Percy Faith (April 7, 1908 – February 9, 1976) was a Canadian-born bandlead… Read Full Bio ↴Percy Faith (April 7, 1908 – February 9, 1976) was a Canadian-born bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of pop and Christmas standards. He is often credited with creating the "easy listening" or "mood music" format which became staples of American popular music in the 1950s and continued well into the 1960s. Though his professional orchestra-leading career began at the height of the swing era, Faith refined and rethought orchestration techniques, including use of large string sections, to soften and fill out the brass-dominated popular music of the 1940s.

I Will Follow You
Percy Faith & His Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If I should stay
Well, I would only be in your way
And so I'll go, but yet I know
That I'll think of you each step of my way
And I will always love you
I will always love you
Bitter-sweet memories

That's all I have, and all I'm taking with me
Good-bye, oh, please don't cry
Cause we both know that I'm not
What you need

I will always love you
I will always love you

And I hope life, will treat you kind
And I hope that you have all
That you ever dreamed of
Oh, I do wish you joy
And I wish you happiness
But above all this
I wish you love
I love you, I will always love

I, I will always, always love you
I will always love you

I will always love you
I will always love you

Overall Meaning

"I Will Always Love You" tells the story of a relationship that must come to an end. The opening lines suggest that the singer is aware of the fact that their presence in their partner’s life may not be helpful. As a result, they choose to leave with a heavy heart, knowing that they will miss their partner every step of the way. Nevertheless, their love for their partner remains intact and unwavering, as evidenced by the repetition of “I will always love you” throughout the song.

The chorus is a compelling declaration of unconditional love. The singer recognizes that while they may no longer be with their partner physically, their love will endure through memories and dreams. The song’s sentiment is heart-wrenching, and it’s hard not to empathize with the singer’s pain and longing.

Line by Line Meaning

If I should stay
If I decide to remain with you

Well, I would only be in your way
I don't want to cause you any inconvenience or harm

And so I'll go, but yet I know
So, I'll leave you alone, but I can't help myself from continuously thinking about you

That I'll think of you each step of my way
Every step I take, you are in my thoughts

And I will always love you
You are forever in my heart

I will always love you
I will never stop loving you

Bitter-sweet memories
Memories of us together are both happy and sad

That's all I have, and all I'm taking with me
The only thing I'm leaving with is my memories of you

Good-bye, oh, please don't cry
Farewell, please don't cry

Cause we both know that I'm not
We both know that I am not the right one for you

What you need
The one you need is not me