“That’s what happens”: the Foo Fighters song Dave Grohl wrote after listening to too much Fleetwood Mac
For the most part, detecting the influences of Dave Grohl seems easy. Rising from the enigmatic abyss of Nirvana, Grohl injected new life into Foo Fighters with a sound that borrowed from many facets of his musical taste, enabling rock to shine as the true force it was always meant to be. On one occasion, however, listening to music from the 1970s saw his sound take off in a temporary direction.
Despite the predictable nature of some of Grohl’s more established influences, some of his more unexpected, off-kilter ones seem entirely fitting, too, especially when looking at the main reason the Foo Fighters project took off in the first place. Though intended to be nothing more than a temporary placeholder, the band name itself stemmed from his fascination with otherworldly entities and his desire to gain more creative control.
After all, within Nirvana, almost everything was left up to Kurt Cobain, so embarking on a new solo project—at least, that’s what Foo was in the beginning—meant that Grohl was suddenly faced with a playground of choice. For some, this could seem overwhelming, particularly for artists who need sonic guidance from others, but for Grohl, it was the perfect opportunity to blend all of his interests into one.
Beyond his obvious fascination with UFOs, which paved the way for, as he described it, “the stupidest fucking band name in the world,” Grohl also once entertained an unwarranted fascination with music from the 1970s, namely Fleetwood Mac, which momentarily altered his approach to music, making it sound like a product of the folk-rock five-piece, even though he wouldn’t exactly describe that type of sound anywhere near among his favourites.
The resulting track, ‘Ain’t It The Life’, immediately channelled the acoustic-leaning, lovelorn ballad-type sonic tapestry that permeated the sound of bands like Fleetwood Mac in the ’70s, even bleeding into Grohl’s vocal delivery itself, which appeared far more delicate and considered than many of the other songs on There Is Nothing Left To Lose. Although the song’s meaning extends beyond these seminal influences and was written about “living the quiet, peaceful Virginia life,” its tenderness becomes its main driver, reflecting the laidback intimacy of the decade’s folk-rock pioneers.
Discussing how the track came together and the sounds it mirrors, Grohl later executed his signature bluntness underscored by subtle wit and amusement, saying, “That’s what happens when you listen to too much mellow ’70s gold Fleetwood Mac-type stuff while recording.”
He added: “‘Ain’t it the’ life sounds like an Eagles song or something, and I hate the Eagles.”
Interestingly, the sound wasn’t the only thing emulating heroes from a bygone era, as Grohl also wrote the song from a place of disillusionment with Los Angeles, capturing a reflective moment in time when he chose peace over frustration.
He even once said that the song is the one he “would love to play on my porch,” reflecting the kind of introspective march towards self-discovery in the chaos of modern life, where simplicity and connection often feel like elusive luxuries. In many ways, this wasn’t just an overt reimagination of earlier songs by Fleetwood Mac or even the Eagles but a transitionary period that saw Foo Fighters entertaining the nuance of rock and folk sensibilities, reflecting the kind of timeless energy needed to keep Grohl’s vision alive.
