For the love of rock
Volume I, Issue 6 – Here I go again (01 Sept 2016)
Name of song– Here I go again
Band– Whitesnake
Album– Here I go again
Writer– David Coverdale & Bernie Marsden
Release year– 1987
Similar artists– Van Morrison, JJ Cale, Peter Frampton, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Eagles
Resources– Wikipedia.org, www.last.fm
Lyrics link- http://www.lyrics.net/lyric/4920392
Youtube video link- https://youtu.be/oHcjXVinoqs
Here I go again
Reviewer-Bikash Shrestha/Nirab Kayastha
Whitesnake was English Hard Rock band created by David Coverdale in 1978 after he left Deep Purple. Initially sounding as Deep Purple, soon they built up their own sound, which was much more than the eighties’ glam rock sound. With a couple of extremely successful singles to their credit, Whitesnake have made their own cult status in the field of heavy metal scenario.
‘Here I go again’ is one of the most successful singles of Whitesnake and perhaps the most famous one too.
‘Here I go again’ is one of those rare songs, where the official versions of the song are numerous. It was originally produced in Whitesnake’s 1982 album ‘Saints and Sinners’. Then, in 1987, it was re-released in their eponymous album in a modified and more hard rock electrified version. In the same year, it was again produced with a slight variation for the radio. It was again released in 1997 in acoustic version. And interestingly, all these versions are equally powerful, but no doubt, the most powerful version is the 1987 album Whitesnake version.
The song opens up with a haunting keyboard background and David Coverdale’s strong manly voice gives a charming intro to the song. After the second phase of the chorus is over, it suddenly kicks you with heavy drums, amazing riff and beastie bass. The song then moves ahead, never to turn back. The song carries the heavy sound into it and a melodious lead drives it further ahead. The perfect blend of keyboards and heavy electric guitar rhythm is the highlight of this powerful ballad. Coverdale’s voice, the loud drums, heavily melodious riff, superb sounding lead, the beastily beating bass and smoothly blending keyboards all contribute equally to make this song a superb heavy rock ballad.
The 1987 version was the most successful and hit charts all over the world, including top positions in US Billboard Hot 100 and Canadian Top Singles. This version had a slightly varied lyric. In the original version in 1982 from the album ‘Saints and Sinners’, the phrase runs ‘Like a hobo I was born to walk alone’. In 1987 version, the word ‘hobo’ was replaced with the word ‘drifter’. Apparently, the reason for this modification was that Coverdale did not want the people to mistake the word ‘hobo’ with ‘homo’!!
The song basically depicts a man who is drifting along with his life and waiting for his love at the same time. Until we find the real love, we might not be able to find the purpose of our lives. Despite all the hurdles, we just continue our voyage on and on without any direction. We can easily relate to the song: life goes on, but of course, without love, the journey might not mean anything and might not have any purpose. Everybody walks his or her street of dreams, no matter how lonely we are. And, here we go again on our own.
The powerful heavy rock ballad by Whitesnake is any rocker’s piece of cake. Most of you would fall in love with it from the very first time and last a long time! The remaining ones who might not find it very impressive in the first go would actually find it a little different than the usual rock songs of the time, and you would surely come back to it again and again, till you are completely mesmerized by it.
Happy listening!!
Resources– Wikipedia.org