Everlong

Song Meaning of Everlong by Foo Fighters, and what it is about

"Everlong" is a song by American rock group Foo Fighters and was released in August 1997 as the second single from their second studio album, The Colour and the Shape.

In 1996, Dave Grohl was at Bear Creek Studios recording the second Foo Fighters album.

While playing around with his guitar during downtime between takes of the song "Monkey Wrench") he stumbled on a "Sonic Youth rip off" riff, which he felt had the same vibe as one of that band's songs, "Schizophrenia".

He took a liking to it and decided to develop it into a song, the band jamming on what became the verse.

The song had not progressed beyond a draft by the end of those sessions.

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.

The lyrics were inspired by Grohl's ongoing romance with Louise Post of the band Veruca Salt:

"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".

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, as being essentially the same as the album version, but "super raw".

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.

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.

Everlong lyrics by Foo Fighters

Hello

I've waited here for you

Everlong

Tonight

I throw myself into

And out of the red

Out of her head she sang

Come down

And waste away with me

Down with me

Slow how

You wanted it to be

I'm over my head

Out of her head she sang

And I wonder

When I sing along with you

If everything could ever feel this real forever

If anything could ever be this good again

The only thing I'll ever ask of you

You gotta promise not to stop when I say when she sang

Breathe out

So I can breathe you in

Hold you in

And now

I know you've always been

Out of your head

Out of my head I sang

And I wonder

When I sing along with you

If everything could ever feel this real forever

If anything could ever be this good again

The only thing I'll ever ask of you

You gotta promise not to stop when I say when she sang

[Whisper:]

So, Dad would take the Sundays off.

And that's the only time he could ever get any rest.

And so, because we were loud on Sundays, he'd make us hold his construction boots over our head, 'til we'd sleep.

And they were really heavy boots and I used to say, "Dad, come on, please."

And like start crying, 'cause they're too heavy.

And I wonder

If everything could ever feel this real forever

If anything could ever be this good again

The only thing I'll ever ask of you

You've got to promise not to stop when I say when