Comments on: I Will

By: Merrill

Merrill — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 05:30:25 +0000

I just recorded it in my hotel room but just realized I did it in the key of E, not F but I like the way the guitar rings out when you play the little hook. I was pretty sure Paul was singing the bass line, which even some of my hardcore Beatle buddies didn’t know, so I sang it as well
https://www.dropbox.com/s/85pfwmbb10u9ouk/I%20will.wav?dl=0
It is a beautiful song, almost makes me cry when I hear it.

By: Dan L

Dan L — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 15:40:39 +0000

A lovely song, a gem, so gorgeous and romantic. Its only misfortune was being placed right before Lennon’s “Julia” — a stunning ballad whose depth of soul “I Will” could scarcely approach.

By: Jan Roelofs

Jan Roelofs — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 19:20:54 +0000

I’m not a religious person but besides the romantic love story theme I always heard something like a prayer in the lyrics. An agnostic prayer, you could say. “If I ever saw you, i didn’t catch your name, but it never really mattered, I will always feel the same.” There may be a god or not, doesn’t matter what the name of the god is. Maybe I’ve seen god already but I’ll always have love and try to love. That’s one take on it. Anyone else feel this?

By: Steve Rogers

Steve Rogers — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 07:40:46 +0000

Wow! I’ve always thought the guitar lick in MBFG sounded familiar. Well spotted!

By: Alamo Stone

Alamo Stone — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 23:35:13 +0000

George was probably busy with his own contributions in another studio or decided he wasn’t going to work on Paul’s song all night long. As long as Yoko was there John probably went sure why not. Ringo probably was with John or knew Paul wanted him to go to work again…?.

By: Robert B

Robert B — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 22:36:58 +0000

I always thought that the Cars lifted the little guitar arpeggio for “My Best Friends Girl”. Seems like a pretty obvious theft to me.

By: Grant Porter

Grant Porter — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 20:32:17 +0000

Likewise, I always thought it was a tabla or some sort of old-fashioned hillbilly type of bass stringed instrument. Not that I doubt it but I would like to know the source that documents it was his vocal.

By: A

Sat, 04 Jun 2016 02:57:13 +0000

Among the many reasons to love this song there’s the beautiful use of rhyme — “love you forever and forever, love you with all my heart…. Love you whenever we’re together, love you when we’re apart.” Forever, whenever, together; heart, apart. Amazing rhymes and still the words seem so natural and convey such a beautiful sentiment. Similar is the beautiful use of alliteration — “will I wait” (two w’s) “a lonely lifetime” (two l’s) followed by “want” and “will” (more w’s). Plus the beautiful music, plus what I think is a beautiful sentiment — a man singing to his soulmate, who he has yet to meet, but who he knows he is meant to love. What a song.

By: JPG&R

JPG&R — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 08:44:21 +0000

I think you are perfectly right. Moreover it was to high to sing in such key after all these years and you can notice Paul plays it in E in “the space within”.

By: David

David — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 00:32:41 +0000

I agree. I always thought this a strange love song in the normal sense in that the object of the lyrics is not someone that the singer knows yet. It is as though the song is in search of love, but confident that when love is found it will be deep and everlasting. So, if looked on in that way, it is kind of nice.

By: August lake

August lake — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 19:00:12 +0000

You must hear Alison Krause and Union Station version of this song. Rarely if ever can I say a beatle song could be improved on, but if it can, this is it.

By: Mikko Aro

Mikko Aro — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 10:05:29 +0000

Tom I think you are right

By: Julie

Julie — Tue, 26 May 2015 18:43:21 +0000

I’m just paying closer attention to this song’s lyrics for the first time. I don’t hear a romantic song from a guy to a girl. And now you tell me it was written in India, which backs up my theory. This love is spiritual and eternal. That’s why your name doesn’t matter, the love has always been there for longer than anyone can remember, and the love will always be there just the same.

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 23 May 2015 18:32:17 +0000

As a guitarist, I’ve spent a lonely lifetime trying to play this song the way Paul does. The recorded key is F, but I have a suspicion that he’s got his acoustic tuned down a whole step (as he does with Yesterday) so that this can be played with G major as the root chord, i.e. G, Em7, Am7, D. Thoughts?

By: Sir Huddleston Fuddleston

Sir Huddleston Fuddleston — Sun, 26 Apr 2015 21:09:29 +0000

Seconding the comment about this following “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road” — it still shocks me when I hear the start of “I Will”, even now, after 30 years and thousands of listens. Each time I just shake my head at the range of that guy. He took a few notes, a handful of one syllable words, a guitar, and his own voice, and created this imperishable gem. Paul McCartney, how do you come to be?

By: Bob Comtois

Bob Comtois — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 11:56:16 +0000

I thought that besides the clever imitation of his bass style, singing it, that maybe the bongos were actually achieved by that trick of slapping your cheeks.

By: Silly Girl

Silly Girl — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 01:08:11 +0000

This song is somewhat reminiscent of both “And I Love Her” (acoustic guitar, quiet percussion, simple flowing melody) and “Here There and Everywhere” (dreamy vocal, major key, simple flowing melody), both of which are Paul songs, and two of my tops. Did I mention I’m a sucker for ballads?

Me dad used to sing this to me as a lullaby (as well as “Till There Was You”) when I was younger, so much younger than today. I always loved it, but I didn’t realise it was a Beatles’ song till I played– or, rather, discovered– the White Album for the first time (this was some years ago, of course). I was very surprised. It’s also one of the few Beatles’ songs my poor mother, who doesn’t care for the Beatles, actually likes. (When a few is all ya got, That Means A Lot.)

Paul’s vocal on this is wonderful– both the beautiful lead AND the bass, which I only discovered to the other day (after I read of it here)!!! I was out of my head when I realised anew just HOW versatile Paul is. One man=ballad crooning, rock screaming, AND bass!!!! :O

(Yes, brian, exactly what you said. My thoughts precisely. “WHA DON’ WE DOIT IN DA ROAD–Who knows how long I’ve loved you…”)

By: RingoStarr39

RingoStarr39 — Sun, 01 Feb 2015 17:34:21 +0000

Ringo doesn’t just use cymbals here, the bass drum and floor tom are also used.

By: Mickie

Mickie — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 14:54:35 +0000

Does anyone know why George didn’t partake in the recording?

By: Greg

Greg — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 13:50:21 +0000

He’s imagining a woman he will meet, hopes that she will somehow identify herself so that he knows she’s the one. it’s intensely an unreservedly romantic in the tradition of a love that is idealized, unrealized and prospective. So, no. It’s not a parody. But I think what you’re getting from it is that the romance and (prospective) love certainly isn’t a realistic, domestic love but something really over the top. But the song’s musical setting, simple words and performance by McCartney are so utterly open and hopeful that it comes off really well. It’s one of those amazing gems. A lot of bands might have had this as the centrepiece of an album, but the Beatles by that time are at their artistic/musical peak, even if the band itself was tearing itself apart, so this is just one of many amazing songs on that album.