Never Goin´ Back (To Nashville Anymore)

Written by John Stewart

‘Never Goin´Back (To Nashville Anymore)’ is on the immortal "California Bloodlines" album, Capitol Records, 69, best CD re-release is the BGO double CD California Bloodlines/Willard, 2001. Then on the RCA double LP “Phoenix Concerts”, 1974, CD re-release by Bear Family as “The Complete Phoenix Concerts” in 1990 (with two bonus songs) and, finally, ‘Never Goin´ Back’ is also on "Deep in the Neon", Homecoming Records, 1991. Part of the ‘Never Goin´Back’ medley (with ‘Do You Wanna Dance?’ and ‘All the Lights’) there. And "The Lovin´ Spoonful" recorded it, too. Bet you heard them play it on the radio!

We picked the "Phoenix Concerts" version. Why, you may muse (c´mon! do!), why did they choose to do the "Phoenix Concerts" version? Well mused! Because now we have finally worked out every single song from "The Complete Phoenix Concerts". Tonight Charlie will have a fine bottle of beer and Art and I will sip an excellent single malt Scotch, a little sadly. No songs left for us on the best live album EVER.

This is one mighty rollercoaster of a song, well, especially when you have a back-up band that COOKS. Art called it "that great song at the end of a great concert that lasted a week and ended much too soon."

Capo first fret

Intro – play (E),

or (E) (E4)-(E), without high strings,

E--xx--------------------------------------

B--xx--------------------------------------

G--xx--------------------------------------

D--xx--------------------------------------

A-2-2-4-4-2-2-4-4-2-2-4-4-5-5-4-4---

E-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--- etc.

Oh, every time I see that Greyhound

Bus go rolling down the line,

Makes me wish I'd talked much more to

You when we had all that time. (E7)

(A) Still, it's only (B)wishing,

And I (E)know it's (G#m)nothing (C#m)more,

(E) Never goin´ (A)back,

(E) Never goin´ (A)back, no,

(E) Never goin´ (A)back,

Oh, to (B)Nashville anymore.

(E) And Oklahoma City, yes, I know

That she won't treat me cruel.

Denver, Colorado, never

Made me feel like such a fool. (E7)

(A) These are only (B)cities,

But they're (E)cities (G#m)without (C#m)you,

(E) Never goin´ (A)back,

(E) Never goin´ (A)back, no,

(E) Never goin´ (A)back

Oh, to (B)Nashville anymore.

(E) (E7)

(A) Still, it's only (B)wishing,

And I (E)know it's (G#m)nothing (C#m)more,

(E) Never goin´ (A)back, no,

(E) Never goin´ (A)back,

(E) Never goin´ (A)back

Oh, to (B)Nashville anymore...

(follows an extended jam on (E), thankyous to all the musicians

and the immortal call, “T-shirts! We have T-shirts!”

at seven minutes and five seconds into the song)

Charlie Woodward, janhauenstein@gmx.de & Art Faller

1/2004