Foo Fighters performed this song five times on Late Night with David Letterman, including the final show.
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David Letterman called it “my favorite song by my favorite band.” During his recovery from heart surgery in 2000, he said, this was the song that got him through. He loved it so much, and it had such meaning in his life, that he invited Foo Fighters to perform it on the show five different times, between 1997 and 2015, including two of the most momentous and poignant shows: In 2000, for Dave’s first show back after his heart surgery and recovery, and in 2015 for Letterman’s’s final show.
Dave Grohl wrote it during the Christmastime of 1996. In the midst of divorce, he was crashing at a friend’s home in Virginia in a sleeping bag on the floor. He wrote the song there on his acoustic guitar in drop-D tuning. It took about 45 minutes.
“That song’s about a girl that I’d fallen in love with,” said Grohl, “and it was 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.”
The Foo Fighters, in addition to Dave Grohl on guitar and lead vocals, are Pat Smear on guitar, Nate Mendel on bass, Taylor Hawkins on drums, Chriss Shiflett on guitar, and Rami Jaffee on keyboards.
After recording a raw demo of it himself on which he played all the instruments, he recorded it with the band for their second album. With Gil Norton producing, they recorded at Grandmaster Studios (formerly The Bijou) at the corner of Sunset & Cahuenga in Hollywood. The Colour and The Shape came out in the Summer of 1997.
“That song has always meant something incredibly personal and intimate to me and my family,” Letterman said.
After the first Foo Fighter’s incendiary performance of the song on his show, Dave remarked, “That’s what’s causing global warming.”
They performed it again on February 21, 2000, which was Letterman’s first night back after the night Dave returned after being gone from TV for several months recovering from heart surgery.
In all his years on television, rarely has Letterman ever seemed so completely giddy with excitement as he did following this performance. His unrestrained delight and gratitude is great to see, and so rare for him. You can see Drummer Taylor Hawkins’ amazed smile at Dave’s response.
“We just felt like we had to be there,” said Grohl. “Not only was it an honor to be asked, but it felt like something we had to do – because he had always meant so much to us. And that started this connection that we’ve had for years. It’s fucking cool, you know?”
Getting to that show, however, was not easy for the band. But given the occasion, they surmounted all obstacles to share that night with Letterman. Their determination to be there so moved Letterman, he spoke about it, and this song, in his very final words after 33 years on late-night TV:
“Fifteen years ago I had open heart surgery,” said Letterman, “and these people (Foo Fighters) saved my life.
“I’m out not doing the show for about 15 weeks, and I was talking to (producer) Sheila Rogers. She said, ‘On your first show back, is there anything you would like special musically?’
“And we got to talking and I said, `Well, how about Foo Fighters?’ They’d been on, I think, four or five times then.
She said, `Well, I’ll ask them. But it could be a problem.’
I said, `Well, just ask them. And also there’s a song of theirs I would like to hear. It’s special to me. It’s been meaningful through my heart recovery. It would be just great.’
Two days later she calls back and says, `Well…uh… they’re on tour in South America.’ I said, `Oh, darn.’
And she said, `That’s alright. They cancelled the tour. They’re coming to do the show, and they’re doing the song that you asked for.’
[The audience burst into applause at this point.]
And happily ever since then, we’ve been joined at the hip.
God bless you, gentlemen.”
“Okay, that’s pretty much all I got. The only thing I have left to do on a television program. Thank you and good night.”
Those were the last words of Dave’s late-night stand. The band played, during which a poignant series of memories from the show
through the decades played.
Everlong
By Dave Grohl
Hello I’ve waited here for you
Tonight I throw myself in two
Out of the red
Out of her head she sang
Come down and waste away with me
Down with me
Slow, how you wanted it to be
I’m over my head
Out of her head she sang
And I wonder
When I sing along with you
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I’ll ever ask of you
You’ve got to promise not to stop when I say when
She sang
Breathe out
So I can breathe you in
Hold you in
And now
I know you’ve always been
Out of your head
Out of my head I sang
And I wonder
When I sing along with you
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I’ll ever ask of you
You’ve got to promise not to stop when I say when
She sang
