I Was Here (song)
Encyclopedia
"I Was Here" is a song by American singer Beyoncé Knowles
, taken from her fourth studio album, 4
(2011). It was written by Diane Warren
, while production was handled by Ryan Tedder
, Brent Kutzle
, and Kuk Harrell
; Knowles is credited on the vocal production. "I Was Here" is a reflective ballad, in which Knowles vulnerably reviews her past, wanting to leave an impact on the world before her life comes to an end. The song's development was motivated by the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.
"I Was Here" garnered both positive and negative reviews from music critics, most of whom criticized the song's inclusion on the track-listing of the album and expressed discomfort about Knowles worrying about her legacy and wanting to leave an impact on the world, given that she was still below thirty years of age when she recorded this "career song", as described by Warren. Critics, nevertheless, favored Knowles' vocal performance on the song, which is complemented by piano
keys and heavy drum
beats
.
Following the release of 4, "I Was Here" charted at number 131 on the UK Singles Chart
, at number 74 on the Swiss Singles Chart
, and at number 44 on the South Korea Gaon International Singles Chart
in early July 2011. Later during the same month, the song was included on the soundtrack
for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup
Final. "I Was Here" was also part of Knowles' set list
for her 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé
, held in Roseland Ballroom
, New York City in August 2011.
"I Was Here" was written by Diane Warren
and was produced by Ryan Tedder
, Brent Kutzle
, Knowles and Kuk Harrell
. "I Was Here" is the only song on the record that was not co-written by Knowles. Warren revealed in an interview with PopWrap on June 1, 2011, that she also contributed to Knowles' fourth studio album, 4
. She stated, "I just wrote something a week and a half ago that Beyoncé recorded and I think it's the best thing I've ever written. She sang it amazingly. I think it's a career song and probably my favorite thing I've ever written [...] right now." The development of the song was motivated by the September 11 attacks. Knowles told Reuters
that she got a call from Warren in May 2011. Her album had nearly reached completion when Warren played her the song on a guitar
over the phone. Nevertheless, Knowles, who got chills while hearing it, immediately made up her mind, "Oh my god, I have to have this song." September 2011 was going to mark the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks and Knowles thought, "Wow, this really completes my album."
In the October 2011 issue of Billboard
magazine, Knowles stated: "I knew ['I Was Here'] was going to be a very special song. It just fit[s] where I was in my life and expressed something I believed and wanted to share. As an artist, you want your music to mean something or to help someone get through something, and when a song has a great message and meaning, it is what you strive for." When Warren heard Knowles recording "I Was Here", she recalled: "There's nothing better than to hear the song that you came up with [sung back]. It's like your heart found another heart. It's like you have this little orphan kid, this really cool orphan kid, and someone took him into this beautiful house, this warm house, when it finds its right [home]." Beginning on June 16 to June 27, 2011, a song from 4 was available to listen to in full each day on Knowles' official website, paired with its accompanying photo spread from the album packaging and an insightful quote. On June 26, 2011, "I Was Here" was the eleventh song to be chosen. The quote found Warren elaborating on the song's conception:
, "I Was Here" is a down-tempo-R&B
ballad which lyrically features Knowles as the female protagonist who wants to make her mark on this Earth before her time is up as she desires that the world remember her impact." "I Was Here" finds Knowles' vocals coming along over piano
keys and big drum
s provided by OneRepublic
frontman Ryan Tedder and his fellow bandmate Brent Kutzle
, and indie-rock guitars. According to Andrew Unterberger of PopDust, Tedder additionally uses a combination of xylophone
and piano, setting the sound as the recurring hook of the song. James Reed on The Boston Globe
felt that "['I Was Here'] is 'Halo
' on steroids — or Valium."
