Will I? - Rick Springfield

Will I?
(Rick Springfield)

So I lied and said that I'm okay
Cause there's the way you are
and the way I wish you were
And what you want and what
you say you want
are both different stories
I was standing here waiting,
my hands and knees shaking
for the one I thought was you
And you gave it away
like it was nothing at all
Tell me...

Will I ever see you again, will I?
(It is what it is)
Will I ever see you again, will I?
I should just let it go...

I'm a mess but I can't tell you so
Though I broke my heart on the reef
of your infidelity
I'm down here calling
my hands and knees crawling
For the one I thought was you
Cause you gave it away
like it was nothing at all
Tell me...

Will I ever see you again, will I?
(It is what it is)
Will I ever see you again, will I?
I should just let it go...

I'm down here calling
my hands and knees crawling
Looking for the one that was you
But you gave her away, like she was nothing at all
Tell me...

Will I ever see you again, will I?
(It is what it is)
Will I ever see you again, will I?
I should just let it go...

Will I ever see you again, will I?
(It is what it is)
Will I ever see you again, will I?
I should just let it go...

(total playing time 3:18)

Rick says:
Definitely in the more denial section I would say. It's where a relationship is over and you don't want it to be over and you're hoping something will change, magically change, something you'll say or something you'll do will suddenly make the relationship good again, and it never really works. Once it's over, it's over....the key line from it I think is "it is what it is". - wmmx, Dayton, OH

Song Facts: This was the first single released from shock/denial/anger/acceptance. It also appears on Anthology (written in rock). The radio mix is on the Ltd. edition of s/d/a/a.

One of the things that I think Rick does really well is take a 'downer' topic and attach it to a really catchy toon. My two fav lines are 'so I lied and said that I'm OK' and 'I'm a mess but I can't tell you so'. I think it is interesting that he changes the song toward the end to say 'but you gave her away'. The first part may be in reference to someone else but then it seems that he is wondering if he will ever find himself again.

Being a more structured person the whole 'stories/answers' thing bugs me. I prefer 'stories' but it may be because I've listened to the CD so many times. It is fun to needle him about it though :o)

My favorite version, so far, of this song is the one that Music Choice has on their website. Just Rick's voice and an acoustic guitar. Heaven...even though he does say "answers" on this version. I figure he had about a year to decide which way he wanted it to go and HE picked stories, so stories it shall be, damn it! This is a song that I liked the first time I heard it, but I have grown to really love. "So I lied and said that I'm okay" and "I'm a mess but I can't tell you so". Wow. Some people wear their feelings on their sleeves, some people hide theirs at all cost. I'm pretty much the latter, so I totally identify with this. ..."looking for the one that was you"....wanting so bad for things to be the way they were. What I really find interesting is how it goes from "but you gave it away", to "but you gave her away". It's almost like he goes from blaming her in the beginning to blaming himself by the end. Somewhat accepting responsibility. Even though he's talking in third person, I see it as him telling himself that. So a bit of acceptance for the blame, but still the denial of not wanting to accept it's over.

"I broke my heart on the reef of your infidelity" - now that's poetry!

And Rick's right, "it is what it is" is a great hook!

Fan Reviews

I do think this song was a wise (safe?) choice for the first single. It's very easy to listen to, it's got very catchy lines, and it's not too much of a drastic change from his previous work. He needed to go for the easy hook (no pun intended!) to bring people back in. Is it my favorite song on the CD, no... but I do like it. My favorite line in this song is "I'm down here calling my hands and knees crawling", maybe it's just the image that it portrays, but I think most people, at one time or another, have been just that vulnerable in a relationship. And, how many times have I lied and said that I'm okay when in fact I was yelling and screaming on the inside!

