Magnet And Steel – Walter Egan

Intro
 

B(build up) A B A B

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ah

Verse 1
 
A B A B A B
Now, I told you so you ought to know ( ooh, ooh)
A B A B A B
It takes some time for a feeling to grow ( ooh, ooh)
A B A B A B
You're so close now I can't let you go ( ooh, ooh)

A B(build up)

And I can't let go

Chorus
 
C# A B A B C#m
With you I'm not shy to show the way I feel
  A B A B C#
With you I might try my secrets to reveal
  A B A B C#m B A B
For you are a magnet and I am steel  
Verse 2
 
A B A B A B
I can't hope that I'll hold you for long ( ooh, ooh)
A B A B A B
You're a woman who's lost in your song ( ooh, ooh)
A B A B A B
But the love that I feel is so strong ( ooh, ooh)

A B(build up)

And it can't be wrong

Chorus
 
C# A B A B C#m
With you I'm not shy to show the way I feel
  A B A B C#
With you I might try my secrets to reveal
  A B A B C#m B A B
For you are a magnet and I am steel  
Solo
 
A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B
( Ooh, ooh) ( Ooh, ooh) ( Ooh, ooh)  
Chorus
 
C# A B A B C#m
With you I'm not shy to show the way I feel
  A B A B C#m
With you I might try my secrets to reveal
  A B A B C#m
For you are a magnet and I am steel
  A B A B C#m
For you are a magnet and I am steel

A B A B C#m B A B (hold)

For you are a magnet and I am steel

 

Song Data (From the Spotify API)

YouTube Video

Karaoke Video

Wikipedia

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"Magnet and Steel"
side-A label by Polydor Records
Side A of the Australian single
Single by Walter Egan
from the album Not Shy
B-side
  • "Tunnel O'Love" (U.S.)
  • "She's So Tough" (International)
ReleasedMarch 1978[1]
GenreSoft rock[2]
Length3:25
LabelColumbia (US)
Polydor (international)
SongwriterWalter Egan
ProducersWalter Egan, Lindsey Buckingham, Richard Dashut
Walter Egan singles chronology
"When I Get My Wheels"
(1977)		 "Magnet and Steel"
(1978)		 "Hot Summer Nights"
(1978)
Music video
"Magnet and Steel" on YouTube

"Magnet and Steel" is a hit single written and performed by American musician Walter Egan, released in March 1978. It was the first and biggest hit on Egan's second solo LP, Not Shy. It reached number eight on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number nine in Canada. It spent 22 weeks on the American charts.

Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, members of Fleetwood Mac, sang background vocals along with several others; Buckingham was also one of the song's producers, along with Egan and Richard Dashut. Nicks was also Egan's inspiration for the song.[3]

Later uses

"Magnet and Steel" was featured in Boogie Nights (1997), Overnight Delivery (1998), and Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999). It was also heard in the Season 2 episode "Ohio" of the HBO series Divorce (2018) and in the film This is 40.

The singer Matthew Sweet recorded a version of the song for the Sabrina the Teenage Witch album with Lindsey Buckingham on guitar and backing vocals.

Egan and Donna Loren recorded a duet of the song in 2011. Loren released it on her YouTube channel 8 April 2025 to coincide with Egan's appearance on her podcast, Love's A Secret Weapon.[4] The song was also featured on Keith Urban's 2026 album, Flow State.[5]

Personnel

  • Walter Egan – lead vocals, guitar
  • Lindsey Buckingham – guitars, background vocals
  • Stevie Nicks – background vocals
  • Annie McLoone – background vocals
  • John Selk – bass guitar, background vocals
  • Tom Moncrieff – guitar, background vocals
  • Stephen Hague – keyboards, vocals
  • Mike Huey – drums, percussion

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1978) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] 32
Canada RPM Top Singles[7] 9
France (IFOP)[8] 60
New Zealand[9] 7
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[10] 8
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary[11] 18
U.S. Cash Box Top 100[12] 9

Year-end charts

Chart (1978) Rank
Canada[13] 68
New Zealand[14] 46
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[15] 40
U.S. Cash Box[16] 59

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Walter Egan - Magnet and Steel".
  2. ↑ Sendra, Tim. Tim Sendra - Sounds of the Seventies: The Late '70s (1993) Review at AllMusic. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  3. ↑ "The Penguin Q&A Sessions: Walter Egan". FleetwoodMac.net. October 13–26, 1999. Archived from the original on 2012-03-18. Retrieved 2013-05-06.
  4. ↑ "Magnet and Steel: Donna and Dr Adam In Conversation with very special guest Walter Egan". Retrieved 15 October 2025.
  5. ↑ Hollabuagh, Lorie (April 29, 2026). "Keith Urban Gets Into Laid-Back 'Flow State' On New Album Due In June". MusicRow. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  6. ↑ "One Hit Wonders". Australian-charts.com. October 22, 2008. Archived from the original (Internet forum) on May 13, 2013. Retrieved 2011-08-06.
  7. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Singles - September 2, 1978" (PDF).
  8. ↑ "Toutes les Chansons N° 1 des Années 70" (in French). InfoDisc. 1978-12-08. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  9. ↑ Steffen Hung. "New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  10. ↑ "Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard.com. 1978-08-26. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  11. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 85.
  12. ↑ "Top 100 1978-08-26". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved 2014-10-30.
  13. ↑ "RPM Top 200 Singles of 1978 - December 30, 1978" (PDF).
  14. ↑ "Top Selling Singles of 1978 | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. 1978-12-31. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  15. ↑ "Top 100 Hits of 1978/Top 100 Songs of 1978". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  16. ↑ "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1978". Cashbox Magazine. Archived from the original on 2012-10-27. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnet_and_Steel

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