"I Was Here" begins with quivering reverb
and a plaintively plucked guitar setting an appropriately somber mood for about fifteen seconds before the song's beats begin alongside Knowles' voice. The latter sets a hushed and morbid tone on the song as she bring doses of edge and grit, singing: "I wanna leave my footprints on the sands of time / Know there was something that meant something that I left behind / When I leave this world, I'll leave no regrets / I'll leave something to remember, So they won't forget [...]", before adopting an authoritative tone to deliver the chorus
lines: "I was here /I lived, I loved /I was here /I did, I've done / Everything that I wanted / And it was more than I thought it would be / I will leave my mark so everyone will know / I was here [...]". In his review of 4, Ian Walker of AbsolutePunk elaborated on the composition of "I Was Here" as follows:
criticized the song's order of placement on the track list of 4, stating that "'Run the World (Girls)
' is tagged on like a bonus track following 'I Was Here', which sounds like the perfect ending for the album." Matthew Perpetua of Rolling Stone
also had the same view, saying it "disrupts the flow of up-tempo songs on the second half 4". Perpetua however calls it a "showstopper" and "work[s] well as a bittersweet emotional climax for the album". Steve Jones of USA Today
showed appreciation for "I Was Here": "At 29, the still-in-her-prime Beyoncé seems a little young to be worrying about her legacy, as she does on the Warren power ballad I Was Here. But she puts so much feeling into it that it winds up being the album's most moving song." Joanne Dorken of MTV UK was also positive, praising the song's "simple backing music, and Knowles' flawless and beautiful voice." He concluded that "I Was Here" ends up being a "standout song on the album [and] we won't be forgetting Queen B in a hurry." Spencer Kornhaber of The Atlantic was also positive, writing: "Payoff comes on 11th song, the epically loping 'I Was Here.' James Reed of The Boston Globe
wrote that the collaboration of Diane Warren and Ryan Tedder, introduces "a new strain of her balladry: an ethereal marriage of R&B sensuality and stuttering indie-rock guitars." Showing his praise for "I Was Here", Conrad Tao of Sputnikmusic
wrote:
Matthew Perpetua of The Rolling Stone
gave a mixed review of the song, stating that "'I Was Here' is the blustery ballad one would expect by a Knowles/Warren team-up, and stands off as flat and generic when compared to the rest of 4." Another reviewer of the same magazine, Jody Rosen coined "I Was Here" as a low point on the album and added that it is "swamped in "My Way"-style self-mythologizing." Rosen complimented Knowles' vocals stating she sings with authority. Rich Juzwiak of The Village Voice
complimented "I Was Here" as knocking harder than anything on 4s "bloated predecessor", I Am ... Sasha Fierce (2008). Similarly, Embling of Tiny Mix Tapes wrote: "'I Was Here' is a heavy brick of a song — overwrought, maudlin, delusionally grandiose — but it is also disarmingly honest about the addictive, undignified dimensions of fame and celebrity." Genevieve Koski of The A.V. Club
described "I Was Here" as "uncomfortably overwrought" although he said that Knowles manages to bring conviction to its lyrical content. Adam Markovitz of Entertainment Weekly
also gave the song a mixed review stating that it reached a "lifetime-movie levels of schmaltz". David Amidon of PopMatters
stated that "I Was Here" is "plain awkward to here a woman as in her prime physically as Beyoncé is to even approach such a tune. The dull music from Ryan Tedder and an army of co-producers does not help matters." Michael Cragg of The Observer
gave the song a negative review, stating that it disappoints as being "corny bluster at odds with the laid-back feel of her most accomplished album yet." Andy Gill of The Independent
simply stated that "I Was Here" strains too hard for "Empire State of Mind
" (2009) status. Hamish MacBain of NME
gave "I Was Here" a mixed review stating the song sounds like an X-Factor
winner's single, full of unbelievably trite sentiments.
in Roseland Ballroom
, New York City. She performed the song in front of 3,500 people wearing a gold dress and backed by her all-female band and her backing singers, called the Mamas. "I Was Here" served as the closing song of the revue
with Knowles changing the line, on which the tile of the song is based, to "Roseland, we were here." Jason Newman Rap-Up
commented that "in less confident hands, the line would have come off as hokey. For Beyoncé, it was the recognition of a singular event before returning to the stadium." According to Brad Wete from Entertainment Weekly
, during the performance of the song Knowles "bowed, fanatic screams and cheers followed." Mike Wass of Idolator
wrote:
Jody Rosen of The Rolling Stone
, who had given the song a negative review wrote that "on record, ['I Was Here'] was a hollow exercise in self-mythologizing. On Sunday night, though, Beyoncé brought the song to life, singing with a tenacious mix of shmaltz and soul that evoked two of her heroes, Barbra Streisand
and Aretha Franklin
[...] It sounded less like bluster than confession. It was almost intimate." Yolanda Sangweni of Essence
magazine stated that ending the revue with "I Was Here" was "triumphant note" and that "Diana Ross
and Michael Jackson would be proud." The live performance for "I Was Here", which was added on the DVD 4 Live at Roseland, premiered online on November 16, 2011.
