Peak
78
Weeks
17
Score
720
Chart Year
1999
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
This song is about a long-distance relationship where the guy is really frustrated. His girl never seems to have time for him, and he wonders if she even cares. >> There is a telephone motif in this song. It starts with a dial tone before John McCrea comes in with the first lines: I need your arms around me I need to feel your touch His voice is processed to narrow his frequency, similar to what a telephone call sounds like, implying that he is talking over the phone, possibly after the girl hung up on him. The touchtones that sound when dialing also show up in a few spots during the song, which could indicate he's making repeated calls, hoping she'll answer. It's probably a drunk dial. In the video, McCrea plays a cuckolded cowboy who hires a private detective to tell him what we already know: his girl is with another guy. Of course, she may never have been his to begin with. "Never There" is the biggest hit for Cake. It's their only song to hit the Hot 100, and it also went to #1 on the Modern Rock chart. Unlike most "alternative" bands, Cake isn't heavy on guitar and the vocals are very clear. They also have a trumpet player, Vince DiFiore, who gets lots of playing time on this track. Their sound was too adventurous for most radio stations, but they carved out a niche and sold a lot of albums - Prolonging The Magic went Platinum, with over a million sales. This plays during a birthday party scene in the 1999 Friends episode "The One Where Rachel Smokes." The teeth-chattering rattle that punctuates the verses was created by a vibraslap. One of Cake's signature percussion instruments, it's made of a stiff, u-shaped wire that connects a wooden ball to a wooden or metal box containing metal teeth. When the ball is struck, the vibration creates a rattling sound. It can also be heard in "Short Skirt/Long Jacket."
I need your arms around me I need to feel your touch I need your understanding I need your love so much You tell me that you love me so You tell me that you care But when I need you (baby) Baby, you're never there On the phone Long, long distance Always through such strong resistance First you say you're too busy I wonder if you even miss me Never there You're never there You're never ever ever ever there A golden bird that flies away A candle's fickle flame To think I held you yesterday Your love was just a game A golden bird that flies away A candle's fickle flame To think I held you yesterday Your love was just a game You tell me that you love me so You tell me that you care But when I need you (baby) Baby Take the time to get to know me If you want me why can't you just show me Well, always on this roller coaster If you want me why can't you get closer Never there You're never there You're never ever ever ever there Never there You're never there You're never ever ever ever there
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dec 5, 1998 | 87 | 39 |
| 2 | Dec 12, 1998 | 83 | 43 |
| 3 | Dec 19, 1998 | 81 | 45 |
| 4 | Dec 26, 1998 | 81 | 45 |
| 5 | Jan 2, 1999 | 84 | 42 |
| 6 | Jan 9, 1999 | 79 | 47 |
| 7 | Jan 16, 1999 | 78 | 48 |
| 8 | Jan 23, 1999 | 78 | 48 |
| 9 | Jan 30, 1999 | 80 | 46 |
| 10 | Feb 6, 1999 | 79 | 47 |
| 11 | Feb 13, 1999 | 80 | 46 |
| 12 | Feb 20, 1999 | 83 | 43 |
| 13 | Feb 27, 1999 | 88 | 38 |
| 14 | Mar 6, 1999 | 91 | 35 |
| 15 | Mar 13, 1999 | 96 | 30 |
| 16 | Mar 20, 1999 | 99 | 27 |
| 17 | Mar 27, 1999 | 98 | 28 |