"I Will Follow" is a song by Irish
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band
U2. It is the opening track from their debut album, ''
Boy
A boy is a young male human. The term is commonly used for a child or an adolescent. When a male human reaches adulthood, he is usually described as a man.
Definition, etymology, and use
According to the ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'', a boy ...
'', and it was released as the album's second
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
in October 1980. Lead singer
Bono
Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by the nickname Bono ( ), is an Irish singer-songwriter and activist. He is a founding member, the lead vocalist, and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Bono is known for his impassioned voca ...
wrote the lyrics to "I Will Follow" in tribute to his mother Iris Hewson, who died when he was 14 years old.
"I Will Follow" is the only song that U2 have performed on every tour since they released their first album. The song was U2's first music video, directed by
Meiert Avis
Meiert Avis is an Irish music video and commercial director.
Career
Meiert Avis has directed videos for artists such as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Avril Lavigne, Paramore, Alanis Morissette, Flyleaf, Jennifer Lopez, New Found Glory ...
in Dublin, Ireland. The song was issued five times, first in 1981 on a 7" vinyl in
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
, the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, and
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
, second on the same format in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
, third in the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
in 1982 with a track from 1981's ''
October
October is the tenth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. The eighth month in the old calendar of Romulus , October retained its name (from Latin and Greek ''ôctō'' meaning "eight") after Januar ...
'', in 1983 with a live version of the song, and finally in 2011 with a live version of the song recorded at the
2011 Glastonbury Festival
The 2011 Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts was held from 22 to 26 June 2011. Tickets for the festival went on sale from 9 am on Sunday 3 October 2010, over 37 weeks before the festival was set to begin, with a deposit of £50 ...
.
Composition
"I Will Follow" was written three weeks before U2 began recording ''
Boy
A boy is a young male human. The term is commonly used for a child or an adolescent. When a male human reaches adulthood, he is usually described as a man.
Definition, etymology, and use
According to the ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'', a boy ...
''. During early rehearsals of the song, the group frequently had loud arguments, as lead vocalist
Bono
Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by the nickname Bono ( ), is an Irish singer-songwriter and activist. He is a founding member, the lead vocalist, and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Bono is known for his impassioned voca ...
was struggling to convey the aggression for the guitar
riff
A riff is a short, repeated motif or figure in the melody or accompaniment of a musical composition. Riffs are most often found in rock music, punk, heavy metal music, Latin, funk, and jazz, although classical music is also sometimes based ...
that he was envisioning. Frustrated, he took
the Edge
David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961), better known as the Edge or simply Edge,McCormick (2006), pp. 21, 23–24 is a British-Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and backing vocalist o ...
's guitar from him and "hammer
daway" on the two-stringed
chord the Edge had created to show his bandmates the urgency he wanted.
[McCormick (2006), pp. 96–101][Stokes (2005), pp. 9–10] Bono said, "It was literally coming out of a kind of rage, the sound of a nail being hammered into your frontal lobe".
Producer
Steve Lillywhite
Stephen Alan Lillywhite (born 15 March 1955) is an English record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited on over 500 records, and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including new wave acts The Alarm ...
stated that
Siouxsie and the Banshees
Siouxsie and the Banshees ( ) were a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. Post-punk pioneers, they were widely influential, both over their contemporaries and later ...
guitarist
John McKay's playing on the song "Jigsaw Feeling" (1978) was a point of reference for the Edge on "I Will Follow", calling the beginning of both songs "almost identical".
Bono has said that he wrote the lyrics from the perspective of his mother Iris Hewson, who died in 1974 when he was 14 years old, and that they were about the unconditional love a mother has for her child.
The song features a
glockenspiel
The glockenspiel ( ; or , : bells and : play) or bells is a percussion instrument consisting of pitched aluminum or steel bars arranged in a Musical keyboard, keyboard layout. This makes the glockenspiel a type of metallophone, similar to the v ...
to provide what Bono called "underlying instrumental colouring"; it was added at his suggestion, and was played during the ''Boy'' recording sessions by him and the Edge.
For the
middle eight
The 32-bar form, also known as the AABA song form, American popular song form and the ballad form, is a song structure commonly found in Tin Pan Alley songs and other American popular music, especially in the first half of the 20th century.
Th ...
section of the song, Lillywhite recorded the sounds of
cutlery
Cutlery (also referred to as silverware, flatware, or tableware) includes any hand implement used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food in Western culture. A person who makes or sells cutlery is called a cutler.
