I Am a River
| "I Am a RIver" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Foo Fighters | |
| from the album Sonic Highways | |
| Released | November 10, 2014 |
| Studio | Magic Shop (New York City) |
| Genre | Alternative rock |
| Length | 7:09 |
| Label | |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) |
|
"I Am a River" is a song by the American rock band Foo Fighters. It was released on their 2014 album Sonic Highways.
Composition and lyrics
[edit]The song was written in New York, with lyrics talking about the "Intricate"[1] references to the city's musical history.
Reception
[edit]When reviewing Sonic Highways for Pitchfork, critic Stuart Berman wrote it was a "gaudy Macy’s Day Parade of a power ballad that, just when you think can’t get any more overblown, piles on a false ending and string-section finale".[2]
Live performances
[edit]It has only been played live twice, once during their performance at the Irving Plaza in New York in 2014 and again on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2014.[3][4]
Credits and personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from Apple Music and the Sonic Highways liner notes:[5][6]
- Dave Grohl – lead vocal, rhythm guitar
- Taylor Hawkins – drums
- Nate Mendel – bass
- Pat Smear – lead guitar
- Chris Shiflett – lead guitar
- Rami Jaffee – keyboards, piano, "space keys"
- Drew Hester – tambourine
- Kristeen Young – background vocals
- Los Angeles Youth Orchestra – strings
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2014) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Finland (The Official Finnish Charts)[7] | 61 |
| Poland AirPlay Top (PSPI)[8] | 25 |
| UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[9] | 15 |
| US Mexico Ingles Airplay (Billboard)[10] | 50 |
References
[edit]- ^ Blistein, Jon (2014-12-29). "Dave Grohl Details Stories Behind 'The River'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2020-09-26. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ Berman, Stuart. "Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (2014-12-19). "See Foo Fighters Lead an Orchestra on 'Tonight Show'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
- ^ "Foo Fighters Tour Statistics | setlist.fm". www.setlist.fm. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ Sonic Highways (CD liner notes). Foo Fighters. New York City: RCA Records. 2014. 88843-09008-2.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ I Am a River by Foo Fighters on Apple Music, 2014-11-10, retrieved 2025-06-28
- ^ Suomen virallinen lista (Finland's official list) - Latauslista (download list) - Foo Fighters - I Am a River ifpi.fi. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ^ "Lista Przebojów Trójki". Archived from the original on December 9, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
- ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ "Foo Fighters Chart History (Mexico Ingles Airplay)". Billboard. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
