"I Will" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, from their 1968 double album The Beatles (also known as "the White Album"). It was written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon–McCartney) and features him on lead vocal, guitar, and "vocal bass". Background "I Will" was one of the songs composed by the Beatles and their associates while in Rishikesh, India. Although the music came together fairly easily, the words were worked on in India, and remained unfinished even as recording began back in London. McCartney recalled that while in Rishikesh he and Donovan had written a set of lyrics with a "moon" theme, but he found them inadequate and so replaced them with "very simple words, straight love-song words". Donovan could not recall writing any of the early lyrics for the song but said that he possibly assisted McCartney with the "shape of the chords", in keeping with the "descending movements" in his own melodies. McCartney also commented on "I Will": "It's still one of my favourite melodies that I've written. You just occasionally get lucky with a melody and it becomes rather complete and I think this is one of them; quite a complete tune." Recording Recording for "I Will" took place at EMI Studios in London on 16 September 1968, with McCartney completing overdubs the following day. The basic track required 67 takes. George Harrison was not present at the session. During take 19, McCartney ad-libbed an untitled song. Referred to as "Can you take me back?", a 28-second segment of this ended up on side four of The Beatles, at the end of "Cry Baby Cry", as what author Ian MacDonald described as "a sinister introduction to 'Revolution 9'". In take 29, McCartney, as an ad-lib, sung "won't" in place of "will" during the first verse before John Lennon replies, "Yes you will." McCartney chuckles after this ad-lib and then the song ends at this point. This take was included in the expanded box set of The Beatles released in 2018. Release and reception Apple Records released The Beatles on 22 November 1968, with "I Will" sequenced as the penultimate track on side two, between "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?" and "Julia". During an interview for Radio Luxembourg to promote the release, McCartney emphasised the wide range of musical styles found on the double album. He said that "I Will" was