"Everlong"
European variant of standard artwork
Single by Foo Fighters
from the album The Colour and the Shape
ReleasedAugust 18, 1997[1]
RecordedJanuary–February 1997
StudioGrandmaster Recorders, Hollywood, California
Genre
Length4:10
4:49 (video version)
Label
Songwriter(s)Dave Grohl
Producer(s)Gil Norton
Foo Fighters singles chronology
"Monkey Wrench"
(1997)		 "Everlong"
(1997)		 "My Hero"
(1998)
Audio sample
  • file
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Music video
"Everlong" on YouTube

"Everlong" is a song by American rock band Foo Fighters, released in August 1997 as the second single from their second studio album, The Colour and the Shape (1997). The song reached number three on the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart and the Canadian RPM Rock/Alternative chart. It is often regarded as the band's signature song.[5] "Everlong" was the last song performed live by former drummer Taylor Hawkins before his death in March 2022.[6] As a result of his death, streams of the song increased and charted on the Billboard Global 200 at #123, the band's first appearance on the chart.

Production

In late 1996, Dave Grohl was lodging at Bear Creek Studios in Woodinville, Washington, recording what was to be the second Foo Fighters album. While playing around with his guitar during downtime between takes of the song "Monkey Wrench" (which is in drop D tuning), he stumbled on a "Sonic Youth rip off" riff,[7] which he felt had the same vibe as one of that band's songs, "Schizophrenia".[8] He took a liking to it and decided to develop it into a song,[7] the band jamming on what became the verse. The song had not progressed beyond this rudimentary draft by the end of those sessions.[8]

Shortly thereafter, around Christmas time, Grohl returned to his native Virginia. As he was going through a divorce, he decided to stay at a friend's house, using a sleeping bag on the floor. It was there that he wrote "Everlong" as a proper song, in 45 minutes.[9] The lyrics were inspired by Grohl's ongoing romance with Louise Post of the band Veruca Salt:[10] "That song's about a girl that I'd fallen in love with and it was basically about being connected to someone so much, that not only do you love them physically and spiritually, but when you sing along with them you harmonize perfectly".[7] Grohl recorded a demo of the song soon after, during a visit to a friend's studio in nearby Washington, D.C. He describes the demo, on which he played all the instruments,[10] as being essentially the same as the album version, but "super raw".[8]

Grohl returned to the West Coast to continue work on The Colour and the Shape. He met with producer Gil Norton at Grandmaster Recorders in Hollywood again, and played the "Everlong" demo for him. Norton was impressed.[7][11] Soon, Nate Mendel and Pat Smear joined Grohl and Norton, and the group recorded the song. The solo guitar intro was recorded through an Astatic JT40 microphone, which outputs "dull" recordings with "no clarity".[12] Grohl wanted Post to provide vocals. She was in Chicago at the time, however, so her parts (doo doo doos alongside the lead guitar riff, and harmonizing on the chorus) were recorded using two separate telephone lines in the studio, one for her monitor, and the other for recording. Grohl recorded his chorus harmonies through the JT40,[12] which provided vocals at a similar level of fidelity as Post's. For the breakdown, Grohl recorded three spoken word tracks, one telling a story from assistant engineer Ryan Boesch's childhood, of being punished for disturbing his father's sleep, and two others of Grohl reading random passages from a book. The three tracks were planned to be blended together, but only the first was used in the final mix.[12]

Critical reception

"Everlong" is widely regarded as one of Foo Fighters' best songs. In 2020, Kerrang ranked the song number one on their list of the 20 greatest Foo Fighters songs,[13] and in 2021, American Songwriter ranked the song number two on their list of the 10 greatest Foo Fighters songs.[14]

"Everlong" reached 1 billion streams on Spotify on December 2, 2023, the 55th birthday of the Foo Fighters' bassist, Nate Mendel.

Live performances

The Foo Fighters traditionally close their shows with "Everlong".[15] To date, it is the band's most frequently performed song, with 1095 live performances (as of June 2023).[16] Since the song was released in 1997, it has been performed in all but four of the Foo Fighters' full-length concerts.[17]

Music video

The surreal, satirical video for "Everlong" was directed by Michel Gondry. It is, in part, a parody of the film The Evil Dead. The version of the song used in the video is longer than the single and album versions.

