If Tomorrow Never Comes
Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Script error: No such module "Infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". "If Tomorrow Never Comes" is a song by American country music artist Garth Brooks. Written by Garth Brooks and Kent Blazy, it was released in August 1989 as the second single from his self-titled debut album. The track was his first number-one single on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, and Garth refers to it as his signature song. "If Tomorrow Never Comes" was named Favorite Country Single in the American Music Awards of 1991.
The song subsequently became one of Garths' most popular songs for other artists to perform. In 2002, Irish singer Ronan Keating released a version that reached number one in the United Kingdom and three other countries, and it became a top-five hit in several additional territories.
Content
Script error: No such module "Unsubst". This is the first country love song released by Garth Brooks. A man lies awake at night, thinking what would happen in his love's mind if he were to die the next day. The first line in the chorus reads: "If tomorrow never comes, will she know how much I love her?" He goes on to compare this situation with his own lost loved ones, and how he made a promise to say each day how much she means to him. The song begins with a soft guitar solo and gradually builds up to a more orchestrated accompaniment. Garth has written many love songs since. This song is about the love of a father to his daughter, not to his lover. Garth said that on stage at Belmont University to Britt Todd and in his music video he has his daughter playing next to him while he sings.
Background and production
Garth provided the following background information on the song in the CD booklet liner notes from The Hits:
"If Tomorrow Never Comes" will probably always be my signature song. I ran the idea for this song by what seemed like a thousand writers and no one really seemed to understand what I was looking for. On the day that Bob Doyle, my co-manager, introduced me to Kent Blazy, I passed this idea by Kent and he had the first verse down within fifteen seconds. I could tell he just felt it. Kent Blazy is a wonderful man, full of love and energy, and if we never write again, I hope that we are always friends first. Thank you Ireland for this moment."[1]
Music video
The music video for the song was directed by John Lloyd Miller, and features Brooks singing and playing guitar in a dim room. Next to him is a table with an oil lamp. The video shows a small child, played by the daughter of Steve Gatlin, brother of Larry Gatlin. The use of an antique screen is present through much of the video, which also features Brooks' then-wife, Sandy.
Chart performance
"If Tomorrow Never Comes" entered the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles chart on September 9, 1989, and peaked at number one on December 9.
Weekly charts
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[2] | 2 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[3] | 1 |
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA)[4] | 54 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1989) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[5] | 48 |
| US Country Songs (Billboard)[6] | 84 |
| Chart (1990) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Country Songs (Billboard)[7] | 75 |
Ronan Keating version
Script error: No such module "Infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". "If Tomorrow Never Comes" served as the first single from Irish singer Ronan Keating's second studio album, Destination. Produced by Steve Mac, the song was released in Australia on April 29, 2002, and in the United Kingdom on May 6, 2002. It peaked at number one in the United Kingdom, giving Keating his third solo number one on the UK Singles Chart. The song also topped the charts of Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, and Norway, and it entered the top 10 in 11 other countries, including Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and Sweden.
Music video
The video starts with Keating sitting on a bed and staring at the woman sleeping in it. He leaves his house and, having fallen onto a road in the path of a moving car, he is run over by it. He goes through the same scene multiple times, apparently stuck in a time loop, unrealistically singing throughout. At the end, he stops the loop by avoiding crossing the road and, instead, walking along the same sidewalk where his front door is.
Track listings
UK CD1[8]
- "If Tomorrow Never Comes" – 3:35
- "If Tomorrow Never Comes" (Groove Brothers mix) – 6:08
- "Interview with Westlife: Ronan Reveals His Secrets to Brian & Nicky" (CD-ROM video)
UK CD2[9]
- "If Tomorrow Never Comes"
- "Ronan Hits Megamix by DMC"
- "Sea of Love"
- "If Tomorrow Never Comes" (video)
UK cassette single[10]
- A1. "If Tomorrow Never Comes"
- A2. "If Tomorrow Never Comes" (Groove Brothers mix)
- B1. "Ronan Hits Megamix by DMC"
Credits and personnel
Credits are lifted from the Destination album booklet.[11]
Studios
- Recorded at various studios in Los Angeles, London, and Dublin
- Mixed at Rokstone Studios (London, England)
- Engineered at Rokstone Studios and Olympic Studios (London, England)
- Master engineered at Metropolis (London, England)
- Mastered at Gateway Mastering (Portland, Maine, US)
Personnel
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- Garth Brooks – writing
- Kent Blazy – writing
- The Tuff Session Singers – background vocals
- Friðrik "Frizzy" Karlsson – guitar
- Steve Pearce – bass
- Dave Arch – piano, string arrangement
- Eddie Hession – accordion
- Steve Mac – keyboards, production, mixing, arrangement
- Chris Laws – drums, engineering
- Daniel Pursey – assistant engineering
- Phil Rose – assistant engineering
- Bob Ludwig – mastering
- Tim Young – master engineerering
Charts
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Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
|
Certifications
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Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | April 29, 2002 | CD | Polydor | [51] |
| United Kingdom | May 6, 2002 | Template:Hlist | [52] | |
| New Zealand | May 27, 2002 | CD | [53] | |
| Japan | July 24, 2002 | [54] | ||
| United States | March 7, 2005 | Adult contemporary radio | Universal | [55] |
Other versions
Legião Urbana's front man Renato Russo recorded a cover for his debut solo album, The Stonewall Celebration Concert in 1994. Joose had a number one hit in New Zealand with "If Tomorrow Never Comes" in 1997. Puerto Rican salsa singer Ismael Miranda recorded the Spanish version on his 1997 album Con Buena Nota. In 1999, Westlife made an a cappela version live. Engelbert Humperdinck included the song on his 2003 album Definition of Love. It also became part of Barry Manilow's concert repertoire, and is featured on his 2004 live album 2 Nights Live!. Manilow had previously released a studio version of the song on his 1992 CD box set The Complete Collection and then some..... Claudia Jung made a German cover titled "Wenn es morgen nicht mehr gibt".[1].
