Someday Never Comes

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Someday Never Comes is a song by Creedence Clearwater Revival from the album Mardi Gras. It was released as a single in May 1972, with Tearin’ Up the Country as the B-side. The song was written by John Fogerty and produced by Stu Cook, Doug Clifford, and Fogerty. It lasts about 4 minutes and 1 second and is in the country rock style. It was CCR’s last single before the band broke up in October 1972.

Fogerty later said the song reflected his parents’ divorce and his own chaotic life at the time. He described a period when his marriage was ending, the band was falling apart, and he sensed trouble with Fantasy Records. The line about someday understanding echoed his own experiences as a child and as a parent.

Fogerty felt the arrangement didn’t have the power he imagined because of the band turmoil, including Tom Fogerty’s departure. He later released a version on his 2013 album Wrote a Song for Everyone that he felt was closer to his original vision.

Someday Never Comes reached No. 25 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in June 1972. The B-side was Tearin’ Up the Country. Record World called it perhaps the strongest cut on Mardi Gras, praising the lyrics and vocals. Some CCR members regarded it as Fogerty’s finest and most personal song, though its impact was limited by the album’s reception. Critics were mixed, with some praising the honesty of the performance while others felt the vocal delivery was not as strong as the song deserved.