I Swear (John Michael Montgomery song)

"I Swear"
Single by John Michael Montgomery
from the album Kickin' It Up
Released	December 13, 1993
Format	CD single, Cassette single, 7" vinyl
Recorded	1993
Genre	Country
Label	Atlantic Nashville
Writer(s)	Gary Baker Frank J. Myers
Producer(s)	Scott Hendricks
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
John Michael Montgomery singles chronology
"Beer and Bones" (1993) "I Swear" (1993) "Rope the Moon" (1994)

"I Swear" is a ballad written by Gary Baker and Frank J. Myers that became a hit for two acts in 1994. Initially, it was a number-one single on the U.S. Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart for American country music artist John Michael Montgomery at the beginning of the year. His version crossed over to pop radio and climbed to number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100. A few months later, American pop group All-4-One covered the song and achieved great success in many countries. In Latin America it has been translated “Juraré” performed by the Costa Rican group Centinelas Vocal Band.^[1] In 1998, the Mexican country band Caballo Dorado recorded a Spanish version called "Ya sé".

Content

The song is a ballad in which the narrator promises his significant other that he will always love her.

Music video

The music video was directed by Marc Ball and premiered in late 1993.

Track listings

CD maxi—United States (1993)

1. "I Swear" – 4:23
2. "Line on Love" – 2:37
3. "Dream on Texas Ladies" – 3:08
4. "Friday at Five" – 2:41

Charts

"I Swear" debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs for the week of December 18, 1993.

Chart (1994)	Peak position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[2]	1
US Billboard Hot 100[3]	42
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[4]	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1994)	Position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[5]	8
US Country Songs (Billboard)[6]	1

All-4-One version

"I Swear"
Single by All-4-One
from the album All-4-One
Released	April 28, 1994
Format	CD single, cassette, 7" single
Recorded	1993
Genre	Pop, R&B
Label	Blitzz/Atlantic Records
Producer(s)	David Foster
All-4-One singles chronology
"So Much in Love" (1993) "I Swear" (1994) "(She's Got) Skillz" (1994)
Music video "I Swear" on YouTube

Several months after John Michael Montgomery had released his original version, R&B/pop vocal quartet All-4-One recorded their own version with producer David Foster.

All-4-One's version hit number one in numerous countries, including the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., where it remained for eleven consecutive weeks. It peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, where it stayed for seven consecutive weeks, being held off number one by Wet Wet Wet's "Love Is All Around", which went on to spend 15 weeks at number one. This version spent a total of 18 weeks in the UK charts.

The All-4-One version of the song is slightly different to the original, in that the line "And when there's silver in your hair" from the second verse was replaced by "And when just the two of us are there." This version ranks number 88 on Billboard's All-Time Top 100 Songs list.^[7]

Music video

A music video was produced to promote the single. It portrays the members of All-4-One hanging out on a rooftop, until they spot a woman. The rest of the music video shows the band members kicking a cardboard box through a puddle and bantering with her until she drives off on a public bus.

Track listings

CD single

1. "I Swear" (radio edit) – 3:43
2. "I Swear" (radio remix) – 4:19

CD maxi

1. "I Swear" (radio edit) – 3:43
2. "I Swear" (radio mix) – 4:18
3. "I Swear" (radio remix) – 4:18
4. "I Swear" (album version) – 4:18

7" single

1. "I Swear" (radio edit) – 3:43
2. "I Swear" (radio remix) – 4:19

Charts and sales

Peak positions Chart (1994–95) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[8] 1 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[8] 1 Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[9] 2 Canada (RPM)[10] 1 Denmark (IFPI)[11] 1 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[12] 4 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[13] 6 France (SNEP)[8] 2 Germany (Media Control Charts)[14] 1 Ireland (IRMA)[15] 3 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16] 1 New Zealand (RIANZ)[8] 1 Norway (VG-lista)[8] 2 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[8] 1 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[8] 1 United Kingdom (The Official Charts Company)[17] 2 U.S. Billboard Hot 100[18] 1 U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks[18] 3 U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Singles[18] 13 U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40[18] 1 U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream[18] 1

End of year charts End of year chart (1994) Position Australian ARIA Singles Chart[19] 2 Austrian Singles Chart[20] 5 Dutch Singles Chart[21] 11 French Singles Chart[22] 15 German Singles Chart[23] 2 New Zealand Singles Chart[24] 2 Norwegian Singles Chart (Sommer Period)[25] 2 Swiss Singles Chart[26] 4 UK Singles Chart 5 U.S. Billboard Hot 100[27] 2 End of decade charts Chart (1990–1999) Position U.S. Billboard Hot 100[28] 9 All-time charts Chart (1958–2013) Position U.S. Billboard Hot 100[7] 88 Certifications Region Certification Sales/shipments Australia (ARIA)[29] 2× Platinum 140,000 Austria (IFPI Austria)[30] Platinum 50,000 Germany (BVMI)[31] Platinum 500,000 Netherlands (NVPI)[32] Gold 50,000 New Zealand (RMNZ)[33] Platinum 15,000 Sweden (GLF)[34] Gold 25,000 United Kingdom (BPI)[35] Platinum 600,000 United States (RIAA)[36] Platinum 1,500,000[37] ^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

