Foo Fighters in the mid-1990s seemed like a band destined to become a well-respectable, moderately successful alternative rock band. But then “Everlong” happened.
The song drastically changed the career trajectory of the group and proved that Dave Grohl was a songwriter on par with some of the best.
But what do the lyrics to “Everlong” even mean? Is this really an alternative rock love song, or have we got it wrong the whole time?
Foo Fighters’ Journey to Making “Everlong”
The story of Dave Grohl’s early career will unlikely be a mystery to anyone. Grohl began as an enthusiastic, hard-hitting drummer for the punk band Scream. Then, some young upstarts from Seattle named Nirvana inquired about Grohl joining their band.
This meant that the drummer joined just as Nirvana’s “Nevermind” was about to become a global hit. He was there until the end, until the 1994 death of Kurt Cobain.
Cobain’s passing hit Grohl hard. Clawing himself out of a depression, he opted to return to music. He rejected well-paid offers to join Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Pearl Jam. Instead, he formed a one-man band called Foo Fighters.
By 1995, Foo Fighters were going out on tour and had turned into a real band. Pat Smear, formerly of the Germs and Nirvana, had joined on guitar. Nate Mendel and, for a while, William Goldsmith of Sunny Day Real Estate provided the rhythm section. Taylor Hawkins would soon replace Mendel on drums.
Grohl had written songs before. “Marigold” had floated around Nirvana’s potential b-sides. But that band, really, had room for only one songwriter.
Now, Dave Grohl felt a calling to put the hectic last few years of his life into songs of his own. There were many impressive alt-rock singles and deep cuts written for the 1997 sophomore album, “The Colour and the Shape.” None were more impressive than “Everlong.”
The Meaning of the Lyrics to “Everlong”
George Harrison used to say that in order to become a great songwriter, first, you needed to write a bunch of bad songs. Grohl had certainly accumulated songwriting experience since Niervana’s breakup.
Furthermore, songs like “This is a Call” or “Big Me” from the Foo Fighters’ debut album had been well received by audiences. But those were rock songs. Many of those compositions recalled the grunge sound. Some of them even contained a fair dose of humour.
“Everlong,” on the other hand, is a song of love and despair. For the first time, Grohl pours his heart out and expands his songwriting repertoire.
While Grohl has never fully revealed the inspiration for the song, he does mention that it was written during a low point in his life. The memorable guitar chords for the song were written around Christmas of 1996. Grohl was sleeping on the floor of a friend. He had just gotten divorced from his first wife, Jennifer Youngblood.
If gossip and speculation are your thing, and there’s certainly been some involving Dave Grohl of late, the song was written about Veruca Salt frontwoman Louise Post.
Grohl talked to Kerrang! about the feelings that inspired the song: “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.”
Recording “Everlong”
Dave Grohl had played all of the instruments on Foo Fighters’ debut album. When demoing “Everlong,” he took a similar approach. He recalls that the arrangement was virtually the same as the one found on the album version but with a much more raw sound.
Grohl said that Sonic Youth inspired him for the guitar chords. Later, he showed the song to Thurston Moore, concerned he’d ripped off Sonic Youth. However, Moore encouraged Grohl.
Grohl recruited producer Gil Norton to work on the album. Norton had previously been involved with indie-rock luminaries like Pixies or Echo & the Bunnymen. The producer made the band record hundreds of versions of songs and challenged them to sharpen their chops.
Pat Smear, who’d recently joined Foo Fighters, recorded guitar parts, while Nate Mendel provided the bass. William Goldsmith had a falling out with Grohl during the recording, and the former Nirvana member ended up recording the drums himself.
Recording “Everlong”
Norton was also the man who suggested an Astatic JT40 microphone. This helped give the song its dreamy vibe. What also helped in this regard is the use of the whispered parts in the song.
The first whispered part is a love letter. It was initially a dream told by Louise Post but was later replaced. The second part is a reading from a technical manual. Meanwhile, the third part is the story of one of the studio engineers about his father.
The Foo Fighters frontman and Post dated for a short time. In fact, Post sang backup vocals over the phone at 2 a.m. for “Everlong.”
Post recently spoke about her contribution to the song. He says that Grohl confessed to being inspired by Veruca Salt’s song “Shimmer Like A Girl” when writing the song.
Music Video for “Everlong”
Part of the success of “Everlong” was due to its success with MTV. The single was promoted with an elaborate, funny, and memorable music video.
The music video for “Everlong” is largely a spoof on the famous horror movie franchise “Evil Dead.” In the video, Smear and Mendel dressed as Teddy Boys harass Grohl and his girlfriend, who is played by Taylor Hawkins.
Later, Grohl is trapped in a dream in which he is a Sid Vicious-like character. Finally, Hawkins phoned him in the dream. Grohl returns to save the day before the musicians throw away their costumes and perform as Foo Fighters for the final shots.
In fact, MTV loved the music video so much that it was nominated for “Best Rock Video” at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards. Who won? Aerosmith‘s “Pink.”
The Legacy of “Everlong”
“Everlong” was a hit for Foo Fighters. It was the first song that established them as a band, not merely a solo vehicle for Dave Grohl. It was the first that established Grohl as a songwriter capable of doing more than noisy alt-rock tracks.
The song has been featured in movies like “The Wolf of Wall Street.” It is included on numerous lists of the best songs of the 90s. Even Bob Dylan is said to have asked Grohl about it.
The popularity of “Everlong” simply grew through the years. Perhaps the Foo’s biggest song, David Letterman personally asked them to perform it on “The Late Show.” Letterman had undergone heart surgery and had said that this song helped him during his recovery.
Then, 15 years later, On May 20, 2015, Foo Fighters again performed the song on Letterman’s show, this time for the host’s final episode.
Sadly, “Everlong” was also the final song played by Taylor Hawkins. This closed off Foo Fighters’ performance at Lollapalooza Argentina, on March 20, 2022. For many, the song is now listened to as a loving tribute to Hawkins, who passed away only 50 days after performing the song.
