of Stevie’s life and creative process during a turbulent period.
*"I Can’t Wait"* dropped in late 1985 and hit the charts at number 60 39 years ago on February 22, 1986, and peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 12th.
Let’s dive into the background.
By the mid-1980s, Stevie Nicks was a rock icon, both as a member of Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. After the massive success of her 1981 debut *Bella Donna* and 1983’s *The Wild Heart*, she was under pressure to keep delivering hits. At the same time, her personal life was a whirlwind—marked by romantic entanglements, the strain of fame, and her deepening struggle with substance abuse, particularly cocaine. *Rock a Little* came together during this chaotic chapter, and *"I Can’t Wait"* reflects that urgency and intensity.
Stevie wrote *"I Can’t Wait"* with her longtime collaborators Rick Nowels and Eric Pressly. The song’s creation was famously spontaneous. According to Stevie, it came together in a flash—about 15 minutes—while she was at a recording studio in Los Angeles. She’d been listening to a demo track with a driving beat, and the lyrics poured out of her. She’s described it as a moment of pure inspiration, fueled by her emotional state at the time. The song’s restless, almost desperate tone mirrors her mindset—she was reportedly impatient to move forward, whether in love, life, or her career.
The production was handled by Rick Nowels and Jimmy Iovine, who gave it that polished, synth-heavy 1980’s sound. The track features pulsating rhythms, layered keyboards, and Stevie’s raw, emotive vocals. It’s a departure from her more mystical, folk-rock roots, leaning hard into the pop-rock energy of the era. The recording process for *Rock a Little* was notoriously disorganized—Stevie was juggling addiction, shifting producers, and a grueling schedule—but *"I Can’t Wait"* emerged as a standout, capturing her ability to turn chaos into art.
Lyrically, *"I Can’t Wait"* is about longing and impulsion—an anthem of someone who’s done waiting for something (or someone) to happen. Lines like “She wonders how many more hours her heart will feel broken / In secret she says she needs to see him but no words are spoken” convey a mix of passion and frustration. Stevie’s said it’s not tied to one specific person or event but reflects a broader feeling of being trapped in limbo, wanting to seize the moment. Some fans interpret it as a love song, others as a declaration of independence—either way, it’s steeped in her trademark emotional intensity.
There’s also a personal layer: 1985 was when Stevie’s cocaine use was spiraling, and she’d soon enter rehab in 1986. Retrospectively, the song’s frenetic pace and lyrics about time slipping away feel like a subconscious cry from someone racing against their own demons.
It got heavy MTV rotation thanks to its cinematic music video, directed by Marty Callner. The video’s got Stevie in dramatic black outfits, swirling around with dancers in a hazy, dreamlike set—pure ‘80s excess. It’s a time capsule of that era’s aesthetic, and it helped cement her as a solo star beyond Fleetwood Mac. In 2007 commenting on the filming of the video, Stevie said “I look at that video, I look at my eyes, and I say to myself, ‘Could you have laid off the pot, the coke, and the tequila for three days, so you could have looked a little better?’"
The song remains a fan favorite, often praised for its infectious energy and as a testament to Stevie’s resilience. It’s not as introspective as *"Landslide"* or as ethereal as *"Rhiannon,"* but it’s a banger that shows her versatility.