The video opens in black and white, with Smear and Mendel, dressed as Teddy Boys, outside of a house in which Grohl and his wife, played by Taylor Hawkins, are asleep. In Grohl's dream (in color), he is Sid Vicious[18] at a party, and Hawkins, as Nancy Spungen,[18] is being harassed by Smear and Mendel. In Hawkins' dream (also in color), his character is in a cabin reading a book, while Grohl gathers firewood outside. A hand appears from under a trap door in the floor of the cabin. Back in Grohl's dream, he attacks Smear and Mendel with his enlarged hand. He defeats them, and they vaporize (only to materialize in Hawkins' dream). Grohl and Hawkins escape the party into a room with an enormous telephone, which is ringing loudly. Grohl awakens in their bedroom, where their real phone is ringing. Hawkins, trying to fend off Smear and Mendel in his character's dream, phones Grohl. Grohl, in their bedroom, answers the phone, and realizes that Hawkins is in distress in Hawkins' dream. Unable to wake Hawkins, Grohl returns to sleep in order to enter Hawkins' dream and rescue Hawkins. Grohl finds a nunchaku among the logs that he is carrying in Hawkins' dream. He enters the cabin, and he and Hawkins overcome Smear and Mendel again. Grohl throws their bodies in a nearby lake. Smear and Mendel are then shown in Grohl and Hawkins' bedroom. All of the band members cast off their costumes, and the video ends with them performing the rest of the song as themselves.

Although Hawkins is shown drumming in the video, Grohl was actually the drummer on the song, as Hawkins had not yet joined the band at the time of its recording.

"Everlong" was nominated for Best Rock Video at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards. On May 11, 2021, it passed 200 million views on YouTube.

Other versions

Although the song is normally performed with electric guitars, vocalist/guitarist Dave Grohl's solo acoustic variation gained popularity after an impromptu rendition on Howard Stern's radio show in 1998.[19] The band has performed it acoustically since then and an acoustic performance concludes their 2006 live CD and DVD Skin and Bones. Additionally, an acoustic version was released on Foo Fighters' 2009 Greatest Hits album.

A live version filmed at Hyde Park on June 17, 2006, was released on the Hyde Park DVD.[20]

A live version appears on the Live at Wembley Stadium DVD which was released in 2008.[21]

Eleven-year-old Ipswich musician Nandi Bushell joined Foo Fighters on stage to perform the song during their concert at the Forum in Los Angeles on August 26, 2021. Bushell had gone viral on YouTube in part due to her drum covers, including "Everlong", and her online drum challenge with Grohl in 2020, which drew millions of views before Grohl "conceded" defeat to Bushell. Grohl had offered her the chance to join Foo Fighters during a performance; it was delayed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[22] "Everlong" gained newfound popularity as a result of this performance and appeared on several Billboard charts that did not exist when the song was first released.[23]

Accolades

Critical rankings for "Everlong"
Year Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
1999 Kerrang! 100 Greatest Rock Tracks Ever 45 [24]
2009 VH1 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs 28 [25]
2009 Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time 9 [26]
2010 Robert Dimery 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die * [27]
2011 NME 150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years 48 [28]
2013 Triple J Hottest 100 of the Past 20 Years 6 [29]
2013 Rolling Stone Best Foo Fighters Songs readers' poll 1 [30]
2014 Triple M Modern Rock 500 1 [31]
2019 The Guardian Dave Grohl's Landmark Songs
*
 [32]
2021 Rolling Stone 500 Best Songs of All Time 409 [33]

* denotes an unordered list.

Usage in media

"Everlong" was used in the episode "Lane Miserables" of the third season of Daria, an animated series on MTV. In the original broadcast, the song played as Daria Morgendorffer watched Trent and Monique leave to go on a date. The episode originally aired on July 14, 1999.

"Everlong" has been featured in the music video games Rock Band 2, Rock Band Unplugged, Guitar Hero World Tour (which is exportable to other games) and Rocksmith 2014. It is also included in Rock Band for iOS.

An arrangement of the song for string quartet was used in the Friends episode "The One with Monica and Chandler's Wedding", during the titular event. It was also used in a 1998 episode of the US daytime soap opera All My Children. The original version of the song was used in Martin Scorsese's 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street. The song was also used briefly in the movie Little Nicky while Nicky is ascending his girlfriend's apartment building.

The song was used in early workprint versions of David Fincher's 1999 film Fight Club, playing over an unfinished version of the film's title sequence in place of The Dust Brothers' track "Stealing Fat" from the film's original soundtrack, which was used in the final theatrical film. Footage of the unfinished workprint intro sequence featuring "Everlong" has surfaced online.

