Never Been Any Reason by Head East

Album: Flat As A Pancake (1975)

Charted: 68

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Songfacts®:

This was written by Mike Somerville, who was the band's lead guitarist from 1973-1980, and again from 1994-2003. The song is about a guy who returns home - possibly from a tour - and has it out with his woman.
The band formed in southern Illinois in 1969 but went through a number of member changes before arriving at their core lineup in 1973. They honed their craft playing colleges and clubs in the midwest, which is where they developed "Never Been Any Reason." According to lead singer John Schlitt, they would sometimes introduce it as a song by Three Dog Night because club owners didn't want them playing original songs.
This song, along with the rest of Head East's debut album, was recorded at Golden Voice Recording, a tiny studio in Mike Somerville's hometown of South Pekin, Illinois. Instead of making a demo and pitching it to record companies, they just made the Flat As A Pancake album and released it independently on their own Pyramid Records label in 1974. They produced it themselves, keeping it simple and faithful to the arrangements they honed from playing the songs on the road.

When they were done recording, they had 2,000 vinyl copies pressed and sent one to every radio station and promoter in the area they thought might be interested. They ploy worked; "Never Been Any Reason" earned airplay on KSHE in St. Louis and Y-102 in Kansas City, leading to a deal with A&M Records, who signed the band and re-released the album in June 1975. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Stevie Lee - WSFR, Louisville, KY
Head East charted higher with their next single, "Love Me Tonight," which made #54 US, but "Never Been Any Reason" is by far their most popular song, showing incredible endurance. Classic rock radio stations often pepper it into their playlists, as it's one of the few songs that listeners seem to love even if they've never heard it before. The band remained active in some form for decades, and the song was always their showstopper.
This was used in the 1993 movie Dazed and Confused, which takes place in 1976. Other films to use the song include J-Men Forever (1979), Sahara (2005) and The Education of Charlie Banks (2007).

Comments: 25

Rock Junkie from PortlandBreak glass is an old idiom. Signifies an omen. Also has a meaning from fire alarms. Did you have any emergencies? So it has multiple meanings, like most art.
Xander Karl Aka ,z from Westerly R.i.Taylor swift lives just around the corner. was scrolling through videos and came upon this band, liked the song so I listened to the song about once a week. Sad but great at the same time!
Seventh Mist from 7th HeavenJohn Schlitt WAS “going down for the last time” after his cocaine and alcohol addiction got him kicked out of the band in 1980. He was close to suicide before turning his life around and in 1985, he came back stronger than ever as Petra’s new lead vocalist.
Smoothy from PennaI was 25 when this song came out good old song brings back memories
Adam from CaliforniaAfter Head East, John Schlitt was in a Christian rock band, Petra. Even before I knew that, this song seemed like it might be Christian:

• I've been walking behind you / Since you've been able to see – Jesus to depressed guy
• There's never been any reason / For you to think about me – Jesus says, while you’ve been doing drugs, you haven’t been thinking about me
• Would you be my companion? / Is there even a chance? – Depressed guy doesn’t believe he is worthy of forgiveness
• Woman with the sweet lovin', better than a white line – Becoming saved has depressed guy choose relationship over drugs
• You never give me no answer, you never tell me the truth / There's never been any reason / For me to think about you – Depressed guy explains his feeling abandoned by God and why he has not been religious until now

It doesn't fully fit, but that was the first thing that I thought of when I first heard it.
Norm Peterson from WashingtonI always thought it was "better than a white lie"..I played in a band called Seattle Star and we covered this song. I had the Minimoog and a Hammond CV organ..I nailed the sound! Also saw Head East at the Gold Creek Dome at the height of this songs popularity..Drummer traded off vocal lines with the singer..Shouted a bit too much encouragement to the crowd during the breakdown!! IMO...little cheesy. Classic smash hit!
Dave from WisconsinThe song takes on themes of the times, which included a lot of veterans coming back from Vietnam. The first two lines were intended to mimic the lines a woman might say after greeting her love interest after he returned from the war. Most of the rest is from a different voice, which is the voice of the guy who went to Vietnam. He's realizing that he faced life and death circumstances and isn't willing to mince words anymore with his love interest. He's willing to tell her what she means to him and his state of mind, and he gives her the control of saving him from his past. The song switches between the voices of the woman and the man. The mention of 'better than a white line' is about cocaine, but the feeling he gets from her is better. The major success of this song has a lot to do with its incredible use of the Moog synthesizer. This is an amazing song. One of the best rock songs ever.
Smart GuyClearly a song about blow.
Diamond Davey from San Diego This band, Head East, I certainly do recall, KY-102, playing this song and I immediately went out to, Planet Earth, 38th street, k.C.,KS., and bought the cassette for my ride! They were and as far as I'm concerned, still ate, flippin awesome but, will they make it into, the rock 'n' roll hall of fame, is the big ?
Paul Ray from Columbus, OhioI noticed the verse “woman is a sweet love, better than a white line” and suspected it might be a line of cocaine. I could be wrong yet lyrics interpretation are up to each individual.
Robert from LexingtonIt's more than likely about meth. Back in those days we snorted it.
Zach from Columbus, OhioSteve from c.t.