Final. As reported by ABC News
on September 11, 2011, Knowles paid tribute to the September 11 attacks with "I Was Here" on the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the event. On September 21, 2011, it was announced via PR Newswire
that Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) would launch "a star-studded" new Public Service Advertising (PSA) campaign and that the soundtrack for the campaign would be "I Was Here". Nationwide, Boys & Girls Clubs provide high-impact, affordable programs, and caring adult mentors, to keep kids on the path to great futures, emphasizing academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. The director, Ron Howard
explained the reason behind choosing "I Was Here" as the soundtrack of their new PSA: "We wanted the most powerful piece of music possible, to underscore the dramatic message that what we do today to shape the future of our children is vitally important. We could not have picked a more moving track. Diane's words and Beyonce's delivery are over the top."
for the week ending July 2, 2011. Following the release of 4, "I Was Here" also charted at number 131 on the UK Singles Chart
on July 9, 2011. "I Was Here" additionally debuted on the Swiss Singles Chart
at number 74 on July 10, 2011, before falling off the chart the following week.
.
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
, taken from her fourth studio album, 4
4 (Beyoncé Knowles album)
4 is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles, released through Columbia Records on June 24, 2011. Three weeks before its scheduled release, 4 leaked in full. The twelve-song set marks the first release by Knowles since separating professionally with father and manager,...
(2011). It was written by Diane Warren
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
, while production was handled by Ryan Tedder
Ryan Tedder
Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
, Brent Kutzle
Brent Kutzle
Brent Michael Kutzle is an American musician, born in Newport Beach, California. Brent is best known for playing the bass guitar and cello for OneRepublic, who are signed to Interscope Records...
, and Kuk Harrell
Kuk Harrell
Thaddis "Kuk" Harrell is an American songwriter, vocal producer, arranger and engineer. He is managed by RedZone Entertainment, and is a member of a songwriting–production team composed of himself, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The Dream" Nash...
; Knowles is credited on the vocal production. "I Was Here" is a reflective ballad, in which Knowles vulnerably reviews her past, wanting to leave an impact on the world before her life comes to an end. The song's development was motivated by the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.
"I Was Here" garnered both positive and negative reviews from music critics, most of whom criticized the song's inclusion on the track-listing of the album and expressed discomfort about Knowles worrying about her legacy and wanting to leave an impact on the world, given that she was still below thirty years of age when she recorded this "career song", as described by Warren. Critics, nevertheless, favored Knowles' vocal performance on the song, which is complemented by piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
keys and heavy drum
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
beats
Beat (music)
The beat is the basic unit of time in music, the pulse of the mensural level . In popular use, the beat can refer to a variety of related concepts including: tempo, meter, rhythm and groove...
.
Following the release of 4, "I Was Here" charted at number 131 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, at number 74 on the Swiss Singles Chart
Swiss Music Charts
The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...
, and at number 44 on the South Korea Gaon International Singles Chart
Gaon Chart
The Gaon Chart is a national record chart of South Korea. It is complied by the Korea Music Content Industry Association and sponsored by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism; with an aim to create a national chart for Korea similar to the Billboard charts and Oricon charts...
in early July 2011. Later during the same month, the song was included on the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup
FIFA Women's World Cup
The FIFA Women's World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior women's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the...
Final. "I Was Here" was also part of Knowles' set list
Set list
A set list, or setlist, is a document that lists the songs that a band or musical artist intends to play, or has played, during a specific concert performance...
for her 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé
4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé
4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé was a revue by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles. Held in four non-consecutive nights in August 2011, the concerts were part of Knowles' campaign in support of her fourth studio album 4 . Knowles performed to a standing room-only audience at the Roseland...
, held in Roseland Ballroom
Roseland Ballroom
The Roseland Ballroom is a multi-purpose hall, in a converted ice skating rink, with a colorful ballroom dancing pedigree, in New York City's theatre district, on West 52nd Street....
, New York City in August 2011.
