More Than a Feeling

"More Than a Feeling"
Single by Boston
from the album Boston
B-side	"Smokin'"
Released	September 1976
Format	7″
Recorded	October 1975 – April 1976
Genre	Hard rock,[1] album rock, arena rock[2]
Length	3:25 (single edit) 4:44 (album version) 5:03 (full version)
Label	Epic
Writer(s)	Tom Scholz
Producer(s)	John Boylan, Tom Scholz, Rodney C. Thompson
Boston singles chronology
"More Than a Feeling" / Smokin' (1976) "Long Time" (1977)

"More Than a Feeling" is a song written by Tom Scholz and first released by the rock band Boston as the lead single from their self-titled debut album on Epic Records in September 1976, with "Smokin'" on the flipside. The single peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. The track is now a staple of classic rock and in 1999 it was named the 39th best hard rock song of all time by VH1.^[1]

Content

His biggest hit, "More Than a Feeling" took writer Tom Scholz five years to complete.^[3] It is one of six songs Scholz worked on in his basement in 1974 and 1975 before Boston got its record contract, five of which eventually appeared on the Boston album.^[4] The drum parts were originally developed by Jim Masdea, although Sib Hashian played the drums on the official release.^[4] The verses are in the key of D major while the chorus is in G major. The song is in compound AABA form.^[5]

The Book of Rock Lists suggests that the chorus riff may itself be a subtle homage to the Kingsmen's classic, "Louie Louie." Scholz credits "Walk Away Renee" by The Left Banke as the song's main inspiration.^[6][7] It is also very much similar (same descending pattern) to the opening riff of Elton John's "Screw You (Young Man's Blues)." Other critics have noted that this song's main riff is referenced in the Nirvana single "Smells Like Teen Spirit."^[8] Nirvana opened "Smells Like Teen Spirit" with the chords and words from "More Than a Feeling" at their Live at Reading performance in 1992.

Boston's website claims that the song is about "the power an old song can have in your life,"^[9] with Tom Scholz elaborating that "it was sort of a bittersweet ballad."^[10] The lyrics express the author's discontent with the present and his yearning for a former love named Marianne, whose memory is strongly evoked by an old familiar song. In a recent interview Scholz was asked, "Who Is Marianne?" He replied, "There actually is a Marianne. She wasn't my girlfriend." He explained that when he was 8 or 9 years old he had a much older cousin who he thought was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen and that he was "secretly in love" with his cousin (laughs).^[11]

Guitar World states that when the radio plays "More Than a Feeling" "few can resist indulging in fits of fleet-fingered air guitar and a spirited falsetto sing-along."^[12] Rolling Stone Album Guide critic Paul Evans states that "as slick as it sounds, 'More Than a Feeling' strikes an uncommonly resonant emotional note.^[13]

When performed live, the song is occasionally played after "The Journey", since "It's Easy" has rarely been played live.

Single version

Epic released an edited version of the song for the single with the first chorus and second verse removed, clocking in at 3:30 versus the album track at 4:45. That single edit can be found on the Rock installment of Sony's Soundtrack for a Century box set from 1999.

Covers and samples

• Several artists have covered "More Than a Feeling", including Ingram Hill, Nirvana (the similarities between the song's main riff and that of Nirvana's breakout hit "Smells Like Teen Spirit" have often been noted, including by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain),^[14] No Mercy, *NSYNC, and Sleater-Kinney.^[15]
• Australian group The Stafford Brothers covered and released the track in 2006. It peaked at number 90 on the ARIA Chart.^[16]

2008 U.S. presidential race

In 2008 Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee used the song "More Than a Feeling" to promote his campaign. Former Boston band member Barry Goudreau made appearances with Huckabee both live and on YouTube stating that he was of the band Boston, though he had been out of the band for over two decades. In February 2008, Scholz wrote to Huckabee requesting that he stop using the song, stating:

While I'm flattered that you are fond of my song, I'm shocked that you would use it and the name Boston to promote yourself without my consent.

Your campaign's use of "More Than a Feeling", coupled with the representation of one of your supporters as a member "of Boston" clearly implies that the band Boston, and specifically one of its members, has endorsed your candidacy, neither of which is true.^[17]

Huckabee complied with Scholz's request, and videos featuring Barry Goudreau and the song were subsequently removed by the Huckabee Campaign.

Personnel

• Tom Scholz – acoustic guitar, lead guitar, bass guitar
• Brad Delp – vocals
• Sib Hashian – drums
• Barry Goudreau - lead guitar, rhythm guitar,

Chart performance

Downloadable content for rhythm and music games

The song was made available to download on March 1, 2011, for use in the Rock Band music video game series.^[29]

The song is also available as downloadable content (DLC) for the Rocksmith guitar learning game. The song is available individually or as part of the 'Rock Hits 70s' Song Pack along with "Jessica" by The Allman Brothers Band and Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water."^[30]

References

External links

• Full lyrics of the song at Allmusic