Never There (Cake song) explained

"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]

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. "Never There" was the band's first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 78. In Iceland, the song was a top-10 hit, peaking at number nine in November 1998. The song also charted in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, reaching numbers 75, 42, and 66, respectively.

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.^[4]

Track listings

US and European CD single^{[5] [6]}

1. "Never There" (LP version) – 2:44
2. "Cool Blue Reason" (LP version) – 3:27

UK 7-inch single^[7]

A. "Never There" – 2:44

B. "I Will Survive" – 5:11

UK CD1^[8]

1. "Never There" (LP version)
2. "Cool Blue Reason" (LP version)
3. "Is This Love?" (live)
4. "Never There" (video)

UK CD2^[9]

1. "Never There" (LP version) – 2:44
2. "The Distance" (LP version) – 3:01
3. "You Part the Waters" (live) – 2:50
4. "The Distance" (video) – 3:04

Australian CD single^[10]

1. "Never There" (LP version) – 2:44
2. "Cool Blue Reason" (LP version) – 3:27
3. "Half as Much" – 2:54

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the European CD single and Prolonging the Magic liner notes.^{[6] [11]}

Studios

• Recorded at Pus Cavern, Paradise Studios (Sacramento, California), Hyde St. Studios, and Coast Recorders (San Francisco, California)
• Mastered at Precision Mastering (Los Angeles)

Cake

• John McCrea – writing, vocals, acoustic guitar, production
• Vincent Di Fiore – trumpet, background vocals
• Todd Roper – drums, background vocals
• Gabriel Nelson – bass guitar
• Xan McCurdy – electric guitar

Other personnel

• Kirt Shearer – mixing
• Craig Long – mixing
• Don C. Tyler – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1998–1999)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[12]	75
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[13]	9

Year-end charts

Chart (1999)	Position
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[15]	64
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[16]	7

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)
Australia	September 27, 1998	CD	Capricorn
United States	October 20, 1998	Contemporary hit radio		[17]
United Kingdom	April 19, 1999			[18]

Notes and References

1. Web site: BuzzFeed. Brian Galindo, Alex Naidus & Ryan Creed. 37 Alt Rock Songs You Haven't Thought About Since The Late '90s. November 19, 2015. November 5, 2023.
2. Web site: Triple J Hottest 100 1998. Australian Broadcasting Company. March 15, 2019.
3. The Modern Age. Bell. Carrie. Billboard. 110. 41. 81. October 10, 1998. September 25, 2020.
4. Production Notes. Billboard. 110. 42. 96. October 17, 1998. September 25, 2020.
5. Never There. Cake. 1998. US CD single liner notes. Capricorn Records. 566526-2.
6. Never There. Cake. 1998. European CD single liner notes. Capricorn Records. 566 526-2.
7. Never There. Cake. 1999. UK 7-inch single sleeve. Capricorn Records, Mercury Records. 870 810-7.
8. Never There. Cake. 1999. UK CD1 liner notes. Capricorn Records, Mercury Records. 870 811-2.
9. Never There. Cake. 1999. UK CD2 liner notes. Capricorn Records, Mercury Records. 870 813-2.
10. Web site: Australian-charts.com – Cake – Never There. ARIA Top 50 Singles. November 19, 2020.
11. Prolonging the Magic. Prolonging the Magic. Cake. 1998. US CD album liner notes. Capricorn Records. 314 538 092-2.
12. Book: Ryan, Gavin. Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. 2011. Moonlight Publishing. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia. pdf. 47.
13. News: Íslenski Listinn (27.11–4.11. 1998). Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 12. November 27, 1998. October 4, 2019.
14. Most Played Modern Rock Songs of 1998. Airplay Monitor. 6. 52. 47. December 25, 1998.
15. Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1999. Airplay Monitor. 7. 52. 54. December 24, 1999.
16. 1999 The Year in Music: Hot Modern Rock Tracks. Billboard. 111. 52. YE-90. December 25, 1999. April 2, 2020.
17. New Releases. Radio & Records. 1270. 76. October 16, 1998.
18. New Releases – For Week Starting 19 April, 1999: Singles. Music Week. 27. April 17, 1999.