POPSTARS Germany 2010 finalists version

"I Swear"
Single by Gary Baker Feat. POPSTARS
from the album No Sleep
Released	19 November 2010
Format	CD single, digital single
Genre	Pop
Length	4:03
Label	Starwatch/Warner
Producer(s)	Gary Baker
LaViVe chronology "I Swear" (2010) "No Time for Sleeping" (2010)

The final eleven contestants from Popstars: Girls forever, ninth season of TV talent show POPSTARS in Germany released a cover version of the song with Gary Baker on November 19, 2010. The finalists premiered the song live on the November 18th edition of the programme; the single was available for digital download on November 16, 2010 and a physical release followed the day after the Live performance. The song was recorded at Noiseblock Studios in Florence, Alabama.

Track listings

CD single

1. "I Swear" – 04:03
2. "Empire of Love" – 03:28

Charts

Chart (2010)	Peak position
German Singles Chart	68

In popular culture

• The song was performed by UCLA's Bruin Harmony in the 2010 film The Social Network during a Valentine's Day a cappella music review at Harvard.
• Following the success of the All-4-One version, Filipino boy group Quamo performed the Tagalog version of this song in 1994, with lyrics almost faithful to the original.
• The song was performed in a comedic fashion by Eric Cartman in the South Park episode "Cartman Finds Love" and a part of it with special guest Brad Paisley; the show originally aired on April 25, 2012.
• The song was featured in the 2005 American film Just Friends.
• The song was sung by South Korean entertainer Ji Suk-jin in 1993 for a reporter audition for SBS, the video recording of which resurfaced on the 8th episode of Running Man, to great comedic effect.
• The song was performed by the Minions in a wedding scene between Gru (the movie's main character) and Lucy (his partner in a case investigation) in the 2013 animated film Despicable Me 2 (humorously but deliberately sung as "Underwear") and its soundtrack.
• The song was featured in an advertisement by Sky News as part of the UK General Election 2015. It consists of archive footage of David Cameron, Nick Clegg, Nigel Farage, and Ed Miliband speaking out cleverly edited into the lyrics of the song. This advert is known as a Ballot Ballad.

References

1. Revernation Artist, CENTINELAS VOCAL BAND.
2. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 2387." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. February 14, 1994. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
3. "John Michael Montgomery – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for John Michael Montgomery.
4. "John Michael Montgomery – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for John Michael Montgomery.
5. "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1994". RPM. December 12, 1994. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
6. "Best of 1994: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1994. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
7. Bronson, Fred (August 2, 2013). "Hot 100 55th Anniversary: The All-Time Top 100 Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
8. "I Swear", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved April 26, 2008)
9. Belgian peak
10. 1994 Canadian RPM Top Singles (Retrieved November 11, 2010)
11. Danish peak
12. Eurochart peak
13. source: Pennanen, Timo: Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972. Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava, 2006. ISBN 9789511210535. page: 280
14. "All-4-One singles, German Singles Chart" (in German). musicline. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
15. Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved April 26, 2008)
16. "Single top 100 over 1994" (pdf) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
17. UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved April 26, 2008)
18. Billboard Allmusic.com (Retrieved August 10, 2008)
19. 1994 Australian Singles Chart aria.com (Retrieved April 26, 2008)
20. 1994 Austrian Singles Chart Austriancharts.at (Retrieved April 26, 2008)
21. http://www.dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1994&cat=s
22. 1994 French Singles Chart Disqueenfrance.com (Retrieved January 30, 2009)
23. "End Of Year Charts - Top 5 Singles 1994". Retrieved 2011-08-29.
24. 1994 New Zealand Singles Chart (Retrieved April 26, 2015)
25. 1994 Norwegian Singles Chart (Retrieved April 26, 2015)
26. 1994 Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch (Retrieved April 26, 2008)
27. "Billboard Top 100 - 1994". Retrieved 2010-08-27.
28. Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
29. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1994 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association.
30. "Austrian single certifications – All 4 One – I Swear" (in German). IFPI Austria. Enter All 4 One in the field Interpret. Enter I Swear in the field Titel. Select single in the field Format. Click Suchen
31. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (All-4-One; 'I Swear')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
32. Dutch certifications nvpi.nl (Retrieved December 9, 2008)
33. THE FIELD id (chart number) MUST BE PROVIDED for NEW ZEALAND CERTIFICATION.
34. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden.
35. "British single certifications – All-4-One – I Swear". British Phonographic Industry. Enter I Swear in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
36. "American single certifications – All 4 One – I Swear". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
37. "Best-Selling Records of 1994". Billboard (BPI Communications) 107 (3): 57. January 21, 1995. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 5, 2015.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
• Music video for the John Michael Montgomery version on MTV.com