Dear Rosemary

Album: Wasting Light (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This dark, ambivalent, mid-tempo rocker is a track from the American rock band Foo Fighters' seventh studio album, Wasting Light. Dave Grohl recruited Bob Mould from one of his favorite all-time acts, Husker Du, to play guitar and sing vocals on this track. The Foo frontman told Q magazine: "It sounds like Bob and I wrote a song for Husker Du 20 years ago and the Foo Fighters are covering it."
  • Grohl told Mojo magazine how he got Mould involved on this track: "I was a huge fan of Husker Du. Their album Zen Arcade is one of the most underrated American rock 'n' roll records of all time. And only recently did I realise how much I've ripped Bob off for the last 16 years! I met him for the first time last summer and said, 'You know that I'd be nowhere and nobody without your music, right>' and he very politely nodded and said: 'I know.' We swapped phone numbers and became friends. I had this song that I imagined would be a duet between us, and he obliged. What an honor to have that sort of moment with one of your heroes."
  • Even for a Rock legend like Grohl, working with one of your all time heroes for the first time can be nerve-wracking. He told the UK Sun newspaper: "When you first meet someone you've idolized your whole life, you're just nervous. That's how I felt with Bob. You don't want to come off feeling like an awkward superfan but it's inevitable. But then those first impressions wear off and you realize he's just a nice person. And then you put on the instruments and that feeling comes back again. You want to make it right."

Comments: 1

  • Ryan from Birmingham, AlPart of it sounds kind of like the Bay City Rollers "Saturday Night" but of course the song as a whole is completely different. Dave has listed them as an influence in the past. Definitely my favorite on the album. I listen to the beginning over and over then listen for Bob's voice. I can't believe it has not been released as a single and a music video other than the contest video. Wasting Light is one of a few albums that I listen to every song on over and over in order, like Back in Black, Sgt Peppers, Appetite for Destruction, Joshua Tree, Van Halen I...
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou HarrisSongwriter Interviews

She thinks of herself as a "song interpreter," but back in the '80s another country star convinced Emmylou to take a crack at songwriting.

Marvin Gaye

Marvin GayeFact or Fiction

Did Marvin try out with the Detroit Lions? Did he fake crazy to get out of military service? And what about the cross-dressing?

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary MachineSong Writing

Fiona's highly-anticipated third album almost didn't make it. Here's how it finally came together after two years and a leak.

Steve Morse of Deep Purple

Steve Morse of Deep PurpleSongwriter Interviews

Deep Purple's guitarist since 1994, Steve talks about writing songs with the band and how he puts his own spin on "Smoke On The Water."

Dwight Twilley

Dwight TwilleySongwriter Interviews

Since his debut single "I'm On Fire" in 1975, Dwight has been providing Spinal-Tap moments and misadventure.

Sugarland

SugarlandSongwriter Interviews

Meet the "sassy basket" with the biggest voice in country music.