Comedian and late night talk show host David Letterman has called "Everlong" his favorite song, citing it as having helped him through his recovery from heart surgery in 2000. Foo Fighters were invited to serve as the musical act on the February 21, 2000, episode of Late Show with David Letterman, the first since his surgery, to perform "Everlong." Grohl stated that he was "blown away" after learning that Letterman was a fan of their music. The band went as far as cancelling a stop on a tour in South America so they could perform, explaining that "We just felt like we had to be there. Not only was it an honor to be asked, but it felt like something we had to do – because he had always meant so much to us. And that started this connection that we've had for years. It's fucking cool, you know?"[34][35][36][37] On May 20, 2015, the band returned to perform "Everlong" again, the night of Letterman's final episode. The six-minute-long performance was set to a montage of footage spanning Letterman's career.[38]

Track listings

UK CD1 (blue cover)
  1. "Everlong"
  2. "Drive Me Wild" (Vanity 6 cover)
  3. "See You" (Live Manchester Apollo May 25, 1997)
UK CD2 (grey cover)
  1. "Everlong"
  2. "Requiem" (Killing Joke cover)
  3. "I'll Stick Around" (Live Manchester Apollo May 25, 1997)
Australian CD single, Australian limited edition maxi-single digipack with bonus poster and Netherlands slimbox CD single
  1. "Everlong"
  2. "Down in the Park" (Gary Numan cover)
  3. "See You" (acoustic)
Netherlands card sleeve CD single
  1. "Everlong"
  2. "Down in the Park" (Gary Numan cover)
Promo (black cover)
  1. "Everlong"
UK Limited Blue Vinyl Edition (blue cover)
  1. "Everlong"
  2. "Drive Me Wild" (Vanity 6 cover)

