"Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer" is a

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses ( February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events J ...

song by

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...

, featured on his album ''

Where I'm Coming From ''Where I'm Coming From'' is the 13th album by Stevie Wonder. The album was released by Motown Records on April 9, 1971 and peaked on the Billboard Pop Albums at #62, and on the ''Billboard'' R&B Albums Chart at #7. All nine songs were writte ...

''. The song is a ballad, describing a failed relationship using the metaphor of changing seasons. Co-written by

Syreeta Wright Syreeta Wright (February 28, 1946 – July 6, 2004), who recorded professionally under the single name Syreeta, was an American singer-songwriter, best known for her music during the early 1970s through the early 1980s. Wright's career heights we ...

and released on Tamla 54202 in 1971 as the flip side of "

We Can Work It Out "We Can Work It Out" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It was first issued as a double A-side single with "Day Tripper" in December 1965. It also appeared on the 1966 US release '' Yesterd ...

", the single stalled at #78 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, but it remains one of Stevie Wonder's most popular ballads to this day. ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an onli ...

'' described the song by saying that "lively melodic work is heightened by an exceptional performance." Wonder performed a version of the song at

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...

memorial service A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...

on July 7, 2009, his voice cracking with emotion as he called out his friend's name during the song's final refrain, "Why didn't you stay?"

Chart performance

Cover versions

*The song was covered by

Three Dog Night Three Dog Night is an American rock band formed in 1967, with founding members consisting of vocalists Danny Hutton, Cory Wells, and Chuck Negron. This lineup was soon augmented by Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards), Joe Schermie (bass), Michael A ...

and included on their album ''

Harmony In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. Howeve ...

''. *The song was also covered by

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...

on her 1975 album '' Diamonds and Rust''. *

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and ...

also recorded the song for his album of soul covers, '' Going Back''. * James Blake also recorded the song for his cover album, simply titled 'covers'

Popular culture

*A large portion of the song is played during a scene in the film, '' Poetic Justice''; the full song is on its accompanying soundtrack album. *A portion of this song was also remade by

Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. She is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as being one of the most influential musicians of her generation. ...

on Hip-Hop artist

Common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally ...

's "Retrospect For Life," found on his 1997 album ''

One Day It'll All Make Sense ''One Day It'll All Make Sense'' is the third studio album by rapper Common, released on September 30, 1997, on Relativity Records. It was the follow-up to his critically acclaimed album ''Resurrection'' and the last Common album to feature produ ...

''.

References

Songs about heartache 1971 songs 1971 singles 1970s ballads Songs written by Stevie Wonder Songs written by Syreeta Wright Stevie Wonder songs Joan Baez songs Three Dog Night songs Pop ballads Soul ballads Song recordings produced by Stevie Wonder {{1970s-single-stub