Tag: 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