Never There (Cake song)

Last updated
"Never There"
Never there CAKE.jpg
Single by Cake
from the album Prolonging the Magic
B-side "I Will Survive"
ReleasedSeptember 27, 1998 (1998-09-27)
Studio
Genre Alternative rock [1]
Length2:44
Label Capricorn
Songwriter(s) John McCrea
Producer(s) John McCrea
Cake singles chronology
"Friend Is a Four Letter Word"
(1998)
"Never There"
(1998)
"Let Me Go"
(1999)
Music video
"Never There" on YouTube

"Never There" is the first single released from American alternative rock band Cake's third studio album, Prolonging the Magic (1998). The song was commercially successful, topping the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and appearing on the music charts of four other countries. In Australia, the song appeared at number 30 on the Triple J Hottest 100 countdown for 1998. [2]

Contents

Content

According to Cake vocalist John McCrea, the lyrics are sung from the viewpoint of a boy who is frustrated that his girlfriend never answers his phone calls. The boyfriend believes he will not make it through life without her, but in reality, he needs to focus on his own concerns instead. McCrea has described "Never There" as "a country song in disguise". [3]

Chart performance

The song spent three weeks at number one on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, surpassing "The Distance" (which peaked at number four) as the band's highest-charting single. [4] "Never There" was the band's first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 78. [5] In Iceland, the song was a top-10 hit, peaking at number nine in November 1998. [6] The song also charted in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, reaching numbers 75, 42, and 66, respectively. [7] [8] [9]

Music video

The music video for "Never There", directed by McCrea, features Cake performing in a western-style bar, while a story arc covers a trucker calling his girlfriend on a pay phone and she never answers as she is too busy partying with male body builders in speedos. It was filmed in Sacramento, California. [10]

Track listings

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the European CD single and Prolonging the Magic liner notes. [12] [17]

Studios

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [24] Gold500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
AustraliaSeptember 27, 1998CD Capricorn [16]
United StatesOctober 20, 1998 Contemporary hit radio [25]
United KingdomApril 19, 1999
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
[26]

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