This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
First thing I remember was asking papa why
For there were many things I didn't know.
And daddy always smiled and took me by the hand
Saying someday you'll understand.
(chorus:)
Well I'm here to tell you now each and every mother's son
That you better learn it fast you better learn it young
'Cause someday never comes.
Well time and tears went by and I collected dust.
For there were many things I didn't know.
When daddy went away, he said, try to be a man,
And someday you'll understand.
Well, I'm here...
And then one day in April, I wasn't even there,
For there were many things I didn't know.
A son was born to me. Mama held his hand,
sayin' someday you'll understand.
Well, I'm here...
Think it was September, the year I went away,
For there were many things I didn't know.
And still I see him standing tryin' to be a man,
I said, someday you'll understand.
Well, I'm here to tell you now, each and every mother's son,
That you better learn it fast, you better learn it young,
'Cause someday never comes.
For there were many things I didn't know.
And daddy always smiled and took me by the hand
Saying someday you'll understand.
(chorus:)
Well I'm here to tell you now each and every mother's son
That you better learn it fast you better learn it young
'Cause someday never comes.
Well time and tears went by and I collected dust.
For there were many things I didn't know.
When daddy went away, he said, try to be a man,
And someday you'll understand.
Well, I'm here...
And then one day in April, I wasn't even there,
For there were many things I didn't know.
A son was born to me. Mama held his hand,
sayin' someday you'll understand.
Well, I'm here...
Think it was September, the year I went away,
For there were many things I didn't know.
And still I see him standing tryin' to be a man,
I said, someday you'll understand.
Well, I'm here to tell you now, each and every mother's son,
That you better learn it fast, you better learn it young,
'Cause someday never comes.
Lyrics submitted by 3ssence
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Just listening for the 784,654th time....and it's just perfect in every way. Just incredible. The only reason it was remade was to scoop up a boatload of money from a more modern and accepting audience. But it is a completely different song than the other one that sounds slapped together in a few takes without a thought for the meaning.
This song captivates me still, after 50+ years. Takes me to the deep South and the poverty of some who lived thru truly hard times. And the powerful spirit of a poor young girl being abandoned to her future with only a red dress and her wits to keep her alive.
She not only stayed alive, she turned her hard beginnings around, became self sufficient, successful and someone with respect for herself. She didn't let the naysayers and judgers stop her. She's the one sitting in the drivers seat at the end.
So, not a song about a poor girl, but a song of hope and how you can rise up no matter how far down you started.
There is a huge difference between a singer who simply belts out a song that is on a page in front of them, and someone who can convey an entire experience with their voice. Telling not just a story with words, but taking you inside it and making you feel like you are there, with their interpretation.
This came straight from John Fogerty himself on what the song is about:
Fogerty has stated that the song is about being left and not being able to learn much as a child.
"Someday Never Comes" is simply a song about my parents undergoing a divorce when I was a child and me not knowing many things. When my dad left me, he told me to be a man and someday I would understand everything. Now, I'm here basically repeating the same thing really. I had a son in 1966 and I went away when he was five years old or so and again told him "someday" he would understand everything. Really, all kids ask questions like "Daddy, when are we going fishing?" and parents always answer with "someday", but in reality someday never comes and kids never learn what they're supposed to learn. -John Fogerty 1973
bradburyesqu is correct. This song was written about a personal experience of Fogerty's, particularly having to deal with his own divorce. He never understood why his own father had to leave yet history was repeating itself. Really strong and powerful song, but much more when you understand the history behind it.
I believe this song talks about ignorance, how our grandfathers didnt know how to teach our fathers many things... so they couldnt teach us those things... things thatcant be teached caue of moral integrity or religious believes, anywy the mother knows that, and tells his song he will understand, he will not beable to tach his song some things about life
my meaning behind the song... "When daddy went away, he said, try to be a man, And someday you'll understand...." -his dad was sent away to war but didn't know how to explain it to his son so he said try to be a man and someday you will understand why he has to leave for war.
Then later in the song- "Think it was September, the year I went away, For there were many things I didn't know. And still I see him standing tryin' to be a man, I said, someday you'll understand. -the "many things he didn't know" in this verse was why he had to, himself, go away to war...and so he told his son what best he could..."someday you'll understand." This is why it is called "someday will never come" because nobody understands the meaning behind war and why people are sent off to war..."someday we will understand" why, but yet "someday will never come".
@Tbone732 Germany's war started in September '39, ended in early May '45. And he even says in April he still wasn't there. Maybe a bit of a stretch, but it resonates with the war theme for me as a German.
@Tbone732 Interesting look at the lyrics. It makes sense. That's the beauty of song lyrics, each of us can identify with them in our own way.
It's a man remembering growing up without his dad and having to do it fast. then as an adult he fathered a child he didn't know about and did the same thing to him
The ultimate "like father, like son" song. Things his dad did made him want to no be like his dad but he ended up repeating the same stuff and he had to tell his son that he'd understand once he's a father in his shoes
the painful truth is that in spite of education, age, or anything else, there are things we will never know.
Wow good interpretation Tbone. Is that true or your opnion?
Makes alot of sense.
i never understood this song until now, wow. so much deeper meaning
I never interpreted this song to be specific to war; just simply that his dad had to leave. Sometimes people just have to do things, even if they don't partiularly like it. The event then repeats in the third verse with him and his son. The reason I don't think it is about war is because he descibes the birth of his son, saying that he wasn't there. I think the overall theme of the song is simply growing up without a father, or without enough love from a father. The whole bit about "someday you'll understand... someday never comes" is simply meant to say that sometimes people have to do things and you (or they) may not understand why.