Never Say Never

Album: The Fray (2009)
Charted: 32
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Songfacts®:

  • "Never Say Never" is a direct love song between two people who are "pulling apart and coming together again and again." While guitarist Joe King's marriage predates the band, the other three members got married between the release of their 2005 debut set How to Save a Life, and their 2009 self-titled sophomore release. Guitarist Dave Welsh noted in publicity materials: "Trying to have these two things coexist - traveling in a band for nine or 10 months out of the year, and having a wife at home who's trying to go about this other life she has - is fascinatingly difficult. If you could put your finger on one thing that's been hard or a challenge, that would be it."
  • In a review for Billboard magazine, Michael Menachem commented that "the standout moment is the climactic key change, conveying intense emotion during the bridge where the melody shifts from major to a higher minor, in a similar spirit to what Boyz II Men achieved on 'It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday.'"
  • A set used in the aftermath of the plane crash scene in the 2005 Tom Cruise movie War of the Worlds was used for this song's music video.
  • King told MTV News that its not just their younger fans that like this track. He explained with a grin: "When we were recording [the song], it was funny, because we have these couple super-hip indie-cred dudes who work for us. They do various things around the studio, you know. And we were recording that song, and one of those guys came up to me and was like, 'Dude, that song is special!.' And I was like, 'Wait a minute, you're an indie hipster, and you're saying that?!' So I knew at that point, we had something."
  • This is included on the soundtrack for the 2009 film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
  • This is interesting: In 2009 "Never Say Never" was used in the pilot episode of The Vampire Diaries. Joe King was married at the time to his wife Michelle, but they later got divorced, and in 2014 King married Candice Accola, who starred in the series as Caroline Forbes. The song was also used in the 2017 episode "I Was Feeling Epic."

Comments: 3

  • Megan from Stevenson, AlThis is my absolute favorite song by The Fray! It's sooo sad, but it's awesome! Love the video:) I love, love, love the way Isaac's voice goes high in this song! Amazing<3
  • Savannah from Lithopolis , Ohthis song is very sad , but i lovee it it mnakes me know to NEVER give up .
  • Timmy from Mukilteo, Wathis is my favorite song by the fray. its basically about a relationship that isnt working out, but they dont want to give up.
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