‘Never Love You Again’ by Post Malone - Lyrics & Meaning

In the lead-up to Post Malone's spellbinding 2024 ACM Awards performance in Frisco, Texas, his newly unveiled Morgan Wallen collaboration, ‘I Had Some Help’, was tearing up the all-genre charts and hurtling towards a momentous Billboard Hot 100 No. 1.

Therefore, fans had taken it as a given that Post Malone would only be performing ‘I Had Some Help’ during the prestigious awards ceremony. However, as Reba McEntire warmly introduced the bearded crooner, instead of the effervescent, synth-backed backing for ‘I Had Some Help’, the unmistakable cry of a steel guitar sounded out as the lights shone down on Posty holding a beaten-up acoustic guitar and adorned in his signature Dallas Cowboys jersey.

He proceeded to deliver a spellbinding live rendition of a new unreleased song, ’Never Love You Again’, which is expected to feature on Posty's forthcoming debut country album. Following this, he performed a truncated solo version of ‘I Had Some Help’.

The traditional-leaning ambience of ’Never Love You Again’ is a marked departure from the pop-infused feel of ‘I Had Some Help’, with Dallas and its rich country music history undoubtedly the perfect place to debut this classic cowboy ballad.

With the unreleased country snippets that had been teased thus far by the ‘Chemical’ hitmaker, such as ‘I Ain't Got A Guy For That’ with Luke Combs, listeners had assumed his album would be pervaded by this mainstream, genre-blending style.

However, ‘Never Love You Again’ has now introduced a fascinating element of surprise, with Post Malone seemingly exploring an eclectic plethora of sub-genres of country music on the hotly anticipated record. While the details surrounding the album's full tracklist and official release date remain under wraps, Post Malone did make one thing abundantly clear during his ACM Awards performance - whatever kind of country music he decides to try his hand at, he excels.

‘Never Love You Again’ will transport Posty aficionados back to the now-iconic We're Texas benefit concert that opened many people's eyes to his lesser known penchant for country, during which he delivered stellar, steel-soaked renditions of Brad Paisley's ‘I'm Gonna Miss Her’ and Sturgill Simpson's ‘You Can Have The Crown’.

The intimate, balladic offering carries a traditional country feel, accentuated by the sumptuous fiddle and steel guitar combination. The ’Never Love You Again’ instrumental could've been plucked straight from George Strait's catalogue.

However, Post Malone's trademark, raspy vibrato adds a unique, fresh twist to the track, which ensures that, even though it's an entirely different kind of song than we've become accustomed to hearing from Posty, it still feels sincere and authentic to him.

We're eagerly looking forward to hearing the full song, and hopefully the legendary fiddle player, Larry Franklin - who joined Post Malone for his ACM Awards performance - has also contributed to the studio version of ‘Never Love You Again’.

“There's a bad moon hanging over the city

I can't hear no hymns on the wind

As I pour up that glass of ‘Forgive me’

Hungover off what could've been”

The intricate composition of ‘Never Love You Again’ is mirrored by the beautiful lyrics, with Post Malone conveying the necessity of his bittersweet farewell before he leaves his lover behind. He builds a sense of foreboding by highlighting how there's a “bad moon” looming large over the city, before poignantly describing how he “can't hear no hymns on the wind”. This evocative imagery emphasises how he's not finding any comfort in his surroundings, with the absence of any hymns representing his guilt at abandoning her.

He turns to alcohol to ease his conscience, with Posty wittily naming his drink ‘Forgive me’ as he pleads with his partner to understand that he has to hit the road, because it's in his nature as a cowboy. In one of the most satisfying lyrical transitions in the song, he extends the alcohol-inspired metaphor to the next line, portraying how he feels ‘hungover off what could've been’. The lingering headache arises not from any whiskey, rather, it's the niggling doubt in the protagonist's mind as to whether he's making the right call by leaving his flame in the lurch.

“It's a long lost highway

And this road ain't my friend

I'll love you ‘til tomorrow

And I'll never love you again”

Introducing the classic cowboy trop of choosing the loneliness of the road over the stability of a settled-down family life, Post Malone outlines how his gypsy spirit can't be tamed.

He knows that the road “ain't my friend” and that it's a cold world out there, but he nonetheless has to go. Then, Posty delivers the heartbreaking titular lyric, as he promises to love the woman he's leaving behind until tomorrow, but after that, he'll forget about her. Whether he's actually intending to - or even able to - is irrelevant, because it seems he's just saying these things to help her to cut ties and move on.

“Saw the Bible on your dresser

Save some forgiveness for me

Baby, this ain't no ol’ Cowboy & Western

Cos I won't be lookin’ back when I leave”

As the song's protagonist prepares to leave, he muses about how he noticed the Bible laying on his lover's bedside-table, before deploying another clever turn-of-phrase as he asks her to save some of the forgiveness she's earned from her faith for him. This continues the theme of the opening verse, with Post Malone showing remorse and seeking absolution for relinquishing their love and breaking her heart.

In the following lines, the distant demeanour he adopts as he assures her he won't be “lookin’ back when I Leave” could again just a selfless technique to make his partner think less of him, and therefore soften the blow of his departure.

Post Malone juxtaposes the fact he's singing a classic country song with the warning that this “ain't no ol’ cowboy Western” where the lead character leaves the love of his life with great reluctance. Posty implies, by contrast, that he won't feel any regret as he rides into the sunset - although it must be said that the preceding lines and the melancholic atmosphere of ’Never Love You Again’ suggest otherwise.

We're yet to get any word from the Diamond-certified New York singer-songwriter as to the inspiration behind ‘Never Love You Again’, or even the release date, but he did confirm after his performance that nobody had ever head the track before.

In his post-show interview with Bobby Bones, Post Malone revealed he'd been nervous ahead of debuting the track, “My booty-hole is clenched the entire performance!” before speaking fondly of his recent writing sessions in Nashville, “I have been having so much fun, and I went to Nashville probably about six months ago, and I've always wanted to make a record in this vein. I'm having so much fun, and I love the people that I get to write with in Nashville. It's the most amazing time”.

Bobby Bones then shared a sweet, endearing story of how Posty had gone to the trouble of staying behind after his charitable Million Dollar Show at the Ryman Auditorium to sign autographs with every audience-member. He may be singing wistfully about never loving someone again, but it's safe to say we'll never not love you, Post.

“There's a bad moon hanging over the city

I can't hear no hymns on the wind

As I pour up that glass of ‘Forgive me’

Hungover off what could've been

It's a long lost highway

And this road ain't my friend

I'll love you ‘til tomorrow

And I'll never love you again

Saw the Bible on your dresser

Save some forgiveness for me

Baby, this ain't no ol’ cowboy Western

Cos I won't be lookin’ back when I leave

Oh, it's a long lost highway

And this road ain't my friend

I'll love you ‘til tomorrow

And I'll never love you again”

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