I Am a River

"I Am a RIver"
"I Am a RIver"
Promotional single by Foo Fighters
from the album Sonic Highways
Released	2015
Studio	Magic Shop (New York City)
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	7:09
Label	Roswell; RCA;
Songwriters	Dave Grohl; Pat Smear; Taylor Hawkins; Nate Mendel; Chris Shiflett;
Producers	Foo Fighters; Butch Vig;
Foo Fighters singles chronology
Music video
	"I Am a River" on YouTube

"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

The song was written in New York, with lyrics talking about the "Intricate"^[2] references to the city's musical history.

Reception

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".^[3]

Live performances

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.^[4]^[5]

Credits and personnel

Credits taken from the Sonic Highways liner notes:^[6]

Foo Fighters

Dave Grohl – lead vocal, guitar
Taylor Hawkins – drums
Nate Mendel – bass
Pat Smear – guitar
Chris Shiflett – guitar

Additional musicians

Rami Jaffee – organ, piano, "space keys"
Kristeen Young – background vocals
Drew Hester – tambourine
Tony Visconti – string arrangement
Los Angeles Youth Orchestra – strings

Technical personnel

Foo Fighters – production
Butch Vig – production
James Brown – recording engineer, mixing engineer
Kabir Hermon – studio assistance
Chris Shurtleff – studio assistance, orchestra coordinator

Charts

2014-2016 weekly chart performance for "I Am a River"
Chart (2014-2016)	Peak position
Finland Airplay (Radiosoittolista)^[7]	61
Poland AirPlay Top (PSPI)^[8]	25
UK Rock & Metal (OCC)^[9]	15
US Mexico Ingles Airplay (Billboard)^[10]	50

References

^ "Plateanmeldelse: Foo Fighters - «Sonic Highways»". VG (in Norwegian). November 6, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
^ 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)
^ "Foo Fighters - I Am a River". ifpi.fi. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
^ "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.

External links

I Am a River at Discogs (list of releases)

[1] "Plateanmeldelse: Foo Fighters - «Sonic Highways»". VG (in Norwegian). November 6, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2025.

[2] 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.

[3] Berman, Stuart. "Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2025-06-29.

[4] Blistein, Jon (2014-12-19). "See Foo Fighters Lead an Orchestra on 'Tonight Show'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2025-06-29.

[5] "Foo Fighters Tour Statistics | setlist.fm". www.setlist.fm. Retrieved 2025-06-28.

[liner_notes-6] 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)

[7] "Foo Fighters - I Am a River". ifpi.fi. Retrieved August 1, 2025.

[8] "Lista Przebojów Trójki". Archived from the original on December 9, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2023.

[sc_UKrock_-9] "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 28, 2025.

[Mexico_Ingles_Airplay-10] "Foo Fighters Chart History (Mexico Ingles Airplay)". Billboard. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved June 28, 2025.

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v t e Foo Fighters
Dave Grohl Nate Mendel Pat Smear Chris Shiflett Rami Jaffee Ilan Rubin William Goldsmith Franz Stahl Taylor Hawkins Josh Freese
Studio albums	Foo Fighters The Colour and the Shape There Is Nothing Left to Lose One by One In Your Honor Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace Wasting Light Sonic Highways Concrete and Gold Medicine at Midnight But Here We Are
EPs	Five Songs and a Cover Songs from the Laundry Room Saint Cecilia Foo Files
Live albums	Skin and Bones
Compilations	Greatest Hits Medium Rare The Essential Foo Fighters
Videos	Everywhere but Home Skin and Bones Live at Wembley Stadium
Singles	"Exhausted" "This Is a Call" "I'll Stick Around" "For All the Cows" "Big Me" "Alone + Easy Target" "Monkey Wrench" "Everlong" "My Hero" "Walking After You" "Learn to Fly" "Stacked Actors" "Generator" "Breakout" "Next Year" "The One" "All My Life" "Times Like These" "Low" "Have It All" "Best of You" "DOA" "Resolve" "No Way Back"/"Cold Day in the Sun" "Miracle" "The Pretender" "Long Road to Ruin" "Cheer Up, Boys (Your Make Up Is Running)" "Let It Die" "Wheels" "Rope" "White Limo" "Walk" "Arlandria" "These Days" "Bridge Burning" "Something from Nothing" "The Feast and the Famine" "Congregation" "What Did I Do? / God as My Witness" "Outside" "Saint Cecilia" "Run" "The Sky Is a Neighborhood" "The Line" "Shame Shame" "No Son of Mine" "Waiting on a War" "Making a Fire" "Love Dies Young" "Rescued" "Under You" "Show Me How" "The Teacher" "The Glass" "Today's Song"
Other songs	"Friend of a Friend" "Marigold" "I Am a River"
Concert tours	Wasting Light Tour Sonic Highways World Tour Concrete and Gold Tour Everything or Nothing at All Tour
Associated acts	Nirvana Late! Tenacious D Sunny Day Real Estate Germs Scream Probot Killing Joke Queens of the Stone Age Viva Death Nine Inch Nails Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders The Fire Theft Jackson United Me First and the Gimme Gimmes No Use for a Name Them Crooked Vultures The Birds of Satan The Wallflowers
Films	Back and Forth Sonic Highways Studio 666
Related	Discography Songs Awards and nominations Members 24 Hours of Foo Roswell Records Hail Satin
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