I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)

Album: Sunshine On Leith (1988)
Charted: 11 3
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Songfacts®:

  • The Proclaimers are the Scottish twins Craig and Charlie Reid. This is their only hit in America, but four of their other songs made the UK Top 40, including their first hit, "Letter From America," which went to #3 in 1987.
  • This song is about being devoted to a woman and wanting to spend the rest of your life with her. And it's all sung in a Scottish accent.
  • In the line "I'm gonna be the one who's havering for you," 'havering' means babbling on. However, several US radio stations initially refused to play the song, as they thought 'havering' meant something much more naughty.
  • This was written in 1988 and released on The Proclaimers album Sunshine On Leith. It became a hit when the song was used in the 1993 movie Benny And Joon, starring Johnny Depp and Mary Stuart Masterson.
  • Craig and Charlie Reid wrote the bulk of the song while they were sitting in a flat in Edinburgh waiting for a lift to a gig in Aberdeen.

    Craig Reid in the Daily Mail, March 23, 2007: "I can remember sitting at the piano and the chords just came to me. I reckon I just wrote the whole thing in 45 minutes. I knew that it was a good song, maybe even a single, but I had no idea how popular it would become."
  • This was a hit in the US after being featured in the movie Benny & Joon after the director heard the song being played on his personal stereo by Mary Ann Waterston. The Proclaimers had no idea it would be featured in the film.
  • The song topped the charts of Australia, Iceland, and New Zealand.
  • This song was adopted as a theme song by Hibernian Football Club in Scotland.
  • In March 2007 The Proclaimers teamed up with British comedians Peter Kay and Matt Lucas to release a new version for the charity Comic Relief, which topped the UK charts. Peter Kay stars as his wheelchair bound character the Phoenix Club boss Brian Potter and Matt Lucas in turn appears as his similarly wheelchair bound Little Britain character Andy Pipkin. The comedians duet on the first 2 verses of the song before the Proclaimers take over.

    The original version returned to the British chart at #37 the same week the Comic Relief version entered the chart at #3 making The Proclaimers become the first act in over 20 years to chart simultaneously with two different recordings of the same song. The last person to achieve this was Lulu, who in the last week of July 1986 had both her original 1964 recording of "Shout" in the Top 75 alongside a brand new "86" version.
  • By 2002, 500 miles just wasn't enough, as Vanessa Carlton used the same lyrical theme, but with twice the distance, in her song "A Thousand Miles."
  • Country duo Haley & Michaels covered this for their 2014 eponymous debut EP. "When I heard it, I listened to it, and I felt like, 'Wait a second, this could take on a whole different meaning if a man and woman were singing it to each other,'" Haley said. "I bounced it off Ryan, and he had actually just heard it, and it was one of those things, it was on both of our minds, and we just started playing it to see what it would sound like."
  • This was featured in a beloved Budweiser commercial that aired during the 2015 Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. A sequel to the previous year's "Puppy Love" spot where the Budweiser Clydesdales befriend a golden retriever puppy, this one finds the dog getting lost, and the horses saving him from a wolf and guiding him home. The song was used to convey the lengths that living creatures will go for love.

    The version used in the commercial is a downtempo take on the song performed by Sleeping at Last, which is the one-man operation of Ryan O'Neal. He released the song in 2013.

Comments: 34

  • David from Alexandria, VaSorry, Grace, but it's only 387 miles from London to Glasgow on foot (according to Google Maps). Also, the twins are from Edinburgh and Auchtermuchty, not Glasgow. The closest I can get is Edinburgh to Truro in the extreme SW of England (510 miles) or London to Aberdeen (498 miles).
  • Napoleon Nikolai Zivkovic from Paterson, New Jersey U.s.a.For YEARS I always wondered — Just what EXACTLY was that chorus refrain: ‘Blood of an actor’ ~ ?! * L.O.L. *
  • Patrick from Wahiawa, HiThis song popped up as an "action romantic on an electric scooter" scene in the 3/15/2020 "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist" episode. (It fit just like a well-worn marching boot.;)
  • Howard from Levittown, PaAnd I thought "I'm Gonna Be" was a deliberate rebuttal to "500 Miles." Nothing else about that anywhere?
  • Gracie from AdelaideI think there is an error in the lyrics as written here: He sings 'When I haver' not 'when I have yeah' which does not make sense. The next line tells you that it is haver since he then says "I'm gonna be the man whose havering to you". The repetition in all the lines previous also support this.

