(Everything I Do) I Do It for You


" I Do It for You" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. Written by Adams, Michael Kamen, and Robert John "Mutt" Lange, it featured on two albums simultaneously on its release: the soundtrack album from the 1991 film and on Adams's sixth album, Waking Up the Neighbours.
The song was an enormous chart success internationally, reaching the number-one position on the music charts of at least sixteen countries. It is particularly notable for its success in the United Kingdom, where it spent sixteen consecutive weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart, the longest uninterrupted run ever on that chart as of 2020. It went on to sell more than 15 million copies worldwide, making it Adams's most successful song, and one of the best-selling singles of all time. The single sold over 4 million units in the US, the 4th highest selling song of the Soundscan era which started in 1991. The song has been covered by hundreds of singers and artists around the world.

Background

The musicians on the original recording are Adams on lead vocals, backing vocals and rhythm guitar, Bill Payne, Mickey Curry, Larry Klein, Keith Scott, and Mutt Lange. Based on orchestral music by Kamen, the song was written in London, U.K. at the studio Adams was working at in 1990, and he and Lange wrote it in 45 minutes, recording it the following March, and releasing it three months later. The song is performed in the key of D major.

Music videos

The official music video for the song was directed by Julien Temple. A video was also commissioned for a live version of the song, directed by Andy Morahan. It shows Adams and his band performing the song in a wooded forest with a silk mill in the background, and Adams alone performing on a rocky beachside, intercut with scenes from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

Charts and certifications

In the United Kingdom, " I Do It for You" has the longest unbroken run at number one, spending sixteen consecutive weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart from July to October 1991.
The power ballad also spent seven weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and nine weeks atop the Canadian Singles Chart in Adams's native Canada. Billboard ranked it as the number-one song for 1991.
Adams, Kamen and Lange won a Grammy Award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television, and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards of 1992. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song, but lost to "Beauty and the Beast."

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

All-time charts

Sales and certifications

Fatima Mansions version

The Irish band Fatima Mansions released a heavily altered cover of the song as part of an NME tribute album in aid of the charity, the Spastics Society. The single was a double A-side with the Manic Street Preachers' version of "Suicide Is Painless". The single entered the UK top ten in 1992, and reached number 12 in the Republic of Ireland. However, the Manic Street Preachers song received most of the UK radio airplay.

Brandy version

American singer Brandy rerecorded " I Do It for You" for the standard version of her second studio album Never Say Never. Producer David Foster reworked the arrangement of the original song, with Dean Parks playing the acoustic guitar.
In 1999, her cover version was released as the album's final single on a double A-side with "U Don't Know Me" on the Oceanic music market, where it reached the top 30 of New Zealand's RIANZ singles chart. That same year, she performed the song live at VH1 Divas Live '99 alongside Billy Joel.

Track listings

  1. " I Do It for You" – 4:10
  2. "U Don't Know Me" – 4:29
  3. "Have You Ever?" – 5:40

    Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from Never Say Never liner notes.