Never Say Never (Romeo Void song)

"Never Say Never" is a 1982 song by the new wave band Romeo Void. One of their best-known songs, "Never Say Never" was a favorite on early MTV, featuring a black-and-white music video that spoofs Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless. The song is driven by a throbbing, funky bassline and punctuated by jagged guitar and saxophone, incorporating post-punk influences. The song reached #17 on the Billboard Dance / Disco chart chart on the 27th of March, 1982.^[1]

"Never Say Never"
Single by Romeo Void
from the album Benefactor
Released	November 1982
Genre	Post-punk new wave dance-rock disco-punk
Length	3:26 (album and 7" version) 6:06 (EP and 12" version)
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Debora Iyall Peter Woods Frank Zincavage Benjamin Bossi Larry Carter
Producer(s)	Ric Ocasek Ian Taylor
Romeo Void singles chronology
"White Sweater" (1981) "Never Say Never" (1982) "A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)" (1984)
Audio sample
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Originally released on an EP through 415 Records, "Never Say Never" was re-recorded for the band's second album and major label debut, Benefactor. The album version is more radio friendly, cutting the song's length almost in half and removing expletives.^[2]

Composition

Musically, the song has been described as post-punk,^[3] new wave,^[4] dance-rock,^[3][5] and disco-punk.^[6]

Track listing

7" single

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Never Say Never"	3:26
2.	"Flashflood"	4:56

Appearances in media

The song was featured in the 1984 film Reckless starring Aidan Quinn as a football star and renegade. Quinn's character takes over the school dance's DJ booth to play the single, much to the dismay of all his classmates. A dance sequence ensues with Quinn's character moshing about while a somewhat distraught Daryl Hannah tries to figure out how to dance with him.

A small segment of the song was featured in a scene of the film Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. It also was included in the 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street. In 2016, it was featured in the show Ash vs Evil Dead during a scene of the season two episode Trapped Inside.

The song was also featured in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. It is heard in the game on the radio station Wave 103.^[7]

Covers

• In 2000 by Queens of the Stone Age, as a bonus track on the album Rated R.^[8] This cover was also featured on the soundtrack for the film The Punisher (2004).^[9]
• In 2009, the band Julien-K covered "Never Say Never" on their debut album Death to Analog, stylizing the song title as "Nvr Say Nvr".^[10]

Never Say Never (EP)

Never Say Never
EP by Romeo Void
Released	December 1981
Recorded	October 1981
Genre	New wave
Length	20:23
Label	415
Producer	Ian Taylor Ric Ocasek
Romeo Void chronology
It's a Condition (1981) Never Say Never (1981) Benefactor (1982)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[11]
Robert Christgau	B+[12]

Never Say Never is an EP by American new wave band Romeo Void, released in 1981. It was released on CD in 2006 by Wounded Bird Records, as four bonus tracks to their reissue of Benefactor.

Track listing

All tracks by Debora Iyall, Peter Woods, Frank Zincavage, Benjamin Bossi and Larry Carter.

1. "Never Say Never" – 6:06
2. "In the Dark" – 4:33
3. "Present Tense" – 5:47
4. "Not Safe" – 3:57

Personnel

• Debora Iyall – vocals
• Peter Woods – guitar
• Benjamin Bossi – saxophone
• Frank Zincavage – bass
• Larry Carter – drums, percussion

Chart positions

Single

Year	Chart	Position
1982	US Billboard Dance Club Songs[13]	17