Gone But Not Forgotten
Asleep at the Wheel Lyrics


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As a younger man, I moved up to Alaska
To bring that all down from Prudhoe Bay
Made so much money, I could′ve bought Nebraska
Instead, I've whiskey, the other half on women
The other half well, I just blew away

Well, it′s gone but not forgotten
I've shed some tears but I've no regrets
Well, I think about that money often
Lord, it might be gone but not forgotten yet

Had a shrimple by the name of Poliana
Spent more time on the sea than on the shore
′Til the storm blew me up on the coast of Louisiana
When it rained and thunder, capsized and went under
There is no Poliana anymore

Well, it′s gone but not forgotten
I've shed some tears but I′ve no regrets
I think about ol' Poliana often
Lord, she may be gone but not forgotten yet

Lord, the lovely señorita from El Casso
Had to lasso her and she was quite a catch
Well, I showered her with hugs and kisses, still she ran away
So I bring her from her walking and all that women talking
Was never to count my chicken before they hatch

Well, she′s gone but not forgotten
I've shed some tears but I′ve no regrets
Well, I think about that woman often
Lord, she may be gone but not forgotten yet

Well, she's gone but not forgotten
I've shed some tears but I′ve no regrets
Well, I think about that woman often




Lord, she may be gone but not forgotten yet
Lord, she may be gone but not forgotten yet

Overall Meaning

The song "Gone But Not Forgotten" by Asleep at the Wheel is a reflection on the singer's past experiences and relationships that have ended. The first verse talks about the singer's time in Alaska where he made a significant amount of money but spent half of it on women and the other half on whiskey. He acknowledges that the money is gone but that he does not have any regrets. The second verse then goes on to describe three other relationships that have ended: one with a shipmate named Poliana who died at sea, one with a woman from El Casso in Mexico, and one with a woman who ran away.


The repeated refrain "Gone but not forgotten" expresses a bittersweet sentiment about these past experiences. The singer has moved on from these relationships, but they still hold a significant place in his memories. The verse about Poliana is particularly poignant, as her death highlights the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of loss. The verses about the women suggest that the singer may have a history of being idealistic in his romantic relationships, showering them with attention only to be left disappointed in the end.


Overall, "Gone But Not Forgotten" is a nostalgic and wistful song that reflects on the complexity of human relationships and the memories they leave behind.


Line by Line Meaning

As a younger man, I moved up to Alaska
When I was younger, I went to Alaska


To bring that all down from Prudhoe Bay
To earn good money from working at Prudhoe Bay


Made so much money, I could′ve bought Nebraska
I made lots of money


Instead, I've whiskey, the other half on women
I spent a lot of money on whiskey and women


The other half well, I just blew away
I spent the other half of my money carelessly


Well, it′s gone but not forgotten
Although it's gone, it's still in my memory


I've shed some tears but I've no regrets
I cried but I don't regret anything


Well, I think about that money often
I still think about all the money I made


Lord, it might be gone but not forgotten yet
Even though it's gone, it's still remembered


Had a shrimple by the name of Poliana
I had a friend named Poliana


Spent more time on the sea than on the shore
Poliana spent most of her time at sea


′Til the storm blew me up on the coast of Louisiana
Until a storm stranded me in Louisiana


When it rained and thunder, capsized and went under
When it rained heavily with thunder, she capsized and disappeared


There is no Poliana anymore
Poliana is gone forever


Well, I think about ol' Poliana often
I still think about Poliana


Lord, she may be gone but not forgotten yet
Even though she's gone, she's remembered


Lord, the lovely señorita from El Casso
The attractive lady from El Casso


Had to lasso her and she was quite a catch
I had to work hard to get her attention


Well, I showered her with hugs and kisses, still she ran away
I showed her affection, but she left anyway


So I bring her from her walking and all that women talking
I stopped her from talking and walking around


Was never to count my chicken before they hatch
I shouldn't have assumed things too early


Well, she′s gone but not forgotten
Although she's gone, she's still remembered


Lord, she may be gone but not forgotten yet
Even though she's gone, she's still remembered




Writer(s): Knobloch James Frederick, Miller Daniel Scott

Contributed by Connor D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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