Beatles – I Will

A beautiful song that was written by Paul McCartney that was on the White Album. Paul wrote it in India with a little help from Donovan to shape the song. It took 67 takes to get this song.  McCartney played acoustic guitar and vocalized the bass (you can hear him going “bom, bom” in parts). John Lennon and Ringo Starr both added percussion using various instruments… George Harrison didn’t play on it at all.

The song would have fit comfortably on earlier Beatle albums. The melody is memorable and I always really liked the short guitar break after the choruses.

Paul McCartney: “I was doing a song, ‘I Will,’ that I had as a melody for quite a long time but I didn’t have lyrics to it. I remember sitting around with Donovan, and maybe a couple of other people. We were just sitting around one evening after our day of meditation and I played him this one and he liked it and we were trying to write some words. We kicked around a few lyrics, something about the moon, but they weren’t very satisfactory and I thought the melody was better than the words so I didn’t use them. I kept searching for better words and I wrote my own set in the end; very simple words, straight love-song words really. I think they’re quite effective. It’s still one of my favorite melodies that I’ve written. You just occasionally get lucky with a melody and it becomes rather complete and I think this is one of them; quite a complete tune.”

I Will

Who knows how long I’ve loved you
You know I love you still
Will I wait a lonely lifetime
If you want me to, I will

For if I ever saw you
I didn’t catch your name
But it never really mattered
I will always feel the same

Love you forever and forever
Love you with all my heart
Love you whenever we’re together
Love you when we’re apart

And when at last I find you
Your song will fill the air
Sing it loud so I can hear you
Make it easy to be near you
For the things you do endear you to me
You know I will
I will

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

20 thoughts on “Beatles – I Will”

  2. Okay, I realize I am late in the blogging game, especially when it comes to catching up to your classic rock canon. Let’s just get it out there: What’s your favorite Beatles song and why? I ask because so much of our classic rock evolution is based on the Beatles song form standard. Lastly, you and my dad have such similar interests in music, but my dad always prefers The Beach Boys to The Beatles, The Who, and Led Zeppelin. Why do you think he is so adamant about this? Where do you stand? (Again, this is a lot, but since the school year started, I haven’t had the time to ask you these universal questions.) Take tour time. No rush!

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    1. As far as what I like. The music I like was a generation or two behind me so I wasn’t hit with it everyday like your dad was. I wish I would have grew up when he did. He heard this stuff on top 40 at the time so that would influence him different I would think.
      I got to listen to it when it was all finished and I could binge listen entire catalogs at once. He listened to it in progress.
      In order…my preference would be 1. Beatles 2. The Who 3. everything else.

      My favorite Beatle song…That is hard because it depends on what mood I’m in…I guess I would have to include…A Day In The Life, The Abbey Road Medley and In My Life…
      They do change on what mood I’m in. Do I feel like early Beatles, mid Beatles, or late Beatles?

      You can asked me anything you want…The Beach Boys and The Beatles were similar only really in about a year stretch from 66-67…before and after that stretch they were different. Your dad may like their harmonies better…they had some complicated great harmonies.

      Led Zeppelin…I never could really warm up to them like The Who. I do like them though…just not in my top 5. The Kinks and The Stones I like much better.

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    2. My dad was into The Beach Boys and the surf/drag sound. There wasn’t a single Beatles song in the house and he would have thrown The Who & Zep out the window…and would, then, proceed to run over the albums in the street.

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      3. Born in 1945, he was all about Elvis, Ricky Nelson, Everly Brothers, Gene Pitney, Brenda Lee, Beach Boys, Johnny Cash, Johnny Horton, Beach Music… He was NOT the counter culture type. His vehicle was full of cassette tapes of 50s & early 60s pop. I do recall being surprised to find out that he loved John Mellencamp’s “Hurt So Good”. And, he did own Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumors”.

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    1. You also had Lennon and Ringo playing at the same time. Lennon on percussion…his sense of rhythm wasn’t bad…just strange.

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  7. The Beach Boys songs by Brian Wilson often modulated t oa different key in the middle of the tune, Surfer Girl, In My Room, etc.., which is why they sounded different and to my ear always pleasant and welcoming.

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