In the 2000s, the song has gained added visibility with performances on reality television competition shows, with third-place finisher Elliott Yamin singing it on the fifth season of American Idol. Second season The X Factor winner Shayne Ward performing it in that series' penultimate round, and Australian Idol 2006 winner Damien Leith singing it on Top 10: Number One's Night. Foster & Allen recorded a version which they released on their 2005 album, Foster & Allen – Sing The Number 1's On June 30, 2009, Kevin Skinner sang this song during the auditions on the NBC series America's Got Talent.
References
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- ↑ Garth Brooks – The Hits: transcription from the CD booklet (bar code 7-2438-29689-2-4)
- ↑ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 6666." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. December 16, 1989. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "WLink"./chart-history/CSI "Garth Brooks Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
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- ↑ "Script error: No such module "WLink".&titel=Script error: No such module "WLink".&cat=s Ronan Keating – If Tomorrow Never Comes". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- ↑ "Script error: No such module "WLink".&titel=Script error: No such module "WLink".&cat=s Ronan Keating – If Tomorrow Never Comes" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- ↑ "Script error: No such module "WLink".&titel=Script error: No such module "WLink".&cat=s Ronan Keating – If Tomorrow Never Comes" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
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- ↑ "Script error: No such module "WLink".&titel=Script error: No such module "WLink".&cat=s Ronan Keating – If Tomorrow Never Comes" (in French). Le classement de singles.
- ↑ "Ronan Keating – If Tomorrow Never Comes" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
- ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – If Tomorrow Never Comes". Irish Singles Chart.
- ↑ "Script error: No such module "WLink".&titel=Script error: No such module "WLink".&cat=s Ronan Keating – If Tomorrow Never Comes". Top Digital Download.
- ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 22, 2002" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
- ↑ "Script error: No such module "WLink".&titel=Script error: No such module "WLink".&cat=s Ronan Keating – If Tomorrow Never Comes" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ↑ "Script error: No such module "WLink".&titel=Script error: No such module "WLink".&cat=s Ronan Keating – If Tomorrow Never Comes". Top 40 Singles.
- ↑ "Script error: No such module "WLink".&titel=Script error: No such module "WLink".&cat=s Ronan Keating – If Tomorrow Never Comes". VG-lista.
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- ↑ Template:Digits/41/ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ↑ "Script error: No such module "WLink".&titel=Script error: No such module "WLink".&cat=s Ronan Keating – If Tomorrow Never Comes". Singles Top 100.
- ↑ "Script error: No such module "WLink".&titel=Script error: No such module "WLink".&cat=s Ronan Keating – If Tomorrow Never Comes". Swiss Singles Chart.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "WLink". "Ronan Keating: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
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- ↑ Radio 1 Chart of the Decade, as presented by DJ Nihal on December 29, 2009
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External links
- "If Tomorrow Never Comes" Lyrics Script error: No such module "webarchive".
- CMT's The Greatest: 20 Greatest First Videos
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- Single chart usages for Canadacountry
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- Single chart usages for Australia
- Single chart usages for Austria
- Single chart usages for Flanders
- Single chart usages for Denmark
- Single chart usages for France
- Single chart usages for Germany
- Single chart usages for Ireland2
- Single chart usages for Italy
- Single chart usages for Dutch40
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- Single chart usages for New Zealand
- Single chart usages for Norway
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- Single chart making named ref
- 1989 singles
- 1989 songs
- 2002 singles
- Capitol Records Nashville singles
- Country ballads
- Garth Brooks songs
- Music videos directed by John Lloyd Miller
- Number-one singles in Austria
- Number-one singles in the Czech Republic
- Number-one singles in Denmark
- Number-one singles in Norway
- Number-one singles in Scotland
- Polydor Records singles
- Pop ballads
- Ronan Keating songs
- Song recordings produced by Allen Reynolds
- Songs written by Garth Brooks
- Songs written by Kent Blazy
- UK singles chart number-one singles
- Universal Records singles