About The Song
“There Won’t Be Anymore” is a country ballad written and recorded by American singer Charlie Rich. Originally cut in 1958 during his early Sun Records era, the song was not released until 1973 when producer Billy Sherrill rediscovered the master tape and issued it as a single on Epic Records (catalog 8-50044) in December 1973. The track runs 2:24 and features Rich’s warm baritone over a sparse, acoustic arrangement that contrasts sharply with the lush countrypolitan productions of his then-current hits.
The single debuted on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart at No. 76 in late December 1973, riding the massive wave of Rich’s crossover success with “Behind Closed Doors” and “The Most Beautiful Girl.” It climbed steadily and reached No. 1 for two weeks beginning March 23, 1974, becoming Rich’s fourth consecutive country chart-topper. It spent 14 weeks on the country chart and peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 (week of April 13, 1974). On the Adult Contemporary chart, it hit No. 6. In Canada, it topped the RPM Country Tracks for two weeks and reached No. 33 on the Top Singles chart. Cash Box ranked it No. 1 country for three weeks.
The original recording took place in late 1958 or early 1959 at Sam Phillips’ Memphis Recording Service on Madison Avenue. Produced by Bill Justis, the session featured only Rich on vocal and acoustic guitar, backed by bassist Bob Moore and drummer Buddy Harman. No overdubs were added; the stark, almost demo-like quality was preserved exactly as cut fifteen years earlier. The B-side was a 1973 re-recording of Rich’s 1959 Phillips International track “Thanks a Lot.”
Epic Records released the single as a stop-gap between albums while Rich was on tour supporting Behind Closed Doors. The label initially pressed 250,000 copies, but demand quickly pushed total sales past 800,000. Promotion leaned heavily on the contrast between the “new” old recording and Rich’s current polished sound, with trade ads proclaiming “Charlie Rich – 1958 style!” The single appeared on the 1974 compilation album The Early Years (KE 32531) and later on the gold-certified Very Special Love Songs package.
The song’s lyrics reflect on lost love and the passage of time, written by the 26-year-old Rich during his lean Sun years when commercial success seemed distant. Structurally simple (verse-chorus-verse in G major), the arrangement relies entirely on Rich’s emotive phrasing and finger-picked guitar, recorded live to mono tape on a single Ampex machine. The 1973 45 RPM pressing used the original 1958 master with only minor EQ adjustments for modern radio.
Reissues preserved the vintage track on Rhino’s 1997 Feel Like Going Home: The Essential Charlie Rich, Bear Family’s 2010 box set It Ain’t Gonna Be That Way: The Complete Smash and Mercury Recordings, and the 2015 Real Gone Music collection So Lonesome I Could Cry. The original 1973 Epic 45 with picture sleeve is collectible, valued at $15–40 in near-mint condition.
The single’s success demonstrated the enduring quality of Rich’s early work and reinforced his 1974 dominance of the country charts, where he scored five No. 1s that year alone, cementing his reign as country’s leading male artist of the era.
Video
Lyric
[Verse 1]
Don’t wait up for me tonight
‘Cause I won’t be comin’ home
I’m leavin’ you this note to say
That I’ll be gone
And there won’t be anymore
There won’t be anymore
There won’t be anymore
Of me comin’ home to you[Verse 2]
I’ve been thinkin’ it over
And I know it’s best for me
To pack my things and go away
And set you free
And there won’t be anymore
There won’t be anymore
There won’t be anymore
Of me comin’ home to you[Verse 3]
I know you’ve heard it all before
But this time it’s really true
I’m leavin’ you for good this time
We’re really through
And there won’t be anymore
There won’t be anymore
There won’t be anymore
Of me comin’ home to you[Outro]
No, there won’t be anymore
There won’t be anymore
There won’t be anymore
Of me comin’ home to you