I'll Follow the Sun

"I'll Follow the Sun" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It is a ballad written and sung by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney.[3] It was released in 1964 on the Beatles for Sale album in the United Kingdom and on Beatles '65 in the United States.

"I'll Follow the Sun"
Norwegian single picture sleeve
Song by the Beatles
from the album Beatles for Sale
Released	4 December 1964
Recorded	18 October 1964
Studio	EMI, London
Genre	Folk rock[1] country[2]
Length	1:49
Label	Parlophone
Songwriter(s)	Lennon–McCartney
Producer(s)	George Martin
Audio sample
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The song was released as a mono extended play 45 in 1964 on Parlophone/EMI (and in 1995 as a B-side to "Baby It's You"). In July and August 1965, the song peaked at number four on Sweden's Kvällstoppen Chart.[4]

Composition

When asked about the lyrics, McCartney commented: "I wrote that in my front parlour in Forthlin Road. I was about 16. 'I'll Follow the Sun' was one of those very early ones. I seem to remember writing it just after I'd had the flu and I had that cigarette. I remember standing in the parlour, with my guitar, looking out through the lace curtains of the window, and writing that one."[5]

Recording

McCartney explained, "The next [single] had to always be different. We didn't want to fall into the Supremes trap where they all sounded similar, so we were always keen on having varied instrumentation. Ringo couldn't keep changing his drum kit, but he could change his snare, tap a cardboard box or slap his knees."[6]

Personnel

• Paul McCartney – lead vocal, bass guitar
• John Lennon – harmony vocal, acoustic guitar
• George Harrison – lead guitar
• Ringo Starr – percussion

Cover versions

• In 1966, Chet Atkins released an instrumental cover on his album Chet Atkins Picks on the Beatles.[7]
• The song was covered by David Ball in 1995 for the Beatles tribute album Come Together: America Salutes the Beatles.[8]
• McCartney performed the song live during The 'US' Tour; likewise at the Paris Olympia on 22 October 2007, in Kyiv for the Independence Concert on 14 June 2008, in Quebec City at the free outdoor concert on 20 July 2008 (for the city's 400th anniversary celebration), at Tel Aviv, Israel, on 25 September 2008, and in New York City on 12 May 2015 (charity concert for the Robin Hood Benefit).
• Glen Phillips (lead singer of Toad the Wet Sprocket) covered the song for the soundtrack of the 2009 Eddie Murphy film Imagine That.[9]

References

1. Alan W. Pollack's Notes on "I'll Follow The Sun"
2. I'll Follow the Sun at AllMusic
3. Sheff, David (2000). All We Are Saying. St Martin's Griffin. p. 174. ISBN 978-0312254643.
4. "Swedish Charts 1962 – March 1966/Kvällstoppen – Listresultaten vecka för vecka > Juli 1965" (PDF) (in Swedish). hitsallertijden.nl. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
5. Womack, Kenneth (21 November 2016). The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four. ABC-CLIO. p. 241. ISBN 978-1-4408-4427-0.
6. "100 Greatest Beatles Songs: 79 - 'I'll Follow the Sun'". Rolling Stone. ISSN 0035-791X. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
7. "Chet Atkins Picks on the Beatles - Chet Atkins". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
8. "Come Together: America Salutes the Beatles - Various Artists". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
9. "Imagine That [Soundtrack] - Original Soundtrack". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 September 2017.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
• Alan W. Pollack's Notes on "I'll Follow The Sun"
• The Beatles - I'll Follow the Sun on YouTube