Background and development
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
and was produced by Ryan Tedder
Ryan Tedder
Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
, Brent Kutzle
Brent Kutzle
Brent Michael Kutzle is an American musician, born in Newport Beach, California. Brent is best known for playing the bass guitar and cello for OneRepublic, who are signed to Interscope Records...
, Knowles and Kuk Harrell
Kuk Harrell
Thaddis "Kuk" Harrell is an American songwriter, vocal producer, arranger and engineer. He is managed by RedZone Entertainment, and is a member of a songwriting–production team composed of himself, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The Dream" Nash...
. "I Was Here" is the only song on the record that was not co-written by Knowles. Warren revealed in an interview with PopWrap on June 1, 2011, that she also contributed to Knowles' fourth studio album, 4
4 (Beyoncé Knowles album)
4 is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles, released through Columbia Records on June 24, 2011. Three weeks before its scheduled release, 4 leaked in full. The twelve-song set marks the first release by Knowles since separating professionally with father and manager,...
. She stated, "I just wrote something a week and a half ago that Beyoncé recorded and I think it's the best thing I've ever written. She sang it amazingly. I think it's a career song and probably my favorite thing I've ever written [...] right now." The development of the song was motivated by the September 11 attacks. Knowles told Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
that she got a call from Warren in May 2011. Her album had nearly reached completion when Warren played her the song on a guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
over the phone. Nevertheless, Knowles, who got chills while hearing it, immediately made up her mind, "Oh my god, I have to have this song." September 2011 was going to mark the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks and Knowles thought, "Wow, this really completes my album."
In the October 2011 issue of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine, Knowles stated: "I knew ['I Was Here'] was going to be a very special song. It just fit[s] where I was in my life and expressed something I believed and wanted to share. As an artist, you want your music to mean something or to help someone get through something, and when a song has a great message and meaning, it is what you strive for." When Warren heard Knowles recording "I Was Here", she recalled: "There's nothing better than to hear the song that you came up with [sung back]. It's like your heart found another heart. It's like you have this little orphan kid, this really cool orphan kid, and someone took him into this beautiful house, this warm house, when it finds its right [home]." Beginning on June 16 to June 27, 2011, a song from 4 was available to listen to in full each day on Knowles' official website, paired with its accompanying photo spread from the album packaging and an insightful quote. On June 26, 2011, "I Was Here" was the eleventh song to be chosen. The quote found Warren elaborating on the song's conception:
I have always wanted to work with Beyoncé. I wrote one of my best songs, 'I Was Here,' and I thought that the one artist who would be my dream to sing this would be Beyoncé. This is one of those magical stories where what is meant to be actually happens. I played it for her, and she loved it and said she was going to record it immediately. This kind of thing never happens! Without even hearing it a second time, two days later she was recording it!!! I've never had chills through my entire body like I had from hearing Beyoncé sing this song. 'I Was Here' came from my soul and became the song that was coming from hers. In all my life, I have never heard anything as amazing as this. Hearing her sing 'I Was Here' will forever be one of the best moments of my life, and I know that this song will touch many other lives as well.
Composition
According to Georgette Cline of AOL Music's The Boombox and David Amidon of PopMattersPopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
, "I Was Here" is a down-tempo-R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
ballad which lyrically features Knowles as the female protagonist who wants to make her mark on this Earth before her time is up as she desires that the world remember her impact." "I Was Here" finds Knowles' vocals coming along over piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
keys and big drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s provided by OneRepublic
OneRepublic
OneRepublic is an American pop rock band from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Formed in 2002 by Ryan Tedder and Zach Filkins, the band achieved massive success on MySpace, becoming the most prominent unsigned act on the website then...
frontman Ryan Tedder and his fellow bandmate Brent Kutzle
Brent Kutzle
Brent Michael Kutzle is an American musician, born in Newport Beach, California. Brent is best known for playing the bass guitar and cello for OneRepublic, who are signed to Interscope Records...
, and indie-rock guitars. According to Andrew Unterberger of PopDust, Tedder additionally uses a combination of xylophone
Xylophone
The xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...
and piano, setting the sound as the recurring hook of the song. James Reed on The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
felt that "['I Was Here'] is 'Halo
Halo (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Halo" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce . Columbia Records released the song as the fourth single of the album, to mainstream radio in the United States on January 20, 2009. It was composed by Ryan Tedder, Evan Bogart, and...