Personnel

Foo Fighters
Additional Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Everlong"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[63] 8× Platinum 560,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[64] 2× Platinum 120,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[65] Gold 45,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[66] Platinum 500,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[67] Platinum 50,000‡
Mexico (AMPROFON)[68] 2× Platinum+Gold 150,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[69] 5× Platinum 150,000‡
Portugal (AFP)[70] Platinum 40,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[71] 2× Platinum 1,200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[72] 2× Platinum 2,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "australian-charts.com - Foo Fighters - Everlong". australian-charts.com. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  2. ↑ Thomas, Jeremy (November 15, 2014). "The 8 Ball: Top 8 Post-Grunge Bands". 411MANIA. Retrieved October 5, 2019. Songs like "Everlong," "All My Life" and "I'll Stick Around" are landmark post-grunge tracks
  3. ↑ Richin, Leslie (January 12, 2017). "20 Alternative Rock Hits Turning 20 in 2017". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  4. ↑ George, Richard (November 11, 2009). "Foo Fighters Greatest Hits Review". IGN. Retrieved October 5, 2019. Most, like I once did, would try to define Grohl and his Foo companions (Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel and Chris Shiflett) as strictly being hard rock. And with hits like "Pretender", "All My Life" and "Everlong", it's tough to argue that point.
  5. ↑ "The Story behind the Foo Fighters song 'Everlong'". August 18, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Foo Fighters Setlist at Lollapalooza Argentina 2022". setlist.fm.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Morat (June 2006). "How Dave Grohl Will Light Up Your Summer - How To Write A Rock Anthem". Kerrang!. EMAP – via FooArchive.
  8. 1 2 3 "Foo Fighters - 'Everlong'". Song Stories. NME. July 17, 2015. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021 – via YouTube.
  9. ↑ Brannigan, Paul (November 2009). "Dave looks back in a career retrospective - "I was heartbroken, frightened and confused."". Mojo. EMAP – via FooArchive.
  10. 1 2 "Dave Grohl session at WGNS Studios, Dec, 1996". FooFightersLive.
  11. ↑ "Foo Fighters session at Grandmaster Recorders, Jan - Feb, 1997". FooFightersLive.
  12. 1 2 3 Huart, Warren (March 20, 2019). "Foo Fighters Everlong". Inside the song. Produce Like A Pro. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021 – via YouTube.
  13. ↑ Law, Sam (July 3, 2020). "The 20 greatest Foo Fighters songs – ranked". Kerrang. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  14. ↑ Uitti, Jacob (November 24, 2021). "The Top 10 Foo Fighters Songs". American Songwriter. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  15. ↑ Childers, Chad (September 3, 2022). "Tearful Dave Grohl Plays First Foo Fighters Song Without Taylor Hawkins". Loudwire. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Foo Fighters Tour Statistics | setlist.fm". www.setlist.fm. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Foo Fighters Album Statistics | setlist.fm". www.setlist.fm. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  18. 1 2 "A Deep Dive into Foo Fighters' Everlong Video". July 20, 2019.
  19. ↑ "Dave Grohl And Taylor Hawkins From Foo Fighters Visit. 03/18/1998. 8:00am". MarksFriggin.com. March 18, 1998. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Foo Fighters - Hyde Park". Discogs. 2006.
  21. ↑ "Foo Fighters - Live at Wembley Stadium". Discogs. August 25, 2008.
  22. ↑ Doherty, Niall (February 4, 2021). "This 10-Year-Old Drummer Stole Dave Grohl's Heart — and Ours, Too". Variety. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  23. ↑ Trapp, Philip (September 10, 2021). "Nandi Bushell's Performance With Foo Fighters Puts 'Everlong' Back On The Charts". Loudwire. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  24. ↑ "100 Greatest Rock Tracks Ever". Kerrang!. No. 746. April 17, 1999. p. 29. Retrieved August 26, 2019. As voted for by readers
  25. ↑ "spreadit.org music". Archived from the original on February 12, 2009. Retrieved February 7, 2009.
  26. ↑ "Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time 2009". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. July 20, 2009. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  27. ↑ Dimery, Robert, ed. (2010). "10,001 Songs You Must Hear...". 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die. Octopus Publishing Group. p. 919. ISBN 978-1-84403-684-4.
  28. ↑ "150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years". NME. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  29. ↑ Triple J Hottest 100 of the Past 20 Years, 2013
  30. ↑ "Readers' Poll: The 10 Best Foo Fighters Songs". Rolling Stone. February 20, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Triple M Modern Rock 500". Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  32. ↑ Barlow, Eve (August 16, 2019). "Dave Grohl: 'I never imagined myself to be Freddie Mercury'". The Guardian. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  33. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 15, 2021.
  34. ↑ "David Letterman: Famous Fans say Goodbye". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 23, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  35. ↑ Kreps, Daniel. "Watch Foo Fighters Score David Letterman's Career-Spanning Montage". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  36. ↑ Millman, Joyce (March 20, 2000). "The top 10 reasons David Letterman's heart bypass operation was a good thing". Salon. Archived from the original on February 11, 2011. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
  37. ↑ "David Letterman's last musical guest on 'Late Show' will be Foo Fighters". New York Daily News. May 20, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  38. ↑ "David Letterman signs off from 'Late Show'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  39. ↑ "Foo Fighters – Everlong". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  40. ↑ "ARIA Top 20 Alternative Charts". ARIA Report. No. 392. August 31, 1997. p. 12. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  41. ↑ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 3375." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  42. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. September 6, 1997. p. 12. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  43. ↑ "Foo Fighters – Everlong". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  44. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  45. ↑ "Foo Fighters: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  46. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  47. ↑ "Foo Fighters Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  48. ↑ "Foo Fighters Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  49. ↑ "Foo Fighters Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  50. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Foo Fighters". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  51. ↑ Foo Fighters - Rock Digital Songs Chart history billboard.com. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
  52. 1 2 "Foo Fighters Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  53. ↑ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. April 4, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  54. ↑ "Foo Fighters Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  55. ↑ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  56. ↑ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. April 4, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  57. ↑ "Foo Fighters – Everlong". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  58. ↑ "Foo Fighters". Billboard.
  59. ↑ "Airplay Monitor Best of '97: Mainstream Rock Tracks" (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 5, no. 52. December 26, 1997. p. 28. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  60. ↑ "Airplay Monitor Best of '97: Modern Rock Tracks" (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 5, no. 52. December 26, 1997. p. 30. Retrieved December 26, 2023. Alternative Airplay was previously called Modern Rock Tracks
  61. ↑ "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  62. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Singles Chart for 2023". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  63. ↑ "ARIA October 2023 Single Accreditations" (PDF). dropbox.com. ARIA. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  64. ↑ "Brazilian single certifications – Foo Fighters – Everlong" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  65. ↑ "Danish single certifications – Foo Fighters – Everlong". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  66. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Foo Fighters; 'Everlong')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  67. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Foo Fighters – Everlong" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  68. ↑ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved May 12, 2022. Type Foo Fighters in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Everlong in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  69. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Foo Fighters – Everlong". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  70. ↑ "Portuguese single certifications – Foo Fighters – Everlong" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  71. ↑ "British single certifications – Foo Fighters – Everlong". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  72. ↑ "American single certifications – Foo Fighters – Everlong". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
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