Never Is a Promise

Apple wrote this song after the guy she lost her virginity to broke a promise by showing interest in another girl. In the heat of the moment, guys often echo the kind of dialogue heard in romantic movies, saying things like "I'll never leave you," but of course not living up to it. In "Never Is A Promise," Apple takes him to task, letting him know exactly how it feels to be on the other end of it. The song is rather therapeutic for Apple, who uses this heartbreaker to learn and grow stronger. A disciple of Maya Angelou, she does it in very poetic verse: The skin of my emotions lies beneath my own You'll never feel the heat of this soul Apple is letting this guy know that words have meaning, so he should be careful when saying "never." She's also finding her strength in learning how to deal with his broken promises.

Apple's songs start as journal entries, and are thus very personal and confessional. "Never Is A Promise" she wrote when she was just 16.

This is the song that earned Fiona Apple a record deal. When she realized she would have to find a path after high school, she mad a 3-song demo tape to ease her way into a music career. One of the songs was "Never Is A Promise," and that's the one that got the attention of Andy Slater at Sony Music, who signed her and produced the Tidal album. Slater added a string section, but the song remained true to Fiona's demo, focused on her piano and voice.