‘Here I Go Again’ is a song by British rock band Whitesnake. Originally released on their 1982 album, Saints & Sinners, the power ballad was re-recorded for their 1987 self-titled album. It was re-recorded again the same year in a new "radio-mix" version, which was released as a single and hit No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on 10 October 1987 (the band's only No.1 on that chart), and also No.9 on the UK Singles Chart on 28 November 1987. The 1987 version also made No.1 on the Canadian Singles Chart on 24 October 1987. In 2018 at the BMI London Awards it received the "5 Million Performances Award", while in 2022 it garnered the "8 Million-Air Award".
The song was written by lead singer David Coverdale, and former Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden. The most notable difference between the original and re-recorded versions are a slight change in the bluesy lyrics and pace. The re-recording of the song in 1987 was advised by record labels bosses Al Coury and David Geffen as a negotiation deal with Coverdale to re-record "Crying in the Rain" for the band's self-titled album Whitesnake, released in 1987.
The '82 music video features the band performing the song onstage. The music video for the '87 re-recorded version was directed by Marty Callner. The video includes, besides the band's stage performance, appearances by model Julie E. "Tawny" Kitaen, who was married to Whitesnake's David Coverdale from 1989 to 1991. Her notable sex-appeal was immediately recognized; she filmed memorable unchoreographed scenes dressed "in a white negligee, writhing and cartwheeling across the hoods of two Jaguars XJ" which belonged to Coverdale (white) and Callner (black). Coverdale recalls that he brought choreographer Paula Abdul to the set to show Tawny some moves, but Abdul exclaimed that Tawny was already so accomplished regarding this video that she couldn't "show her anything".
The 2004 Bowling For Soup hit ‘1985’ is about a housewife who pines for her youthful adventures in the '80s, when among other things, she dreamed about "shaking her ass on the hood of Whitesnake's car." The video stars Tawny Kitaen, now living a sensible, stable life, but still dreaming about dancing on the car.
In 2003, Martin Popoff listed it as 274th in The Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs of All Time, while Q magazine ranked it 962nd on their list of 1001 "Best Songs Ever". In 2006, the 1987 version was ranked No.17 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '80s. In 2008 The Times included it in the Top 11 "heavy metal at its best" list. In the 2012 Reader's Poll of Rolling Stone it ranked as 9th among the Top 10 "The Best Hair Metal Songs of All Time". In 2017, The Daily Telegraph included it among Top 21 best power ballads.
Label – Geffen
Songwriters – David Coverdale, Bernie Marsden
Producer – Martin Birch
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]I don't know where I'm going
But, I sure know where I've been
Hanging on the promises in songs of yesterday
And I've made up my mind
I ain't wasting no more time
Though I keep searching for an answer
I never seem to find what I'm looking for
Oh Lord, I pray you give me strength to carry on
[Pre-Chorus]
Cause I know what it means
To walk along the lonely street of dreams
[Chorus]
Here I go again on my own
Going down the only road I've ever known
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone
And I've made up my mind
I ain't wasting no more time
[Verse 2]
I'm just another heart in need of rescue
Waiting on love's sweet charity
And I'm gonna hold on for the rest of my days
[Pre-Chorus]
Cause I know what it means
To walk along the lonely street of dreams
[Chorus]
Here I go again on my own
Going down the only road I've ever known
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone
And I've made up my mind
I ain't wasting no more time
[Bridge]
But, here I go again
Here I go again
Here I go again
Here I go
And I've made up my mind
I ain't wasting no more time
[Chorus]
Here I go again on my own
Going down the only road I've ever known
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone
[Pre-Chorus]
Cause I know what it means
To walk along the lonely street of dreams
[Chorus]
Here I go again on my own
Going down the only road I've ever known
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone
And I've made up my mind
I ain't wasting no more time
[Bridge]
But, here I go again
Here I go again
Here I go again
Here I go
Here I go again
[Pre-Chorus]
Cause I know what it means
To walk along the lonely street of dreams
[Chorus]
Here I go again on my own
Going down the only road I've ever known
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone
And I've made up my mind
I ain't wasting no more time