About The Song
“You Never Really Wanted Me” is a deep-cut country ballad by American singer-songwriter Charlie Rich, recorded in 1964 during his RCA Groove period and first released in March 1965 as the B-side to his single “Tears a Go-Go” (Groove 58-0044). Written solely by Rich, the track remained relatively obscure until producer Billy Sherrill rediscovered the master in 1974 and issued it as a single on Epic Records (catalog 8-50098) in May 1974, riding the massive wave of Rich’s 1973–1974 crossover success.
The 1974 Epic single debuted on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart at No. 85 in late May and climbed to a peak of No. 33 during the week of August 17, 1974, spending 10 weeks on the chart. It did not cross over to the Hot 100 or AC charts but received strong regional airplay in the South and Midwest. In Canada, it reached No. 41 on the RPM Country Tracks chart.
The original recording took place in October 1964 at RCA Studio B in Nashville, produced by Chet Atkins with engineering by Bill Porter. The session featured Rich on vocal and piano, backed by a small combo: guitarist Jerry Kennedy, bassist Bob Moore, drummer Buddy Harman, and light string overdubs arranged by Anita Kerr. The Anita Kerr Singers provided soft background harmonies. Cut in three takes on three-track tape, the arrangement is understated and piano-driven, showcasing Rich’s jazz-influenced phrasing and emotional vulnerability at age 31.
Epic’s 1974 release used the original 1964 master with only minor re-equalization for modern radio. The B-side was “Why, Oh Why,” another early Rich composition. The single was rush-released between the No. 1 hits “I Don’t See Me in Your Eyes Anymore” and “I Love My Friend,” serving as a reminder of Rich’s deep catalog while he dominated the charts.
The song’s lyrics — a resigned acceptance that a lover never truly cared — were written by Rich during a difficult personal period in the early 1960s when commercial success was elusive. Structurally in C major with a slow 6/8 waltz tempo (≈62 BPM), it features a subtle key lift to D-flat in the final chorus for dramatic effect. The mono 45 mix keeps Rich’s vocal front-and-center, exactly as recorded a decade earlier.
Although never included on a proper studio album during Rich’s lifetime, the track appeared on several 1970s Epic compilations, including The Best of Charlie Rich (1976) and Classic Rich (1978). Modern reissues preserve the 1964 master on Bear Family’s 2011 box set The Complete Groove & RCA Singles 1963–1966 and Real Gone Music’s 2019 collection Too Many Teardrops: The Complete Groove & RCA Recordings.
The 1974 Epic 45 with picture sleeve (showing Rich in his trademark white suit) is moderately collectible, valued at $15–40 in near-mint condition. The song remains a favorite among Rich connoisseurs for its raw honesty and beautiful simplicity — a hidden gem from his pre-superstardom years that finally found an audience during his 1974 chart reign.
Video
Lyric
[Verse 1]
You never really wanted me, darling
You never really needed me at all
You just kept me around for convenience
Till somebody better came to call[Verse 2]
I was only a habit you fell into
Someone to talk to when you were blue
But deep down inside you never loved me
And now at last I know it’s true[Chorus]
You never really wanted me
You never really cared
You never really wanted me
You were never really there
When I needed you the most
You were somewhere else instead
You never really wanted me
And now my love is dead[Verse 3]
So goodbye, my used-to-be darling
I’m walking out and closing the door
I’ll find someone who really wants me
‘Cause you never really wanted me anymore[Outro]
No, you never really wanted me anymore
You never really wanted me anymore