Best Songs from Best Band: the Foo Fighters

These great tunes and lyrics will help you appreciate this amazing band

I’m still reeling and saddened from the loss of Foo Fighter drummer Taylor Hawkins to a drug overdose last weekend.

My brother informed me he didn’t know much about the Foo Fighters, the 2021 Hall of Fame inducted multi-platinum rock band, who have won 12 Grammys.

And are my all-time favorite band.

“How about a story introducing readers to a few Foo Fighters songs as a memorial to Tyler Hawkins,” Scot Butwell suggested in a text. “To be honest a lot of people like myself never listen to the Foo Fighters

WTF? Haven’t listened to the Foo!? Is he kidding?

Scot, my brother, it’s time to give you — and other readers — a Cliff Notes educated, rocking version of the Foo Fighters’ music, featuring a few of my all-time faves.

My brother suggested focusing on three songs. Three!? Whew! This is going to be tough to choose just three.

Well, alrighty then, grab a Monkey Wrench, let’s take a Walk and Learn to Fly with my all-time favorite band, the Foo Fighters, and three songs that capture the Foo Fighters’ experience:

“Everlong”

This epic love song is off the band’s second studio album Color and Shape. Music fans falsely assume this about a connection to Kurt Cobain and his drug abuse. It’s not. It’s a song about Foo frontman Dave Grohl, former Nirvana drummer, and a dark time in his life.

Written in 45-minute span around Christmas of 1996, Grohl was sleeping on the floor of friends’ apartments, having just divorced his first wife, and had no access to to his own bank account. He almost quit the Foo Fighters.

The song is a tribute to Veruca Salt lead singer Louise Post, who he was dating after his separation.

“It’s about being connected to someone so deeply that not only do you love them physically and spiritually but when you sing along with them you harmonize with them perfectly,” — Dave Grohl

The song captives true love and experiencing something for the first time with someone — a moment you cherish — that you hope will last forever, but deep down you realize it won’t.

Powerful lyric

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

Song fun fact: It’s also the first Foo song that Grohl experienced concert-goers singing back to him. “ ‘Breath out, so I can breathe you in’ really resonates with fans,” Grohl said.

“Best of You”

Need a song to inspire you? Lift you up when you are feeling down? Crank this sucker up on your earbuds.

It’s from their fifth studio album Your Honor, which was nominated for a Grammy (rock song of the year) and rose as high as №18 on U.S. charts and №5 in the U.K.

“It’s about breaking away from things that confine you,” — Grohl said.

This is one of my favorite pump-up songs when I’m getting ready to workout or jazzed to coach a big basketball game. The message is that when someone breaks up with you — or does something hurtful — you need to climb up off the canvas and rise against the hatred and suffering.

It screams — literally — that we all can overcome anything if we put our heart, mind, and soul into it.

Powerful lyric

I was too weak to give in/Too strong to lose/My heart is under arrest again/But I break loose/My head is giving me life or death/But I can’t choose/I swear I’ll never give in, I refuse.

Song Fun Fact: It was used throughout presidential candidate John Kerry’s unsuccessful campaign in 2004.

Song Fun Fact II: The word “best” is repeated 40 times throughout the song.

“All My Life”

Lastly, I needed something that has a harder-rocking edge to it. “All My Life” is the first Foo song I ever heard — played as a cover by some buddies. It turned me into a Foo Fighter instantly.

It’s vintage Foo, and the first song of their fourth album One by One. It’s bound to get your head banging, your index finger and thumb airbound, your body jumping, and you can’t but not start singing along.

Originally, it was merely an instrumental that was “really noisy and dissonant” with a middle part that resembled “Wipe Out” by the Surfaris.

“It was nuts. We play this instrumental. I had no idea how I was gonna sing it…It was another one where our manager said, ‘That’s the song!’ And we said, ‘Really?’ you think people will actually like it?’ ’’ — Dave Grohl

Powerful (sexual) lyrics

All my life, I’ve been searching for something/Something never comes, never/leads to nothing/Nothing satisfies but I’m getting close/Closer to the prize at the end of the rope

Fun facts: Grohl has stated the song is about how he enjoys performing oral sex on women. (Oh my! Well, I just learned something new.)

“It’s a little dirty. I’m very fond of performing oral sex to women. It’s a pleasure-giving experience — giving someone something that they’ll remember the rest of their lives, and if you do it right, they will.” — Dave Grohl

Um, ok, thanks, Dave.

Not as fun fact II: The song won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance, and also spent 18 weeks atop the Billboard Alternative Rock charts.

Aroused, er, excited?

Well, if that didn’t get you aroused, er, excited, to, um, go listen to more Foo Fighters music I don’t know what will.

The Foo Fighters also make absolutely hilarious videos. You don’t want to miss viewing those. Hope this gave you a quick sampling of some of the powerful lyrics and booming — but beautiful — songs of the great rock band Foo Fighters.

Dedicated to Foo Fighter Taylor Hawkins (February 17, 1972-March 25, 2022).

Rest in peace, Taylor.

Since my brother Scot Butwell gave me this great (and fun) story ideaa, I’m going to throw him a shout out and his story “I Was on the Dating Game and Met Another Girl on Our Actual Date:

Hope you enjoyed my Foo review and their music.

Tagging a few Foo fans (I hope) or future Foo fans (for sure): Scot Butwell, Scott Younkin, Gerald Sturgill, Alison Levine, Klara Jane Holloway, Evon, Ning Choi, Victoria Valentine, Sreese, MarkfromBoston 🌻Ukraine, Alicia Domínguez, Diana Meresc, Kristine Laco, Adelina Vasile, Jan Sebastian, Lu Skerdoo, The Sober Vegan Yogi, Ruby Lee, Sarah Jean, Deborah Camp.

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