When I
3 Doors Down Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

There's another world inside of me that you may never see
There's secrets in this life that I can't hide
Somewhere in this darkness there's a light that I can't find
Maybe it's too far away, maybe I'm just blind
Maybe I'm just blind

So hold me when I'm here, right me when I'm wrong
Hold me when I'm scared and love me when I'm gone
Everything I am and everything in me
Wants to be the one you wanted me to be

I'll never let you down even if I could
I'd give up everything if only for your good
So hold me when I'm here, right me when I'm wrong
You can hold me when I'm scared you won't always be there
So love me when I'm gone, love me when I'm gone

When your education x-ray cannot see under my skin
I won't tell you a damn thing that I could not tell my friends
And roaming through this darkness I'm alive but I'm alone
Part of me is fighting this but part of me is gone

So hold me when I'm here, right me when I'm wrong
Hold me when I'm scared and love me when I'm gone
Everything I am and everything in me
Wants to be the one you wanted me to be

I'll never let you down even if I could
I'd give up everything if only for your good
So hold me when I'm here, right me when I'm wrong
You can hold me when I'm scared, you won't always be there
So love me when I'm gone

Maybe I'm just blind

So hold me when I'm here, right me when I'm wrong
Hold me when I'm scared and love me when I'm gone
Everything I am and everything in me
Wants to be the one you wanted me to be

I'll never let you down even if I could
I'd give up everything if only for your good
So hold me when I'm here, right me when I'm wrong
You can hold me when I'm scared, you won't always be there
So love me when I'm gone

Love me when I'm gone, whoa




Love me when I'm gone, when I'm gone
When I'm gone, when I'm gone

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "When I'm Gone" by 3 Doors Down deal with the themes of longing, loneliness, and the fear of abandonment. The song expresses the emotions of a person who feels that there is a world inside of them that is not visible to others. This inner world is filled with secrets and darkness that he cannot hide. He is searching for a light that he cannot find, and he wonders if he is blind. This may be interpreted as a metaphor for the complexities of his personality that he cannot reveal to others, or perhaps it is a more literal description of his struggles with mental health.


The chorus of the song speaks directly to the heart of the matter. The singer is asking his loved ones to hold him, right him, love him, and to be the person that he wants them to be. Though he is afraid of being alone and abandoned, he also knows that he cannot reveal everything to them, that there are some secrets he must keep even from those closest to him. These lyrics may be a plea for acceptance and love, regardless of his shortcomings and issues.


The second verse takes a slightly different tone, expressing the idea that there are some things that cannot be seen even by trained professionals. This may be another metaphor for mental health issues like depression, anxiety, or addiction. The singer is saying that there are times when he will keep his struggles to himself, and that he might not ever be able to share them fully with anyone else. Despite this, he is still alive, although he feels alone.


Overall, "When I'm Gone" is a poignant and honest exploration of the emotions of a person struggling with mental health issues. It speaks directly to the fear of abandonment, the need for love and support, and the difficulties of sharing one's struggles with others.


Line by Line Meaning

There's another world inside of me that you may never see
There exist hidden parts of me that may never be exposed to you or anyone else


There's secrets in this life that I can't hide
There are truths about my life that I cannot conceal


Somewhere in this darkness there's a light that I can't find
Even in times of struggle, there is still hope and positivity that I cannot currently attain


Maybe it's too far away, maybe I'm just blind
It is possible that the light is too distant for me to reach or that I am unable to see it clearly


So hold me when I'm here, right me when I'm wrong
In my present state, please support and correct me when necessary


Hold me when I'm scared and love me when I'm gone
When I am frightened, please provide comfort, and when I am no longer present, remember the love we shared


Everything I am and everything in me
My identity and all that I consist of


Wants to be the one you wanted me to be
Desires to fulfill the expectations and wishes you held for me


I'll never let you down even if I could
Even though it may be possible to disappoint you, know that I will never do so intentionally


