Here I Go Again

The first version of Here I Go Again was born during a difficult personal moment for David Coverdale. He wrote it in less than an hour in a small villa in southern Portugal in late 1981, as his marriage to Julia was falling apart. The song, which began as a two-track demo at Bernie Marsden’s home in Buckingham, already had that sticky riff and the opening line, *"I don’t know where I’m going"*. What’s curious is that, although today it’s associated with the 1987 version, the original already had that essence: a mix of blues and hard rock with a melancholic air that reflects heartbreak. They recorded it in three different studios — Rock City in Shepperton, Clearwell Castle, and Britannia Row — between 1981 and 1982, with Martin Birch at the helm of production. The result was a song that, in its first release, went almost unnoticed: in the UK it reached position 34, and in countries like Australia or Germany it didn’t even enter the top 50.

Everything changed when they re-recorded it in 1987 for the band’s self-titled album, known in Europe as 1987. This time, they gave it a more polished twist: new arrangements, additional vocals, and a rhythm closer to the glam metal dominating the scene. The video, featuring Tawny Kitaen dancing on car hoods, went viral on MTV, and the song exploded in the United States. In October of that year, it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, something neither the band nor their label expected. It also hit the top 10 in the UK, Canada, and other markets, and was certified platinum in the UK. The accolades came years later: in 2018 it received the 5 Million Performances Award at the BMI London Awards, and in 2024 the 9 Million-Air Award. But beyond the numbers, what makes this song special is that duality: on one hand, the anthem of perseverance many read into it; on the other, the raw testimony of a breakup Coverdale never hid.