While most cutlers ...
rubbing against the spokes of a spinning wheel on an upturned bicycle, as well as Bono smashing bottles.
Release
''
Record World
''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...
'' reviewed the original single release in 1980, describing the song as an "
electronic rocker" in which the "urgent vocals match the intense keyboard pulse."
"I Will Follow" had a second single release as a live version in the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
and
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
in 1982, and a third release in the United States in 1983, taken from the ''
Under a Blood Red Sky
''Under a Blood Red Sky'' is a live mini-album by Irish rock band U2, produced by Jimmy Iovine and released on 21 November 1983. The record's eight tracks were compiled from three concerts during the group's 1983 War Tour, including two son ...
'' album. It appeared on both the 1998 compilation album and video collection ''
The Best of 1980–1990
''The Best of 1980–1990'' is the first greatest hits compilation by Irish rock band U2, released on 2 November 1998. It mostly contains the group's hit singles from the 1980s, but also mixes in some live staples, as well as a re-recording of ...
'', and in some countries, on the 2006 ''
U218 Singles
''U218 Singles'' is a greatest hits album by Irish rock band U2, released in November 2006. In most markets, the album contains 18 songs: 16 of their most successful and popular single (music), singles, and two new songs. The 17th track is a c ...
'' compilation.
The song is included in the 2015
music video game
A music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs. Music video games may take a ...
''
Rock Band 4
''Rock Band 4'' is a 2015 rhythm game developed and published by Harmonix. The game was initially distributed by Mad Catz, who also developed new instrument controllers for the game, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on October 6, 2015. Performanc ...
'' as a playable track.
Live performances
It is the band's second most frequently performed song with over 1000 performances, only behind "
Pride (In the Name of Love)
"Pride (In the Name of Love)" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the second track on the band's 1984 album, ''The Unforgettable Fire'', and was released as its lead single in September 1984. The song was produced by Brian Eno and Daniel ...
". It has been performed at every concert of
The Joshua Tree Tour
The Joshua Tree Tour was a concert tour by the Irish Rock music, rock band U2. Staged in support of their 1987 album ''The Joshua Tree'', it comprised 109 shows over three legs, spanning from April to December that year. The first and third legs ...
(1987),
PopMart Tour
The PopMart Tour was a worldwide concert tour by the Irish rock band U2. Staged in support of the group's 1997 album '' Pop'', the tour's concerts were performed in stadiums and parks in 1997 and 1998. Much like the band's previous Zoo TV Tour ...
(1997-1998),
Innocence + Experience Tour
The Innocence + Experience Tour (styled as iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour) was a worldwide concert tour by the Irish rock music, rock band U2. Staged in support of the band's 2014 album ''Songs of Innocence (U2 album), Songs of Innocence'', the tou ...
(2015), and
Experience + Innocence Tour
Experience refers to conscious events in general, more specifically to perceptions, or to the practical knowledge and familiarity that is produced by these processes. Understood as a conscious event in the widest sense, experience involves a subj ...
(2018). It has been played extensively on every tour; exceptions to this are the 1992-1993
Zoo TV Tour
The Zoo TV Tour (also written as ZooTV, ZOO TV or ZOOTV) was a worldwide concert tour by the Irish rock music, rock band U2. Staged primarily to support their 1991 album ''Achtung Baby'' and later their 1993 album ''Zooropa'', the tour visited ...
(where it was performed infrequently as part of the acoustic set), the
U2 360° Tour
The U2 360° Tour was a worldwide concert tour by the Irish rock music, rock band U2. Staged in support of the group's 2009 album ''No Line on the Horizon'', the tour visited stadiums from 2009 through 2011. The concerts featured the band pla ...
(where it was not played until the third leg in 2010) and
The Joshua Tree Tour 2017
The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 and The Joshua Tree Tour 2019 were two worldwide concert tours by the Irish rock music, rock band U2 commemorating the 30th anniversary of their 1987 album ''The Joshua Tree''. The 2017 tour visited stadiums over four l ...
(where it was sporadically performed as the concert closer). For The Joshua Tree Tour 2019 however, it was again played regularly as the second song of the show.
The song appears on the live recordings/films ''
Under a Blood Red Sky
''Under a Blood Red Sky'' is a live mini-album by Irish rock band U2, produced by Jimmy Iovine and released on 21 November 1983. The record's eight tracks were compiled from three concerts during the group's 1983 War Tour, including two son ...