I'd give up everything if only for your good
If necessary, I am willing to sacrifice everything for your well-being


When your education x-ray cannot see under my skin
Even though others may have studied me or think they know me, there may be parts of me they still cannot understand


I won't tell you a damn thing that I could not tell my friends
I will not keep any secrets from you that I would not also reveal to my close friends


And roaming through this darkness I'm alive but I'm alone
Although I am surviving through difficult times, I feel isolated and unsupported


Part of me is fighting this but part of me is gone
While I am trying to resist these negative feelings, a portion of me has already succumbed to them


You can hold me when I'm scared, you won't always be there
Although I might feel afraid at times, I cannot expect you to always be present to comfort me


So love me when I'm gone
Remember the love we shared, even when I am no longer present




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRADLEY KIRK ARNOLD, CHRISTOPHER LEE HENDERSON, MATTHEW DARRICK ROBERTS, ROBERT TODD HARRELL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Andrey Ivanov

There's another world inside of me that you may never see
There's secrets in this life that I can't hide
Somewhere in this darkness there's a light that I can't find
Maybe it's too far away, maybe I'm just blind
Maybe I'm just blind

So hold me when I'm here, right me when I'm wrong
Hold me when I'm scared and love me when I'm gone
Everything I am and everything in me
Wants to be the one you wanted me to be

I'll never let you down even if I could
I'd give up everything if only for your good
So hold me when I'm here, right me when I'm wrong
You can hold me when I'm scared you won't always be there
So love me when I'm gone, love me when I'm gone

When your education x-ray cannot see under my skin
I won't tell you a damn thing that I could not tell my friends
And roaming through this darkness I'm alive but I'm alone
Part of me is fighting this but part of me is gone

So hold me when I'm here, right me when I'm wrong
Hold me when I'm scared and love me when I'm gone
Everything I am and everything in me
Wants to be the one you wanted me to be

I'll never let you down even if I could
I'd give up everything if only for your good
So hold me when I'm here, right me when I'm wrong
You can hold me when I'm scared, you won't always be there
So love me when I'm gone

Maybe I'm just blind

So hold me when I'm here, right me when I'm wrong
Hold me when I'm scared and love me when I'm gone
Everything I am and everything in me
Wants to be the one you wanted me to be

I'll never let you down even if I could
I'd give up everything if only for your good
So hold me when I'm here, right me when I'm wrong
You can hold me when I'm scared, you won't always be there
So love me when I'm gone

Love me when I'm gone, whoa
Love me when I'm gone, when I'm gone
When I'm gone, when I'm gone



All comments from YouTube:

MegaBrowz Kapowz

This song is so special to me. My son was born in 2002 and every night I would get up to feed him like clock work and this song always happened to be on vh1 every night at the same time so it became our song. Fast forward 18 years, my son is now in the military and my worry is unrelenting. This song is a constant reminder of when he was an infant and now a soldier. I'm dying on the inside but am grateful that he is my baby and we can always have this song even though I break down everytime I hear it...

elaine price

I am in your exact shoes momma...it's a rollercoaster for sure. 🙏💙

tdogg

Im so sorry your goin through that it has to be hard :(

Johanna

I live in fear of two uniformed Marines knocking on my door.

El Jefe

I am sorry to hear of your pain. I want to say thank you to you and your son. Your country has NOT forgotten you and we STILL know, love and respect what you are doing and the sacrifice you are making. Freedom is not free. I don't say these things to give you any pat answers or to divert your pain, but at least I can say thank you.

Brian Cox

My dad, and 2 of my brother's served in the military, I thank your son for his service and the sacrifices he is making for this great Nation..thank you and God bless.

64 More Replies...

thecish

It's been nearly 20 years since this concert was filmed. Still iconic.

michael beaman

And I had already been A-stan months...

Lisa Gosney

Was on board the uss nimitz same timing things were awesome great bands and Queens rike played played awesome construction ship great year

Isaac Kellam

😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

More Comments

More Versions