' on steroids — or Valium."
"I Was Here" begins with quivering reverb
Reverberation
Reverberation is the persistence of sound in a particular space after the original sound is removed. A reverberation, or reverb, is created when a sound is produced in an enclosed space causing a large number of echoes to build up and then slowly decay as the sound is absorbed by the walls and air...
and a plaintively plucked guitar setting an appropriately somber mood for about fifteen seconds before the song's beats begin alongside Knowles' voice. The latter sets a hushed and morbid tone on the song as she bring doses of edge and grit, singing: "I wanna leave my footprints on the sands of time / Know there was something that meant something that I left behind / When I leave this world, I'll leave no regrets / I'll leave something to remember, So they won't forget [...]", before adopting an authoritative tone to deliver the chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
lines: "I was here /I lived, I loved /I was here /I did, I've done / Everything that I wanted / And it was more than I thought it would be / I will leave my mark so everyone will know / I was here [...]". In his review of 4, Ian Walker of AbsolutePunk elaborated on the composition of "I Was Here" as follows:
'I Was Here' is Knowles' monument to the ages. The song climbs higher and higher, chorus by chorus, until Knowles reaches her apex, delivering some of her best vocals on the album. The lyrics are a bit uninspired, overly triumphant but somewhat humble as the singer contemplates her mark on history. Although she has garnered massive amounts of acclaim through her storied career, Knowles is far from satisfied. 'I Was Here' probably will not receive the attention it deserves when placed next to 4s more pop-oriented cuts, but it provides an amazing pillar for last half of the album to balance on.
Critical reception
"I Was Here" garnered both positive and negative reviews from critics, most of whom felt the songs message was too deep for an artist like Knowles to sing, and criticized the placement of the song on the track list of 4. Georgette Cline of The Boombox gave the song a positive review stating that, although the lyrics are a bit on the morbid side, it works in Knowles' favor, "proving she can tackle a myriad of subjects". Matthew Horton of BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
criticized the song's order of placement on the track list of 4, stating that "'Run the World (Girls)
Run the World (Girls)
"Run the World " is a song performed by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles. It was written by Terius "The-Dream" Nash, Knowles, Nick "Afrojack" van de Wall, Wesley "Diplo" Pentz, David "Switch" Taylor, and Adidja Palmer and produced by Switch, The-Dream, Knowles and Shea Taylor...
' is tagged on like a bonus track following 'I Was Here', which sounds like the perfect ending for the album." Matthew Perpetua of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
also had the same view, saying it "disrupts the flow of up-tempo songs on the second half 4". Perpetua however calls it a "showstopper" and "work[s] well as a bittersweet emotional climax for the album". Steve Jones of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
showed appreciation for "I Was Here": "At 29, the still-in-her-prime Beyoncé seems a little young to be worrying about her legacy, as she does on the Warren power ballad I Was Here. But she puts so much feeling into it that it winds up being the album's most moving song." Joanne Dorken of MTV UK was also positive, praising the song's "simple backing music, and Knowles' flawless and beautiful voice." He concluded that "I Was Here" ends up being a "standout song on the album [and] we won't be forgetting Queen B in a hurry." Spencer Kornhaber of The Atlantic was also positive, writing: "Payoff comes on 11th song, the epically loping 'I Was Here.' James Reed of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
wrote that the collaboration of Diane Warren and Ryan Tedder, introduces "a new strain of her balladry: an ethereal marriage of R&B sensuality and stuttering indie-rock guitars." Showing his praise for "I Was Here", Conrad Tao of Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
wrote:
[...] perhaps even more notable is the record's penultimate track, the Ryan Tedder-produced 'I Was Here'. Tedder is arguably one of the most irritating people working in pop today, and considering his track record, it's not a surprise that "I Was Here" is the most contemporary-sounding song off of 4. What is surprising is just how good it is. The production is predictably icky, making that increasingly common mistake of using distant footsteps and reverbed guitar to convey a clichéd sense of 'epicness'. But then there's Beyoncé, at the center of the mix, intoning in an uncommonly hushed tone, 'I wanna leave my footprints in the sands of time.' Instead of gnashing my teeth, I listen closer, wanting to hear this shockingly affecting elegy directed for once not at one specific lover, but the world that allowed her to express that love in the first place. Oddly enough, the song reminds me of Lars von TrierLars von TrierLars von Trier is a Danish film director and screenwriter. He is closely associated with the Dogme 95 collective, although his own films have taken a variety of different approaches, and have frequently received strongly divided critical opinion....
