A Resilient Anthem of Unyielding Faith
When Triumph unleashed “Never Say Never” in 1988 as a single from their ninth album Surveillance, it didn’t storm the Billboard Hot 100 or the UK charts—passing largely unnoticed amid the shifting tides of late ‘80s rock—but its fierce spirit found a home among diehard fans of the Canadian trio. For those who’d followed their journey through the ‘70s and ‘80s, this track was a gritty torch held high, its echoes resounding from crackling speakers in basements and garages. Older listeners can still feel its pulse—Rik Emmett’s razor-sharp riffs slicing through the air—a sound that drags them back to a time when hard rock was a lifeline, a defiant stand against a world that too often demanded surrender.
The story behind “Never Say Never” is one of a band at a crossroads, penned by Rik Emmett, Gil Moore, and Mike Levine during the tense sessions for Surveillance in 1987. Recorded at Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, Ontario, it marked a pivotal moment—Emmett’s final full contribution before his 1988 departure. The song emerged from late-night jams, fueled by the trio’s resolve to reclaim their edge after the polished sheen of Sport of Kings. With producer Thom Trumbo at the helm, they layered Emmett’s soaring vocals and jagged guitar over Moore’s thunderous drums and Levine’s steady bass, crafting a track that bristled with urgency. For those who caught its video on MTV—a stark, live-energy cut—it’s a memory of a band fighting to hold their ground, a last roar before the lineup fractured, echoing the resilience they’d preached since Rush comparisons first shadowed their rise.
At its core, “Never Say Never” is a battle cry for perseverance—a refusal to bow to doubt or defeat, wrapped in the sinew of hard rock defiance. “Keeping the faith is a constant fight / We live and we breathe it,” Emmett sings, his voice a clenched fist, urging, “Never say never, don’t let me down.” It’s a call to face history’s lessons, to find strength “deep down inside,” a mantra for anyone who’s stared down life’s grind and chosen to stand tall. For older hearts, it’s a weathered banner from the ‘80s—a decade of big dreams and bigger hair—when rock anthems doubled as armor, shielding the spirit through late shifts and lost loves. The song’s pulsing riff and hopeful chorus carry a truth: belief can outlast the odds, a spark that burns even when the charts turn cold.
To crank up “Never Say Never” now is to revisit 1988’s fading glow—the hum of a cassette deck in a beat-up Camaro, the flicker of a neon bar sign, the weight of a leather jacket slung over a shoulder. It’s the sound of a Friday night when the amp buzzed loud, a crowd chanting along ‘til voices cracked, a moment when the world felt conquerable if you just held on. For those who’ve carried it through decades, it’s a rugged keepsake—a memory of when Triumph stood unyielding, when a song could ignite your resolve and make you feel invincible. This isn’t just a track; it’s a fist raised to the sky, a vow etched in distortion, still ringing true for every soul that’s ever dared to keep the faith against the storm.