'' (1983), ''
U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky'' (1984), ''
Live from the Point Depot
''Love: Live from the Point Depot'' is a digital live album by U2 released through the iTunes Music Store on November 23, 2004 as part of the digital box set, ''The Complete U2''. The show was recorded during U2's Lovetown Tour on New Year's Ev ...
'' (2004), ''
PopMart: Live from Mexico City'' (1998), ''
Elevation 2001: Live from Boston'' (2001), ''
Live from Boston 1981'' (2004), ''
Live from Paris'', (2007) and ''
U22'' (2012). It also appears on ''Vertigo 05: Live from Milan'', the bonus DVD that is included with the ''U218 Singles'' compilation and as a bonus track for UK/Australia releases of the CD.
U2 performed the song on the
BBC2
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and ...
television show ''
The Old Grey Whistle Test
''The Old Grey Whistle Test'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''Whistle Test'' or ''OGWT'') is a British television music series broadcast by the BBC. It was devised by producer Rowan Ayers, commissioned by David Attenborough, and aired on BBC2 from ...
'' in 1981. The performance was later released on DVD on a compilation of performances from the show.
Reception and legacy
In 2005, ''
Blender
A blender (sometimes called a mixer (from Latin ''mixus, the PPP of miscere eng. to Mix)'' or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary ...
'' ranked the song at number 214 on its list "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born". The magazine wrote, "The first song on U2's first album introduced the guitar sound that would define their work.
..The arena-ready clarion call also established Bono's trademark lyrical earnestness, one of the reasons the song remains a fan favorite and a staple of the band's recent tours." In 2023, "I Will Follow" was selected and re-recorded for the band's album ''
Songs of Surrender
''Songs of Surrender'' is an album of re-recorded songs by Irish rock band U2. Produced by guitarist the Edge, it was released on 17 March 2023 on Island Records and Interscope Records. Largely the effort of the Edge and lead vocalist Bono, ...
''.
Formats and track listings
Note
*The Netherlands release was recorded for the
Veronica TV
Veronica is a Dutch free-to-air commercial television channel currently a part of Talpa TV (Talpa Network). The channel was launched as TV10 Gold on 1 May 1995, then became TV10, Fox, Fox 8 and V8, before becoming Veronica on 20 September 200 ...
concert series ''
Countdown
A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...
'', and was reissued in Germany in 1983. The cover of the Canadian and U.S. releases feature the same image as the North American release of ''Boy''. The 1983 release was in a generic red sleeve with no cover artwork.
Personnel
*
Bono
Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by the nickname Bono ( ), is an Irish singer-songwriter and activist. He is a founding member, the lead vocalist, and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Bono is known for his impassioned voca ...
– vocals,
glockenspiel
The glockenspiel ( ; or , : bells and : play) or bells is a percussion instrument consisting of pitched aluminum or steel bars arranged in a Musical keyboard, keyboard layout. This makes the glockenspiel a type of metallophone, similar to the v ...
*
The Edge
David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961), better known as the Edge or simply Edge,McCormick (2006), pp. 21, 23–24 is a British-Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and backing vocalist o ...
– guitar, glockenspiel
*
Adam Clayton
Adam Charles Clayton (born 13 March 1960) is an English-Irish musician who is the bass guitarist of the rock music, rock band U2. Born in Oxfordshire, England, he lived in County Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland after his family moved to ...
– bass guitar
*
Larry Mullen Jr.
Laurence Joseph Mullen Jr. (; born 31 October 1961) is an Irish musician, best known as the drummer and co-founder of the rock band U2. A member of the band since its inception, he has recorded 15 studio albums with U2. Mullen's distinctive ...
– drums
Charts
1981 release
1982 release
1983 release
See also
*
List of covers of U2 songs – I Will Follow
References
Footnotes
Bibliography
*
*
External links
Will Follow'' Lyrics
{{authority control
1980 singles
1981 singles
1983 singles
U2 songs
Columbia Records singles
Island Records singles
Live singles
Commemoration songs
Songs written by Bono
Songs written by the Edge
Songs written by Adam Clayton
Songs written by Larry Mullen Jr.
Song recordings produced by Steve Lillywhite
Music videos directed by Meiert Avis
2011 singles
1980 songs