Shane Hawkins recently clarified misconceptions about his late father Taylor Hawkins’ favorite Foo Fighters song during a drum clinic appearance in the UK. The footage was captured and shared on TikTok.
The younger Hawkins addressed widespread beliefs about which song his father, the former Foo Fighters drummer, preferred to perform.
“This one [‘Low’ from Foo Fighters’ ‘One By One’ album] is one of my dad’s,” Shane Hawkins said. “His favorite.”
He went on to correct a common misconception about the track “Aurora.”
“People say that ‘Aurora’ was his favorite to play, but that’s a lie,” he continued. “Dave [Grohl] did let him play it with them, but it’s a hard fucking one for them to do.”
Shane’s revelation sheds new light on his father’s musical preferences. It challenges widely held beliefs about Taylor’s relationship with the band’s catalog.
Far Out Magazine reported that Taylor Hawkins had previously named two favorite Foo Fighters songs: “Aurora,” a mellow track from the 1999 album There Is Nothing Left to Lose, and “This Is A Call” from the band’s debut album. The drummer associated “This Is A Call” with the early days before he joined the band. This made it particularly meaningful to him.
The confusion around “Aurora” being Taylor’s favorite may have stemmed from its significance as his first recording with Foo Fighters. WRNR noted that the song marked Taylor’s debut on a Foo Fighters album after joining the band in 1997. This could explain why fans and media often highlighted it as his preferred track.
Shane’s emphasis on “Low” as his father’s true favorite reveals the complexity of Taylor’s musical tastes. Edge Little Rock reported that Shane noted “Low” presents technical challenges for Dave Grohl on guitar. This might explain why the song wasn’t performed as frequently in live settings despite being Taylor’s preferred choice.
The distinction between personal preference and public perception highlights how tribute narratives can sometimes overshadow an artist’s actual musical choices. Since Taylor’s passing in March 2022, “Aurora” has often been dedicated to him during Foo Fighters performances. This potentially reinforced the misconception that Shane has now corrected.
