Never Had To Go

Album: With A Lampshade On (2015)
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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."

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