I'll Follow the Sun is a melancholy ballad featuring Paul McCartney as the lead vocalist. The song was written by Paul McCartney[1] and credited to Lennon/McCartney. It was released in 1964 on the Beatles for Sale album in the United Kingdom and on Beatles '65 in the United States, but was written long before that year: a version recorded in 1960 can be found in the bootleg record You Might As Well Call Us The Quarrymen. The song is somewhat of a cult favourite; it was released as a mono extended 45 in 1964 on Parlophone/EMI (and in 1995 as a B-side).
Lyrics[]
The song's lyrics centre around a man who feels he is unappreciated by a woman. The song is believed to be him giving her an ultimatum, and that, as the lyrics state, "One day, you'll look to see I've gone." There is an unwillingness on the part of the song's narrator that adds a tenderness and tragedy to his leaving: "And now the time has come, and so, my love, I must go. And though I lose a friend, in the end you will know..."
Credits[]
- Paul McCartney – bass guitar (1963 Hofner 500/1), lead vocals
- John Lennon – rhythm guitar (1964 Gibson J-160E), harmony vocals
- George Harrison – lead guitar (1962 Gibson J-160E or 1963 Gretsch Tennessean)
- Ringo Starr – percussion
Cover versions[]
- The song was covered by David Ball in 1995 for the Beatles tribute album Come Together: America Salutes The Beatles.
- McCartney performed the song live at the Paris Olympia, 2007 and at Tel Aviv, Israel, on 25 September 2008 and in Quebec City for the free outdoor concert on 20 July 2008. This one was for the 400th anniversary of the city.
- Glen Phillips (lead singer of Toad the Wet Sprocket) covered the song for the soundtrack of the 2009 Eddie Murphy film Imagine That.