Lead singer Bono wrote the lyrics to "I Will Follow" in tribute to his mother Iris Hewson, who died when he was 14 years old.

[3] During early rehearsals of the song, the group frequently had loud arguments, as lead vocalist Bono was struggling to convey the aggression for the guitar riff that he was envisioning.

[5] The song features a glockenspiel to provide what Bono called "underlying instrumental colouring"; it was added at his suggestion, and was played during the Boy recording sessions by him and the Edge.

[7] For the middle eight section of the song, Lillywhite recorded the sounds of cutlery rubbing against the spokes of a spinning wheel on an upturned bicycle, as well as Bono smashing bottles.

[4][8] Record World reviewed the original single release in 1980, describing the song as an "electronic rocker" in which the "urgent vocals match the intense keyboard pulse.

[...] The arena-ready clarion call also established Bono's trademark lyrical earnestness, one of the reasons the song remains a fan favorite and a staple of the band's recent tours.