Never Had To Go

Album: With A Lampshade On (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Musically, "Never Had To Go" is a joyful romp from the eight-piece roots band Dustbowl Revival, but lyrically it's rather sad, with lead singer Liz Beebe admitting guilt for cheating on her man with a guy named Bobby, and wondering what could have been if she didn't make that mistake.

    Zach Lupetin wrote the song in Michigan before moving to Los Angeles and forming the band in 2007. In a Songfacts interview with Lupetin, he said: "I like taking kernels of truth from my past - being cheated on, etcetera, and twisting it around a bit. In this case Bobby was a one-night-stand that our lady singer is saying didn't mean anything, but it did. We've all made mistakes - it's how we proceed after that is interesting."
  • The video stars Dick Van Dyke, who was 89 years old when it was shot. It takes place at his house, where he goofs around, distracting his wife Arlene while she's trying to cook. Finally, she gives in and dances with him, which is what he wanted all along. All the time, the band is performing the song on their patio.

    Zach Lupetin told Songfacts how they pulled it off: "Dick Van Dyke had been following the band a bit for years in LA - he adores old jazz and folk music - and we got super lucky that we were able to contact his lovely wife who set it all in motion. Having a funny viral video did bring some new folks to shows who would never have checked us out. People are still discovering it, which is amazing."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Dave Alvin - "4th Of July"

Dave Alvin - "4th Of July"They're Playing My Song

When Dave recorded the first version of the song with his group the Blasters, producer Nick Lowe gave him some life-changing advice.

Booker T. Jones

Booker T. JonesSongwriter Interviews

The Stax legend on how he cooked up "Green Onions," the first time he and Otis Redding saw hippies, and if he'll ever play a digital organ.

Jack Tempchin - "Peaceful Easy Feeling"

Jack Tempchin - "Peaceful Easy Feeling"They're Playing My Song

When a waitress wouldn't take him home, Jack wrote what would become one of the Eagles most enduring hits.

Movie Stars In Music Videos

Movie Stars In Music VideosSong Writing

Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Mila Kunis and John Malkovich are just a few of the film stars who have moonlighted in music videos.

Ian Astbury of The Cult

Ian Astbury of The CultSongwriter Interviews

The Cult frontman tells who the "Fire Woman" is, and talks about performing with the new version of The Doors.

They Might Be Giants

They Might Be GiantsSongwriter Interviews

Who writes a song about a name they found in a phone book? That's just one of the everyday things these guys find to sing about. Anything in their field of vision or general scope of knowledge is fair game. If you cross paths with them, so are you.