1989 single by Garth Brooks
"If Tomorrow Never Comes " is a song by Americancountry music artistGarth Brooks . Written by Garth Brooks andKent Blazy , it was released in August 1989 as the second single from hisself-titled debut album . The track was his first number-one single on the USBillboard Hot Country Singles chart, and Garth refers to it as hissignature song . "If Tomorrow Never Comes" was named Favorite Country Single in theAmerican Music Awards of 1991 .
The song subsequently became one of Garths' most popular songs for other artists to perform. In 2002, Irish singerRonan 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.
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 atBelmont University to Britt Todd and in his music video he has his daughter playing next to him while he sings.
Background and production [ edit ] Garth provided the following background information on the song in the CD booklet liner notes fromThe 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."[ 2]
Themusic video for the song was directed byJohn Lloyd Miller , and features Brooks singing and playingguitar in a dim room. Next to him is a table with anoil lamp . The video shows a small child, played by the daughter of Steve Gatlin, brother ofLarry Gatlin . The use of an antique screen is present through much of the video, which also features Brooks' then-wife, Sandy.
"If Tomorrow Never Comes" entered the USBillboard Hot Country Singles chart on September 9, 1989, and peaked at number one on December 9.
Chart (2022) Peak Ireland (IRMA )[ 5] 54
Chart (1989) Position Canada Country Tracks (RPM )[ 6] 48 US Country Songs (Billboard )[ 7] 84
Chart (1990) Position US Country Songs (Billboard )[ 8] 75
AmericanR&B group Joose covered the song as apower ballad [ 10] Billboard Hot 100
US and Australian maxi-CD single [ 11] [ 12]
"If Tomorrow Never Comes" (album version) "If Tomorrow Never Comes" (radio remix) "If Tomorrow Never Comes" (Jeep mix) "If Tomorrow Never Comes" (23rd Street remix) "Remember When" (album version) "Nature of Things" US CD and cassette single [ 13] [ 14]
"If Tomorrow Never Comes" (radio edit) – 4:03 "If Tomorrow Never Comes" (radio remix edit) – 4:25 "If Tomorrow Never Comes (Will She Know)" (23rd Street remix) – 4:34 Credits and personnel [ edit ] Credits are lifted from the "If Tomorrow Never Comes" andJoose liner notes.[ 13] [ 15]
Studios
Vocals tracked at Talamasca Studios (Panorama City , California) and Cove City Sound Studios (Glen Cove, New York ) Album version mixed at Cove City Sound Studios (Glen Cove, New York) Radio remix recorded and mixed atThe Hit Factory (New York City) Personnel
Leonardo Pettis – production, vocal arrangement, music arrangement, vocal tracking Hamza Lee – all instruments, production, music arrangement Dave "DibS" Shackney – vocal tracking, mixing Darrell "Delite" Allamby – remixing, all instruments, mixing (radio remix) Carl Nappa – recording, mixing (radio remix) Chart (1997) Position New Zealand (RIANZ)[ 21] 11 US Rhythmic Top 40 (Billboard )[ 22] 95
Region Certification Certified units /salesNew Zealand (RMNZ )[ 23] Gold 5,000* ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Ronan Keating version [ edit ] "If Tomorrow Never Comes" served as the first single from Irish singerRonan Keating 's second studio album,Destination 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 theUK 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.
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 atime 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.
UK CD1 [ 25]
"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 [ 26]
"If Tomorrow Never Comes" "Ronan Hits Megamix by DMC" "Sea of Love" "If Tomorrow Never Comes" (video) UK cassette single [ 27]
A1. "If Tomorrow Never Comes" A2. "If Tomorrow Never Comes" (Groove Brothers mix) B1. "Ronan Hits Megamix by DMC" Credits and personnel [ edit ] Credits are lifted from theDestination [ 28]
Studios
Recorded at various studios in Los Angeles, London, and Dublin Mixed at Rokstone Studios (London, England) Engineered at Rokstone Studios andOlympic Studios (London, England) Master engineered atMetropolis (London, England) Mastered at Gateway Mastering (Portland, Maine , US) Personnel
Garth Brooks – writingKent Blazy – writing The Tuff Session Singers – background vocals Friðrik "Frizzy" Karlsson – guitarSteve Pearce – bass Dave Arch – piano, string arrangement Eddie Hession – accordion Steve Mac – keyboards, production, mixing, arrangementChris Laws – drums, engineering Daniel Pursey – assistant engineering Phil Rose – assistant engineering Bob Ludwig – masteringTim Young – master engineerering Chart (2002) Position Australia (ARIA)[ 51] 19 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[ 52] 30 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[ 53] 14 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[ 54] 21 France (SNEP)[ 55] 54 Germany (Media Control)[ 56] 32 Ireland (IRMA)[ 57] 49 Lithuania (M-1)[ 58] 51 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[ 59] 12 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[ 60] 9 New Zealand (RIANZ)[ 61] 12 Sweden (Hitlistan)[ 62] 15 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[ 63] 56 Taiwan (Hito Radio )[ 64] 17 UK Singles (OCC)[ 65] 11 UK Airplay (Music Week [ 66] 55
Chart (2000–2009) Position Netherlands (Single Top 100)[ 67] 68 UK Singles (OCC)[ 68] 85
Region Certification Certified units /salesAustralia (ARIA )[ 69] Platinum 70,000^ Belgium (BRMA )[ 70] Gold 25,000* Denmark (IFPI Danmark )[ 71] Gold 45,000‡ New Zealand (RMNZ )[ 72] Gold 15,000‡ Norway (IFPI Norway)[ 73] Platinum Sweden (GLF )[ 74] Gold 15,000^ United Kingdom (BPI )[ 75] Platinum 600,000‡ * Sales figures based on certification alone.^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
Legião Urbana 's front manRenato Russo recorded a cover for his debut solo album,The Stonewall Celebration Concert in 1994. Puerto Rican salsa singerIsmael Miranda recorded the Spanish version on his 1997 albumCon Buena Nota . In 1999,Westlife made an a cappela version live.Engelbert Humperdinck included the song on his 2003 albumDefinition of Love . It also became part ofBarry Manilow 's concert repertoire, and is featured on his 2004 live album2 Nights Live! 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 onreality television competition shows, with third-place finisherElliott Yamin singing it on thefifth season ofAmerican Idol Second season The X Factor Shayne Ward performing it in that series' penultimate round, andAustralian Idol 2006 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 seriesAmerica's Got Talent
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