I Will Follow

Infobox Single
Name = I Will Follow

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Caption = UK cover
Artist = U2
from Album = Boy
Released = October 1980
March 27, 1981 (US)
Format = 7" vinyl
Recorded =
Genre = Rock, post-punk
Length = 3:37
Label = Columbia / Island
Producer = Steve Lillywhite
Chart position =

• #81 (US Billboard Hot 100)
• #20 (US Mainstream Rock Tracks)

Last single = "A Day Without Me" (1980)
This single = "I Will Follow" (1980)
Next single = "Fire" (1981)
Misc = Extra album cover
Upper caption = Alternate Covers
Background = khaki

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Lower caption = U.S. / Canada coverExtra album cover

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Lower caption = New Zealand coverExtra tracklisting
Album = Boy
Type = studio
prev_track = N/A
prev_no =
this_track = "I Will Follow"
track_no = 1
next_track = "Twilight"
next_no = 2Extra tracklisting
Album = Under a Blood Red Sky
Type = live
prev_track = "11 O'Clock Tick Tock"
prev_no = 2
this_track = "I Will Follow"
track_no = 3
next_track = "Party Girl"
next_no = 4Extra tracklisting
Album = The Best of 1980-1990
Type = compilation
prev_track = "Where the Streets Have No Name"
prev_no = 7
this_track = "I Will Follow"
track_no = 8
next_track = "The Unforgettable Fire"
next_no = 9"I Will Follow" is the opening track from U2's debut album, "Boy". It was written by Bono after the tragic death of his mother, who died of a brain hemorrhage at the funeral of her father. The song was released as a single, and has since become a fan favorite live; it is the only song U2 has performed on every tour since they released their first album. It was U2's first music video. It was directed by Meiert Avis in Dublin, Ireland. Both appeared on the compilation album and video collection "The Best of 1980-1990".

History

"I Will Follow" was written approximately three weeks before U2 entered the studio to record "Boy". [cite web |url=http://u2_interviews.tripod.com/id14.html |title=Bono in San Antonio |publisher=U2 Magazine No. 3 |date=May 1, 1982 |accessdate=2007-11-06] Bono has said that he wrote the song from his mother's perspective and was about the unconditional love a mother has for her child.

"I Will Follow" had a second single release as a live version in the Netherlands and Germany in 1981, and a third release in the U.S., lifted from the "Under a Blood Red Sky" album, in 1983.

It is one of the band's biggest hits, and the most frequently performed, at over 757 performances. [cite web |url=http://www.u2-vertigo-tour.com/tourdb-stats.html |title=I Will Follow Performances |accessdate=2007-11-05] It has been played extensively on every tour (except for Zoo TV where it only made about a dozen appearances). The Edge usually plays this song on his favorite guitar, the Gibson Explorer. The only exceptions were Lovetown Tour and PopMart Tour. On Lovetown, it was segued into directly after "Where the Streets Have No Name," during which Edge used a yellow Fender Stratocaster with Lace Sensor pickups. In 1997 on the PopMart Tour, the song was segued into immediately after "Mofo," for which Edge used a Gibson Les Paul Custom.

The song appears on the live albums/DVDs "Live from Boston 1981", "Under a Blood Red Sky", "Live from the Point Depot", ', ' and "U2 Live from Paris". It also appears on the bonus DVD that is included with the "U218 Singles" compilation and as a bonus track for UK/Australia releases of the CD.

The song was covered by Fear Factory on their 2005 album "Transgression". It was also played on U2's 2004 "Saturday Night Live" appearance as the show's credits rolled. It was also featured in the 1982 movie "The Last American Virgin".

Track listings

Version 1

# "I Will Follow" (Album Version) – 3:37
# "Boy/Girl" (Live from the Marquee, London, start date|1980|9|22) – 3:24

This was the 7" version released in Ireland, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. It is the version on The Complete U2 digital box set.

Version 2

# "I Will Follow" (Album Version) – 3:37
# "Out of Control" (Live from Boston, start date|1981|3|6) – 4:25

This was the 7" release in the U.S. and Canada. The cover features the same image from the U.S. and Canada releases of "Boy" to avoid accusations of pedophilia due to the image of the naked boy.

Version 3

# "I Will Follow" (Live from Hattem, May 14, 1982) – 3:51
# "Gloria" (Album Version) – 4:12

This was the 1982 live release from The Netherlands, recorded for the Veronica TV concert series "Countdown". It was recorded at the Heem hall in Hattem in the northeast of The Netherlands. This live recording was re-issued in Germany in 1983. However, it has never been released on CD or any other format since, until the 2008 remastered issue of October, on which it appeared as one of the bonus tracks on the deluxe edition. The cover of the original single features a picture of Bono holding a white flag with a "U2" logo, taken at the 1982 Werchter festival (Belgium).

Version 4

# "I Will Follow" (Live from West Germany August 20, 1983) – 3:40
# "Two Hearts Beat as One" (Import Mix) – 3:42

This was the 1983 live single released to promote "Under a Blood Red Sky" in the U.S. The single was released in a generic red sleeve with no cover artwork.

(A fifth version is said to exist, containing a live recording from The Netherlands from 1981. However, this is the same version as version 3 cited above).

Chart positions

1981 Release

References

External links

* [http://www.u2.com/music/lyrics.php?song=12&list=i"I Will Follow" Lyrics]
* [http://www.u2-vertigo-tour.com/song10.html "I Will Follow" performance history]