Photo Credit: Randee St. Nicholas

On Monday, November 4, 2024, Jimmy Kimmel played host to one of rock-and-roll’s living legends, Stevie Nicks. During her late-night talk show appearance, the two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee served as the program’s musical guest, delivering her latest single, impassioned new single “Light House.” 

Initially released in late September, “Light House” serves as a response piece to the Supreme Court’s 2022 overruling of the constitutional right to abortion, Roe V Wade, as the songstress reflects, touching back on the happenstance that led to her latest earnest expression, “I wrote this song a few months after Roe V Wade was overturned. It seemed like overnight, people were saying, ‘What can we, as a collective force, do about this…’ For me, it was to write a song.”

Last night’s live performance saw Nicks instituting a battle cry on behalf of past, present, and future generations of women who have and will continue to endure conversations and governmental changes in which their bodies are up for debate. During a particularly poignant moment on stage, the songstress professes, “I Have My Scars, You Have Yours/ Don’t Let Them Take Your Power.” 

Reflecting on the making of the anathematic piece at the time of its release, Nicks mentioned her fast path from lyrics to studio: “It took a while because I was on the road. Then early one morning I was watching the news on TV and a certain newscaster said something that felt like she was talking to me ~ explaining what the loss of Roe V Wade would come to mean. I wrote the song the next morning and recorded it that night.”

She continued, “That was September 6, 2022. I have been working on it ever since. I have often said to myself, ‘This may be the most important thing I ever do. To stand up for the women of the United States and their daughters and granddaughters ~ and the men that love them. This is an anthem.” 

With a sense of unspoken understanding, Nicks seized the opportunity to perform her anthem on national television the night before American citizens cast their ballots for the next President of the United States, providing a moment of lyrical reflection ahead of the potential for political change. 

Scroll down to watch the songstress’ latest performance on Kimmel. Read the lyrics for “Light House” below.

“The Lighthouse” written by Stevie Nicks, Magnus Birgersson and Vincent Villuis: 

I Have My Scars, You Have Yours

Don’t Let Them, Take Your Power

Don’t Leave It Alone In The Final Hours

They’ll Take Your Soul, They’ll Take Your Power

Don’t Close Your Eyes And Hope For The Best

The Dark Is Out There

The Light Is Going Fast

Until … The Final Hours

Your Life’s Forever Changed

And All The Rights That You Had Yesterday

Are Taken Away

And Now You’re Afraid

You Should Be Afraid

Should Be Afraid 

Because Everything I Fought For

Long Ago In A Dream, Is Gone

Someone Said

The Dream Is Not Over

The Dream Has Just Begun

  Or

Is It A Nightmare

Is It A Lasting Scar 

It Is Unless You Save It

And That’s That

Unless You Stand Up

And Take It Back

And Take It Back 

I Have My Scars, You Have Yours

Don’t Let Them Take Your Power

Don’t Leave It Alone In The Final Hours

They’ll Take Your Soul They’ll Take Your Power 

Unless You Stand Up

And Take It Back

Try To See The Future

And Get Mad

Its Slippin’ Through Your Fingers

You Don’t Have What You Had

You Don’t Have Much Time

To Get It Back 

I Wanna Be The Lighthouse

Bring All Of You Together

Bring It Out In A Song

Bring It Out 

In Stormy Weather

Tell Them The Story 

I Wanna Teach ‘em To Fight

I Wanna Tell ‘em 

This Has Happened Before

Don’t Let It, Happen Again 

I Have My Scars, You Have Yours

Don’t Let Them Take Your Power

Don’t Leave It Alone In The Final Hours

They’ll Take Your Soul They’ll Take Your Power

Unless You Save It

And That’s That

Unless You Stand Up

And Take It Back

Try To See The Future

And Get Mad

Its Slippin’ Through Your Fingers

You Don’t Have What You Had

You Don’t Have Much Time

You’ve Gotta Get In The Game

You’ve Gotta Learn How To Play

You’ve Gotta Make A Change

You’ve Gotta Do It Today

In The Midnight Hour

They’ll Slam The Door

Make You Forget What 

You Were Fighting For

Put You Back In Your Place

They’ll Shut Ya Down

You Better Learn How To Fight

You Better Say It Out Loud