Is it just me.....or does Rick's voice sound extremely sexy in this song? He is sensual beyond words. This song really makes you feel the emotion....*denial, according to Rick and I tend to agree*, which is what music is really all about....feeling, as opposed to simply hearing. I often find myself "head banging" to this heart-poundingly catchy tune. And it always puts a smile on my face, despite the wrenching lyrics. The catch phrase "it is what it is", does seem to sum up the story. You can't make someone love you. Once it's over, it's over.....it is what it is. Once again Rick teaches us a life lesson. I've been pondering the final verse....."but you gave HER away, like SHE was nothing at all"......and it reminds me of a divorce situation. As if Rick is admonishing a friend for throwing his wife away....*ring any bells?*, but it also puts a different "slant" on the chorus..."Will I ever see you again, will I"....as if Rick is wondering if he'll ever see his friends ex-wife again, now that they're not a couple anymore. This happens quite a lot when couples break up. Their friends often stay in touch with one and the other drifts away. I know this isn't what the "main" topic of the song is all about, but the undercurrent seems to be there. And of course, every song that Rick writes can have multiple meanings.....and can evoke different thoughts or images for everyone listening. I'm enchanted by the line........"I broke my heart on the reef of your infidelity", it is such a great visual. And I also love the lines "standing here waiting, my hands and knees shaking" and "down here calling, my hands and knees crawling" ......more great visualizations. And the line "what you want and what you say you want are both different stories/answers" lyric....I first heard "Will I" live, so I kinda like the word "answers". I think it flows better, though the word "stories" does seem to fit since it is a rather well known expression. I'm also of the opinion that "Will I" makes a great first single....very radio friendly and a great rocker to boot!! It has something for everyone.....hard driving guitars, great imagery and a "hook" that you just can't get out of your head.

Original thoughts on the song:

Will I?: Good song, poor choice for the first single. It does not represent at ALL the core sound of this CD, and that's a shame. I know a lot of people were kinda pissed when he did that radio interview and the guy said it sounded very "Rick Springfield-ish" but you know what? It does. There are so many songs on this CD that have TODAY'S sound to them, and this one, while it is really good, does seem a little too close to his usual sound. Don't get me wrong.. I really like this song. I'm just really disappointed that he chose this one as the first single. Some people are going to hear it and think "same shit, different CD" ... not at ALL what we want them to think, you know?? That's just my take on it ... don't shoot me for being honest. LOL

Yikes!! Reading that now seems a little (a lot?) harsh, even to me. When I first got the CD, even though I did like this song, it was also one of the ones I would skip in order to get to the next one. Having had the CD for a little over two months now, I don't feel *quite* the same way about this song. I no longer skip it, and in fact, it's one that I'll often repeat. I guess (even though I can't say I ever disliked it) that this is one that had to grow on me a little before I could fully appreciate it. (I still wish something else had been chosen for the first single, but that's irrelevant. LOL)

A line that's always been a favorite is "I'm a mess but I can't tell you so Though I broke my heart on the reef of your infidelity" I just love the way it sounds, and the wording of it is so unique, regarding "reef of your infidelity". A very good example of why I admire the way he uses words to tell the story of the song. Another favorite part is "It is what it is". Simple, to the point, yet those five words hold a great deal of truth in them... whether you're talking about a relationship, or whatever.

Just a little sidenote about the switch from "different stories" to "different answers"... after hearing 'answers' a few times on the tv appearances he did, I have to say, it really doesn't annoy me as much as it used to when I first heard he had changed it. I think it sounds pretty good that way.

This is a classic denial song. I think I've been there... The other person moves on, sometimes before you even know that it's over! But you don't want to let go of the relationship. You know that if they called you up, you would probably see them again. It's depressing when you feel like someone means so much more to you than you do to them.

I just can't seem to be able to put this one in a category. I'm giving up on that. There are semi elements that point to at least three of the SDAA emoticons so I'm just going to let that go.This one is definitely a song of hurt and there is also such a vulnerability to him in there too. Wanting so badly for this person to accept his love and return that love as well.

He also realizes the other person may not be quite the person he wants or needs them to be, but he can't imagine being without this person. Even though there may have been betrayal in the relationship, I have a feeling on both sides, he is willing to hide his hurt and forgive and move on. Now he is unsure if the other party is committed or willing enough to make it work, or if they are just going to walk away and not look back. I don't get the feeling of blame in this song anywhere. Even the words like "Cause you gave it away like it was nothing at all." don't feel like the pointing fingers of blame when later in the song when the lyrics are switched to "you gave HER away". It just makes it feel more like there was betrayal on both sides of the relationship.

The chorus of this one makes you feel like he feels he has done all he can do and the outcome depends on the other person. It has a feeling of slightly desperate acceptance. That is the only way to describe it. It's like he is anxious and he wants so bad for this person to make the choice to work on the relationship "Will I ever see you again, will I?" Will she stay or will she walk away without looking back. There is also the lines of a sad acceptance. "It is what it is." and "I should just let it go." He desperately needs her to be there for and with him, yet he knows he has laid it all out on the line and the ball is in her court. He knows he needs to accept her decision and find a way to move on if that is the case.