's best works, which provoke actual emotional reactions while being, on paper, contrived pieces of shit. 'I Was Here', and 4 in general, is that kind of a work, objectively middling, subjectively magnificent.
Matthew Perpetua of The Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
gave a mixed review of the song, stating that "'I Was Here' is the blustery ballad one would expect by a Knowles/Warren team-up, and stands off as flat and generic when compared to the rest of 4." Another reviewer of the same magazine, Jody Rosen coined "I Was Here" as a low point on the album and added that it is "swamped in "My Way"-style self-mythologizing." Rosen complimented Knowles' vocals stating she sings with authority. Rich Juzwiak of The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
complimented "I Was Here" as knocking harder than anything on 4s "bloated predecessor", I Am ... Sasha Fierce (2008). Similarly, Embling of Tiny Mix Tapes wrote: "'I Was Here' is a heavy brick of a song — overwrought, maudlin, delusionally grandiose — but it is also disarmingly honest about the addictive, undignified dimensions of fame and celebrity." Genevieve Koski of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
described "I Was Here" as "uncomfortably overwrought" although he said that Knowles manages to bring conviction to its lyrical content. Adam Markovitz of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
also gave the song a mixed review stating that it reached a "lifetime-movie levels of schmaltz". David Amidon of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
stated that "I Was Here" is "plain awkward to here a woman as in her prime physically as Beyoncé is to even approach such a tune. The dull music from Ryan Tedder and an army of co-producers does not help matters." Michael Cragg of The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
gave the song a negative review, stating that it disappoints as being "corny bluster at odds with the laid-back feel of her most accomplished album yet." Andy Gill of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
simply stated that "I Was Here" strains too hard for "Empire State of Mind
Empire State of Mind
"Empire State of Mind" is a song by American rapper and hip hop artist Jay-Z, featuring vocals and a chorus from R&B and soul singer Alicia Keys. It was released as the third single from Jay-Z's 11th studio album The Blueprint 3 by his Roc Nation label in October 2009...
" (2009) status. Hamish MacBain of NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
gave "I Was Here" a mixed review stating the song sounds like an X-Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
winner's single, full of unbelievably trite sentiments.
Live performance
Knowles performed "I Was Here" live for first time on August 14, 2011 during her 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé
4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé was a revue by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles. Held in four non-consecutive nights in August 2011, the concerts were part of Knowles' campaign in support of her fourth studio album 4 . Knowles performed to a standing room-only audience at the Roseland...
in Roseland Ballroom
Roseland Ballroom
The Roseland Ballroom is a multi-purpose hall, in a converted ice skating rink, with a colorful ballroom dancing pedigree, in New York City's theatre district, on West 52nd Street....
, New York City. She performed the song in front of 3,500 people wearing a gold dress and backed by her all-female band and her backing singers, called the Mamas. "I Was Here" served as the closing song of the revue
Revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
with Knowles changing the line, on which the tile of the song is based, to "Roseland, we were here." Jason Newman Rap-Up
Rap-Up
Rap-Up is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the hip hop and R&B aspect of the music industry, and...
commented that "in less confident hands, the line would have come off as hokey. For Beyoncé, it was the recognition of a singular event before returning to the stadium." According to Brad Wete from Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, during the performance of the song Knowles "bowed, fanatic screams and cheers followed." Mike Wass of Idolator
Idolator (website)
Idolator is a music blog. Created by the blog network Gawker Media in August 2006, Idolator was later sold to rival blog network Buzz Media, which also owns music blog Stereogum. From the 2007 departure of original head writer Brian Raftery until November 2009, the blog's head writer was Maura...
wrote:
[Knowles'] ability to bring new depth and texture to quality material is almost as impressive as her uncanny knack for connecting with the audience on an emotional level. Take, for instance, the final song — it was impossible not to be moved by [Knowles] as she fought tears while tackling the clearly personal lyrics of 'I Was Here'.
