This Is a Call

"This Is a Call" is a song by American rock band Foo Fighters, released as the lead single from the band's 1995 self-titled debut album. Released in June 1995, it is one of many songs Dave Grohl wrote and performed on the album when Foo Fighters was a one-man band.

Origins

"This Is a Call" is one of the few songs on the Foo Fighters' debut album that does not date from Dave Grohl's days with Nirvana. It was a new song written in mid-1994, months after Kurt Cobain's death. Grohl married his long-time girlfriend Jennifer Youngblood and wrote the song while on honeymoon in Ireland, stating that "In that summer of 1994 I'd travelled a lot; I think I wrote 'This Is A Call' in Ireland. When I got back I booked five days in a recording studio, which seemed like an eternity, and I did the whole first Foo Fighters album in five days".

Lyrics

Dave Grohl said about the song: "The chorus says 'This is a call to all my past resignation'. It's just sort of like a little wave to all the people I ever played music with, people I've been friends with, all my relationships, my family. It's a hello, and in a way a thank you."

"'This Is A Call' just seemed like a nice way to open the album, y'know, 'This is a call to all my past resignations...' I felt like I had nothing to lose, and I didn't necessarily want to be the drummer of Nirvana for the rest of my life without Nirvana. I thought I should try something I'd never done before and I'd never stood up in front of a band and been the lead singer, which was fucking horrifying and still is!"

Release and reception

On June 19, 1995, "This Is a Call" was serviced to US alternative radio and was issued commercially in the United Kingdom as a 7-inch single, 12-inch single, and CD single. The following month, the song debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and rose to a peak of number two the following month. The song also charted at number five on the UK Singles Chart.

No music video was made for the song; however, the band played the song live on the Late Show with David Letterman in mid-1995. It was the band's first national television performance.

Other versions

• A live version recorded on June 15, 1996, at the Golden Gate Park as part of the Tibetan Freedom Concert was released on the "Free Tibet" DVD.
• Another version recorded at the following year's version of the festival on June 7, 1997, at the Downing Stadium was released on the Tibetan Freedom Concert live album.

Track listings

UK 7-inch single; French and Japanese CD single

1. "This Is a Call"
2. "Winnebago" (Grohl, Turner)

UK 12-inch and CD single

1. "This Is a Call"
2. "Winnebago"
3. "Podunk"

Dutch and Australian CD single; New Zealand cassette single

1. "This Is a Call"
2. "Winnebago"
3. "Podunk (Cement Mix)"

• "Podunk (Cement Mix)" is seemingly the same mix and version as the standard version of "Podunk". The reason for this is unknown.

Personnel

• Dave Grohl – guitars, vocals, bass, drums

Charts

Certifications