The Mandela Effect refers to the paranormal circumstance in which a collective mass of people remember something in a specific way, but it turns out that something happened differently than remembered - in other words, a false memory.
This phenomenon is exactly what comes to mind when listening to the original lyrics of the 1982 Whitesnake ballad “Here I Go Again," that goes “And here I go again on my own, Going down the only road I’ve ever known, Like a drifter I was born to walk alone." The ballad was released within their fifth studio album, Saints & Sinners, an album Coverdale described as "[his] contractual obligation album" to Ultimate Classic Rock.
Curiously, many have cited the distinct recollection of singing along to the song previously with the lyrics, “Going down the only road I’ve ever known, Like a hobo I was born to walk alone.”
As commented by one Reddit user, “I’m only 48...seriously, it was “hobo” in the 1982 version.”
Coverdale displaced this confusion in an interview, stating “he changed the lyric” from “hobo” to “drifter,” because “he was afraid people would think he was saying homo instead of hobo.”
It turned out Coverdale was inspired to re-record "Crying in the Rain" five years later from Saints & Sinners, which the label agreed to, as long as he also re-recorded "Here I Go Again," towards a more friendly radio version. The 1987 re-recording of "Here I Go Again" had some minute additional alterations, noticeable by those with an incredible ear for detail. This new version was set at a slightly different rhythmic pace and also lacked a drum beat at 4:22.
It was this version that became the first Whitesnake song to receive airplay on adult contemporary radio stations and became a hit on MTV as well, which was no surprise given the incredulous opening scene of the beautiful Tawny Kitaen doing a cartwheel on the hoods of two Jaguars.
"Here I Go Again" is a song by British rock band Whitesnake. Originally released on their 1982 album, Saints & Sinners, the power ballad was re-recorded for their 1987 self-titled album. The song was re-recorded again the same year in a new "radio-mix" version, which was released as a single and hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on 10 October 1987 (the band's only number-one on that chart), and also number nine on the UK Singles Chart on 28 November 1987. The 1987 version also hit number one on the Canadian Singles Chart on 24 October 1987.
In 2003, Q magazine ranked it 962nd on their list of 1001 "Best Songs Ever".[8] In 2006, the 1987 version was ranked number 17 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '80s.[9] In 2012 Reader's Poll of Rolling Stone it ranked as 9th among Top 10 "The Best Hair Metal Songs of All Time".[3] In 2017, The Daily Telegraph included it among Top 21 best power ballads.[10]
Background and writing[edit]
The song was written by the lead singer, David Coverdale, and former Whitesnake guitarist, Bernie Marsden. The most notable difference between the original and re-recorded versions are a slight change in the bluesy lyrics and pace.[11] The re-recording of the song in 1987 was advised by record labels bosses Al Coury and David Geffen as a negotiation deal with Coverdale to re-record "Crying in the Rain" for the band's self-titled album Whitesnake released in 1987.[12][13][14]
The chorus of the original version features the lines:
And here I go again on my own
Goin' down the only road I've ever known
Like a hobo I was born to walk alone
In an interview, Coverdale explained that initially the lyrics had "drifter" but as that was already used in different songs he chose instead "hobo", however the latter was changed again to "drifter" in the re-recorded '87 version, reportedly to ensure that it would not be misheard as "homo".[11][13]
The song was used in the climax of romantic comedy film Man Up (2015).[11]
Composition[edit]
The song is composed in the key of G major and a tempo of 91 BPM.[15]
Music video[edit]
The '82 music video features the band performing the song onstage.[13] The music video for the '87 re-recorded version was directed by Marty Callner.[16] The video includes, besides the band's stage performance, appearances by model Julie E. "Tawny" Kitaen, who was married to Whitesnake's David Coverdale from 1989 to 1991.[3][13] Her notable sex-appeal was immediately recognized, having memorable unchoreographed scenes dressed "in a white negligee, writhing and cartwheeling across the hoods of two Jaguars XJ" which belonged to Coverdale (white) and Callner (black).[16][17][18] Coverdale recalls that he even brought choreographer Paula Abdul to the set to show some moves to Coverdale's girlfriend Tawny, but only to positively exclaim that she couldn't "show her anything".[19][20][21] Coverdale's iconic white Jaguar once again appeared in the music video for single "Shut Up & Kiss Me" from their 2019 studio album Flesh & Blood.[19][22]
The song's '87 video was placed on New York Times list of the 15 Essential Hair-Metal Videos.[23]
Single versions[edit]
There are several different versions of the song, all recorded officially by Whitesnake.[13]
In 1987, EMI released a limited Collectors Poster Edition 'USA Single Remix' 7" vinyl [EMP 35], the B-side of which consists of an engraved signature version, and the sleeve of which unfolds into a poster of the band.[26] In 1997 the band recorded an acoustic version, released on their Starkers in Tokyo live album.[13]
Personnel[edit]
Original 1982 version from Saints & Sinners:
1987 version from Whitesnake:
1987 radio-mix version:
Chart performance[edit]
This song is notable for being the only Whitesnake song to get airplay on adult contemporary stations despite the fact "Is This Love" reached number 38 there and this song did not chart at all on the AC charts.[27]