I Follow Rivers


"I Follow Rivers" is a song by Swedish recording artist Lykke Li from her second studio album, Wounded Rhymes. Produced by Björn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John, it was released on 21January 2011 as the album's second single. The track premiered exclusively on SPIN.com on 10January 2011.
Belgian DJ/producer the Magician remixed and reworked "I Follow Rivers" in 2011, peaking at number one in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Romania, number two in Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, and the Netherlands, and number four in France. The remix was deemed "'90s house".
Belgian band Triggerfinger covered "I Follow Rivers" in 2012, peaking at number one in Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Music video

The music video, directed by Tarik Saleh and filmed at Närsholmen on the Swedish island of Gotland, features Li in a black robe and veil chasing a man through a snowy landscape. An unofficial music video consisting of scenes from the French film Blue Is the Warmest Colour played with the Magician's remix was uploaded to YouTube by user Aldo Zuga on March 9, 2014, and has over 672 million views as of January 2026, surpassing the original music video's 91 million views as of May 2024.

Track listings

  • ;Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish iTunes EP – Remixes
  1. "I Follow Rivers" – 3:42
  2. "I Follow Rivers" – 3:58
  3. "I Follow Rivers" – 4:40
  4. "I Follow Rivers" – 6:41
  • ;UK iTunes EP
  1. "I Follow Rivers" – 3:48
  2. "I Follow Rivers" – 3:58
  3. "I Follow Rivers" – 6:41
  1. "I Follow Rivers" – 4:40
  2. "I Follow Rivers" – 3:20

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart Peak
position
Euro Digital Tracks 8
Moldova Airplay 39

Year-end charts

Chart Position
Austria 21
Belgium 12
Belgium 7
France 6
Germany 3
Hungary 18
Hungary 15
Ireland 16
Netherlands 3
Netherlands 4
Romania 1
Russia Airplay 72
Switzerland 9

Chart Position
Brazil 64
France 45
Hungary 25
Hungary 97
Italy 7
Italy Airplay 10
Slovenia 28
Russia Airplay 1
Switzerland 72
Ukraine Airplay 56

Chart Position
France 83
Russia Airplay 148
Ukraine Airplay 187

Chart Position
France 177

Triggerfinger version

Belgian band Triggerfinger covered "I Follow Rivers" during Giel Beelen's show on the Dutch radio station 3FM in what was called "a fragile version". They used glasses, cups, and knives to create a rhythmical background section. Triggerfinger's version was released as a single on 24 February 2012, topping the singles chart in Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands, while reaching number nine in Germany and number seventeen in Switzerland.

Track listings

  • ;Belgian and Dutch iTunes single
  1. "I Follow Rivers" – 3:34
  • ;German CD single
  1. "I Follow Rivers" – 3:35
  2. "Let It Ride" – 3:24

Other versions and use in media