Jody Rosen of The Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, who had given the song a negative review wrote that "on record, ['I Was Here'] was a hollow exercise in self-mythologizing. On Sunday night, though, Beyoncé brought the song to life, singing with a tenacious mix of shmaltz and soul that evoked two of her heroes, Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
and Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
[...] It sounded less like bluster than confession. It was almost intimate." Yolanda Sangweni of Essence
Essence (magazine)
Essence is a monthly magazine for African-American women between the ages of 18 and 49. The magazine covers fashion, lifestyle and beauty with an intimate girlfriend-to-girlfriend tone.-History:...
magazine stated that ending the revue with "I Was Here" was "triumphant note" and that "Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
and Michael Jackson would be proud." The live performance for "I Was Here", which was added on the DVD 4 Live at Roseland, premiered online on November 16, 2011.
Usage in media
On July 19, 2011, "I Was Here" provided the soundtrack for the 2011 FIFA Women's World CupFIFA Women's World Cup
The FIFA Women's World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior women's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the...
Final. As reported by ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
on September 11, 2011, Knowles paid tribute to the September 11 attacks with "I Was Here" on the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the event. On September 21, 2011, it was announced via PR Newswire
PR Newswire
PR Newswire started out in 1954 as a vendor hired by companies and agencies to send out text press releases to the media. Today, PR Newswire is hired by corporations, public relations firms and non-governmental organizations to deliver news and multimedia content...
that Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) would launch "a star-studded" new Public Service Advertising (PSA) campaign and that the soundtrack for the campaign would be "I Was Here". Nationwide, Boys & Girls Clubs provide high-impact, affordable programs, and caring adult mentors, to keep kids on the path to great futures, emphasizing academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. The director, Ron Howard
Ron Howard
Ronald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...
explained the reason behind choosing "I Was Here" as the soundtrack of their new PSA: "We wanted the most powerful piece of music possible, to underscore the dramatic message that what we do today to shape the future of our children is vitally important. We could not have picked a more moving track. Diane's words and Beyonce's delivery are over the top."
Chart performance
Selling 14,173 digital downloads, the song opened at number 44 on the South Korea Gaon International Singles ChartGaon Chart
The Gaon Chart is a national record chart of South Korea. It is complied by the Korea Music Content Industry Association and sponsored by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism; with an aim to create a national chart for Korea similar to the Billboard charts and Oricon charts...
for the week ending July 2, 2011. Following the release of 4, "I Was Here" also charted at number 131 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
on July 9, 2011. "I Was Here" additionally debuted on the Swiss Singles Chart
Swiss Music Charts
The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...
at number 74 on July 10, 2011, before falling off the chart the following week.
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| South Korea Gaon International Singles Chart Gaon Chart The Gaon Chart is a national record chart of South Korea. It is complied by the Korea Music Content Industry Association and sponsored by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism; with an aim to create a national chart for Korea similar to the Billboard charts and Oricon charts... |
44 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
74 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
131 |
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from 4 liner notesLiner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
.
- Beyoncé Knowles – vocals, vocal production
- Eric Aylands – assistant engineer
- Smith Carlson – assistant engineer
- Serban GheneaSerban GheneaSerban Ghenea is a four-time Grammy Award and three-time Latin Grammy Award-winning mixer. He has mixed songs for such artists as Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Jewel, Santana, Ozomatli, Shakira, Jill Scott, R. Kelly, Rod Stewart, and Dave Matthews Band...
– mixerAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - John Hanes – mix engineerMix engineerA mix engineer, also referred to as "mixing engineer", is a person who, once all instruments, voices, and sounds, etc., have been recorded, creates what is called the final version of a song, hence the term "mix engineer"...
- Kuk HarrellKuk HarrellThaddis "Kuk" Harrell is an American songwriter, vocal producer, arranger and engineer. He is managed by RedZone Entertainment, and is a member of a songwriting–production team composed of himself, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The Dream" Nash...
– vocal production, vocal recorder
- Brent KutzleBrent KutzleBrent Michael Kutzle is an American musician, born in Newport Beach, California. Brent is best known for playing the bass guitar and cello for OneRepublic, who are signed to Interscope Records...
– additional programming, celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Phil Seaford – assistant mix engineer
- Jon Sher – assistant engineer
- Ryan TedderRyan TedderRyan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
– additional programming, background vocals, drums, producer - Diane WarrenDiane WarrenDiane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
– songwriterSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...