Never Say Never (song)

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"Never Say Never" is a 1982 song by the New Wave band Romeo Void. "Never Say Never" was a favorite on early MTV. The song is driven by a throbbing, funky bassline and punctuated by jagged guitar. It's been written, however, that "it's Debora Iyall's teasing, existential musings — which predated and predicted the aloof yet frank sexuality of early- and mid-'90s artists such as Elastica and Liz Phair — that elevate 'Never Say Never' from a mere post-punk relic into a subversive, influential classic." The song's repeated refrain of "I might like you better if we slept together" has been called "one of rock's all-time greatest lines," because it works as a come-on and a put-down, simultaneously. But beyond mere titillation, a "careful listen to the verses, with their intimations of incest, murder, homelessness, and other dark subjects, makes plain that singer/lyricist Debora Iyall has more on her mind than grudging salaciousness." [1]

[edit] Legacy

The song is featured in the 2002 PlayStation 2 videogame Grand Theft Auto: Vice City as part of the New Wave radio station Wave 103. Queens of the Stone Age recorded a version that was featured on the soundtrack album of the John Travolta and Thomas Jane film The Punisher (2004). Also, a small segment of the song was featured in a small scene of the film Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. In February 2006 Australian electro house group Vandalism also released a cover version of the song.