Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed in 1994 by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. They have created many unforgettable hits, but perhaps none of their songs evoke such strong emotions as “Everlong”. The song has become one of the band’s most iconic songs and holds a special place in the hearts of many fans. “Everlong” was released in 1997 and became one of the symbols of late 90s rock music.
How sleep and rain inspired Dave Grohl to write the legendary song:
“Everlong” was written by Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl in 1997. In an interview, Grohl revealed that the song was written during a period in his life when he felt very lonely and couldn’t find his way out, during his hiatus from Nirvana after the death of Kurt Cobain. In his autobiography, This Is a Call: The Life and Times of Dave Grohl, Grohl said that the song was inspired by a dream he had while in Los Angeles.
In a dream, he saw how he ran along the side of a mountain, and then stopped to kiss a girl. Grohl woke up and recorded the base of the song on his 8-track cassette recorder. Later, he continued to write the song in a small house in California when it was raining outside. Grohl credits this rainy day with helping him find the inspiration to write “Everlong”.
A song about love, loss and the desire to keep happy moments “forever” :
At the time Grohl wrote “Everlong”, he was in a difficult emotional situation – a ruined musical career and a difficult breakup with a girlfriend. The meaning of the song lies in the desire to preserve a certain moment that was perfect and happy. This is inspired by a dream Grohl had and a kiss he received in it. “Everlong” is a song about love and loss. She talks about how a person falls in love, but in the end loses his love.
The lyrics of the song can be interpreted in different ways, but in general it describes a feeling of longing and loss. It is also possible to interpret the lyrics of “Everlong” as a song about immortality. The chorus refers to the man wishing that the moments with his beloved would last “forever”. This may symbolize the desire to keep in memory all the good things that happen in life, and never forget about them.
The first lines of the song talk about how a person is in the dark and feels alone. He waits for the morning to come and things to get better. But then the second stanza says that the morning will not come, and that the person will be left alone.
In the chorus, the song turns into a person’s willingness to overcome any difficulties, just to be close to his beloved. He wishes for these moments to last “forever” (“If everything could ever feel this real forever”).
Then the song moves into a more energetic part, where the hero does not want to be alone and is ready to fight for his love.
At the end, the famous riff sounds, which has become one of the most recognizable melodies in the history of rock. This riff is not only Everlong’s calling card, but also symbolizes the moment when a person realizes that he cannot return his love, and that all that remains is the memory of her.
[Verse 1]
Hello
I’ve waited here for you
Everlong
Tonight, I throw myself into
And out of the red
Out of her head, she sang
The first lines, “Hello, I’ve waited here for you, Everlong”, can be interpreted as an expression of the long-awaited expectation of a loved one who was far away from you. “Everlong” here means infinity of time, as if it says that I will wait for you forever.
The second line, “Tonight, I throw myself into and out of the red, out of her head she sang”, may be related to the desire to forget about the past and just enjoy the moment, while “out of her head she sang” may refer to a person who sings and dances in front of a red light, which further emphasizes the emotional nature of this song.
[Chorus]
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
The first line calls for a loved one to come down and spend time with you, plunging together into the serenity and carelessness of the moment.
The second line “Slow how, you wanted it to be” indicates that the person wants everything to happen slowly and calmly, without fuss and stress. “I’m over my head, out of her head she sang” – here “over my head” can refer to the fact that a person is immersed in his emotions and feelings, and “out of her head she sang” is a repetition of a line from the first verse, which enhances the emotional component of the song.
[Verse 2]
And I wonder
When I sing along with you
If everything could ever be 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
She sang
“And I wonder when I sing along with you, can everything feel so real forever?” This line indicates that the emotions and feelings that are currently being experienced can be priceless and cannot be replaced by any material things. “If anything could ever be this good again” is the question of what will happen if the future is not as good as it is now, and that it may be difficult to repeat such a moment. In the next line, “The only thing I’ll ever ask of you, you gotta promise not to stop when I say when”, the author asks his loved one not to stop, even if he himself asks for it, because he does not want to, for this moment to end.
[Chorus]
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
The chorus is repeated, and here the meaning remains the same.
[Bridge]
And I wonder
When I sing along with you
If everything could ever be 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
She sang
In this bridge, the author again expresses his thoughts that he wants this momentary connection with a loved one to be eternal, and asks not to stop, even if he asks for it.
“Keep you in the dark, you know they all pretend, keep you in the dark, and that’s how it all started.” In this final part, the author may be expressing his desire to keep the loved one in the dark, which may refer to his desire to keep this moment alive and not let it pass, as well as the fact that many people pretend or hide their real feelings, which makes this moment even more special.
In conclusion, “Everlong” is a song that has many different interpretations and can be understood by everyone in their own way. It can be a metaphor for life, for love and loss, for immortality. But despite all the different interpretations, it remains one of the most significant songs in the history of rock and continues to evoke strong emotions in many Foo Fighters fans.