Its true that glass is a term for methamphetamine but I'm pretty sure the 'did you break any glass' line is referring to cutting up lines of cocaine on a mirror (glass). I could be wrong, dont know much about the song but as a former user, it seems to make sense that if the song is focusing on cocaine, the phrase I would argue, eludes to the act of cutting up lines rather than mentioning meth, which if my older friends are correct was not even crystal meth back then but more of a powder.
Vicister from MissouriHead East made this song back in the era of arena rock. Powerful music was sweeping the nation and "Never been any Reason" certainly fit as a Arena Rock Anthem. The lyrics describe a Cociane high. White lines were the drug of choice at the time nation wide, it was a snow- fest that year. "Save my life, I'm going down for the last time" describes a highly pure form of Cociane feeling with the spirling effect winding downward through the nerve system. It's not the late 70's anymore and that level of drug just isn't around anymore.
William from Reno, NvThe first time I heard this song was in a bar at closing time. I've seen bands cover this one all over the place as closing song.
Even Hawaii. K/H D
Steve O.t. from Ct.Don. Did you break any glass? Refers to Crystal Meth use.
Seventhmist from 7th HeavenRob, lead vocalist John Schlitt was kicked out of Head East in 1980 for drug use and hit rock bottom soon after, attempting suicide before turning his life around, leaving the music industry for years and then re-emerging with Petra. The line "Save my life, I'm goin' down for the last time" certainly ended up applying to him. A few years after Petra's members retired, Schlitt appeared at a reunion concert for Head East.
John from Indianapolis, InOne of the best, most memorable songs from the 70s. Why do I always think of Free's All Right Now when I hear this song?
Linda from Inland Empire, CaLove this song -- I'm firmly middle aged and I still turn it up LOUD!
Howie from Bristol, Ct., CtI first heard this song back in high school. I loved it then and I love it now. I'm in my 50's and in a classic rock cover band. I,ve been tryin to get my band to cover this song but they're not all on board with it. What is wrong with them???? This is truely a classic rock song.
Josh from Champaign, IlThe album title refers to the geography surrounding their home region of Central Illinois (met at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, recorded first album at Pekin, IL) , FLAT as a pancake!
Don from B G, KyIn the song, I know "... better than a white line" refers to using cocaine. What does "did you break any glass" mean?
Rob from Augusta, GaI grew up in the same town as a couple of the band members. They were an awesome band! I find it most interesting that John Schlitt would be more "famous" by his membership in his next band after Head East. He replaced Greg X. Volz in the Christian Rock Band Petra.
Eb from Orlando Metro, FlI always thought there was a female vocalist on this song. But a little internet searching and I found this:
Who is the female singer heard sharing the lead vocal on Never Been Any Reason?
Answer: There are no female voices on Never Been Any Reason. The two lead voices that share lines back and forth during the song are drummer Steve Huston and lead vocalist John Schlitt. John's is the higher voice that is occasionally mistaken by fans to be a female voice.
I think I sometimes mix this song up with "Don't Misunderstand Me" by the Rossington-Collins Band and I thought that Dale Kranz-Rossington was the singer on this too.
Tony P. from Columbus, TxBack in Highschool there was a regional cover band called The Emotions that came to town once a month. If you were cool or just thought you were, you went to see them. I will always remember that they would close with this song. Tony P. Columbus Tx.
Shawn from Buffalo, NyThis is a great song I love the keyboard solo.

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