    Haver means to dither or talk nonsense (which may also be a lie but not necessarily). For instance, a man is trying to explain why he is late home and doesn't want to admit he went to the pub with his mates so he makes up a story would be an example relevant to this song. He is singing that he adores her, gives almost all his pay to her though, so it's more likely he just meant that he is prone to dither and babble in front of her as in he can't think straight because he loves her.
  • Grace from Malibu, CaThe reason it's called 500 miles is because there are 500 miles from London to Glasgow. This is also most definitely not their only hit.
    I love The Proclaimers ^__^
  • Megan from Stevenson, AlTheir lyrics are "I would walk 500 hundred miles and I would walk 500 hundred more just to be the man who walks A THOUSAND miles and fall down at your door". I thought they said 5 thousand too the 1st time i heard it too! lol Their accents are very thick!
  • Megan from Stevenson, AlTo Taylor of FL- It's a thousand lol 500 + 500= 1,000
  • Megan from Stevenson, AlOMG!!!! GREAT song! Makes me want to watch Benny and Joon again! Love these guys!
  • Estel from 303, CoI loved the movie Benny and Joon, and heard this song in the closing credits. It was okay. Then my best friend got a recording of it on her phone and would play it all the time. I wanted to strangle her for making the song become annoying for me.
  • Bubba from South, DcI get so sick of this song. BUT, when I see them live, which I do a lot when they come over, it rocks, it still really, really rocks. Their whole show rocks.
  • Alex from Austin, TxRemember when they sang this on How I Met Your Mother.
  • Michaela from Usa, NyI like the song's message.And the accents.
  • Taylor from Follansbee, Medoes he say to be the man who walked a thousand or five thousand????????
  • Ray from Port Augusta, AustraliaThis is their only hit....?????

    "Im On my Way" charted very well in Australia

    the Proclaimers where in fact a 2 hit wonder.
    Cheers
    Ray Collins
  • Bertrand from Paris, FranceThis song was originally released in 1988, but upon its inclusion in the [i] Benny and Joon [i]movie soundtrack, the energetic pop-rock tune became a hit and is now a classic. The Proclaimers are the Scottish duo of Craig and Charlie Reid. Their music is an energetic, infectious brand of pop-rock with influences from their Scottish background.
  • Mjn Seifer from Not Listed For Personal Reason, EnglandRe the last Song fact:

    How can you say they are "Wheel Chair Bound"? They're IN wheel chairs!
  • Brian from Solihull, EnglandThis superb song was re-recorded and used as the 2007 Commic Relief charity record in the UK. It featured Brian Potter and Andy Pipkin singing slightly modified words. The Proclaimers joining them and taking over the song part way through.
    It has now become my childrens favourite song (they are 8 and 10). We sing this on car journeys (over and over again), in fact it can easily last 500 miles.
    - Brian, Solihull, England, UK
  • Neal from North, NjI remember in Family Guy - Peter Griffin singing this song in the studio w/ the Proclaimers. Good times! hahaha Seriously. Great song!
  • Dave from Cardiff, WalesThis wasn't their biggest hit in the UK or Europe - it made UK No.11 on re-issue in 1993 having failed to chart first time around in 1987, but their 1988 hit "Letter From America" peaked eight places higher at No.3 and went on to become a huge hit all over Europe
  • Kaitlin from Cornwall, Ont, CanadaThere are people that made a dance to this ^_^ I think its the SI (survival instructor) dance. Quite appropriate, isn't it?
  • Cina from Lincoln, NeThis song is my "waking up" song. I know it's about a woman, but to me it's been about staying close to God. I can't imagine a better song about devotion. Love this song. And love Benny and Joon. Hearts to Mary Stuart Masterson.
  • Stacey from Nowra, Australiafav song and benny and joon is my fav. movie but i didn't no they were connected that's so cool!!
  • Kevin from Cincinnati, OhThis is one great song.
  • Johnny from Rockland, Magreat song. awesome!! need to listen to it over and over over again!!!
  • Ricardo from Mexico, MexicoI Love this song (DOT)
  • Elizabeth from New York, NyI love this song! I think it is so sweet! Definatly one of my favorite songs ever!
  • Allan from Greebock, ScotlandHavering doesn't mean babbling on, instead, lying.
    If you haver, you lie.
    The Proclaimers have had more than one hit. A lot more.

    Mon the Greenock Weans!
  • Mark from Dundee, ScotlandThis song has been adpoted as the "Tartan Army" (Scotland football fans') unofficial national anthem!! (The official one is "Flower of Scotland")
  • Stephen from Calgary, CanadaYes, in Canada they had another hit as well, "I'm On My Way," which as stated is on the Shrek soundtrack
  • Anonymous from Chicago, IlAllister did a cover of this...despite the fact that i dislike Allister, i liked their cover better than the original song.
  • Kurt from Downers Grove, IlI wrote a parody of this, if you want to see it check out amiright.com/parody/80s/the proclaimers2.shtml
  • Freddy from Ghent, Belgiumcertainly in Europe they had another hit: "Letter from America"...maybe this one should be added to the database.
  • Krie from Ft. Drum, NyThe Proclaimers also contributed a track to the movie "Shrek."
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