Ain't No Sunshine
Bill Withers Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
It's not warm when she's away
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And she's always gone too long
Anytime she goes away

Wonder this time where she's gone
Wonder if she's gone to stay
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away

And I know, I know, I know, I know
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
I know, I know
Hey, I oughta leave young thing alone
But ain't no sunshine when she's gone

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
Only darkness every day
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away
Anytime she goes away




Anytime she goes away
Anytime she goes away

Overall Meaning

The song Ain't No Sunshine, written by Bill Withers in 1971, describes the feelings of loneliness and despair that one experiences when a loved one is absent. The repetition of "ain't no sunshine" emphasizes the darkness and emptiness that one is left with when that special person is gone. The lack of warmth when she's away emphasizes the importance of the person's presence and their ability to bring light and love into one's life.


The artist wonders where she's gone and if she's gone to stay, indicating that her absence is painful and he's unsure of the future. The line "And this house just ain't no home" adds to the melancholy feeling of the song, making it clear that even the physical space he's in feels empty without her presence.


The lyrics "Hey, I oughta leave young thing alone / But ain't no sunshine when she's gone" suggest that he knows he shouldn't be with this person for whatever reason, but he can't help but feel the unbearable pain of her absence. Overall, the song is about the deep longing one feels for someone who brings them happiness and meaning but is no longer present in their life.


Line by Line Meaning

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
The days are dark and gloomy without her presence


It's not warm when she's away
The house feels cold and unwelcoming when she is not around


And she's always gone too long
Her absence is always longer than expected


Anytime she goes away
Whenever she leaves, everything feels barren and desolate


Wonder this time where she's gone
Curiosity about her whereabouts builds up every time she leaves


Wonder if she's gone to stay
The idea of her leaving permanently is unsettling and nerve-wracking


And this house just ain't no home
The absence of her warm, homely touch makes the house seem lifeless and devoid of comfort


And I know, I know, I know, I know
The feeling of her absence is an all too familiar one


Hey, I oughta leave young thing alone
Despite knowing that he should, he can't bring himself to leave her or let go of the relationship


Only darkness every day
Without her light and positivity, everyday events appear bleak and dull


Anytime she goes away
Each time she leaves, the sense of emptiness and lonliness is recurrent


Anytime she goes away
No matter the situation, her absence brings with it a melancholic feeling


Anytime she goes away
Her presence is what makes everything feel alright and without it, nothing seems the same




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bill Withers

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@cuategomez4710

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
It's not warm when she's away
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And she's always gone too long
Anytime she goes away
Wonder this time where she's gone
Wonder if she's gone to stay
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away
And I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
I know, I know,
Hey, I oughtta leave young thing alone
But ain't no sunshine when she's gone
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
Only darkness every day
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away
Anytime she goes away
Anytime she goes away
Anytime she goes away



@imaanhammam8220

Lyrics
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
It's not warm when she's away
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And she's always gone too long
Anytime she goes away

Wonder this time where she's gone
Wonder if she's gone to stay
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away

And I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know,
Hey, I oughtta leave young thing alone
But ain't no sunshine when she's gone

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
Only darkness every day
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away
Anytime she goes away
Anytime she goes away
Anytime she goes away



@rishabhvishal7488

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
It's not warm when she's away
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And she's always gone too long
Anytime she's goes away
Wonder this time where she's gone
Wonder if she's gone to stay
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away



@urumayukihira9716

[Verse 1]
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
It's not warm when she's away
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And she's always gone too long
Anytime she goes away

[Verse 2]
Wonder this time where she's gone
Wonder if she's gonna stay
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away

[Bridge]
And I know, I know, I know, I know
I know, I know, I know, I know
I know, I know, I know, I know
I know, I know, I know, I know
I know, I know, I know, I know
I know, I know, I know, I know
I know, I know
Hey, I ought to leave the young thing alone
But ain't no sunshine when she's gone

[Verse 3]
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
Only darkness everyday
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away



All comments from YouTube:

@appulse

Fun fact : he actually sang "I know" 26 times because he realized that he forgot to write a verse during the recording. When it was over, he wanted to quickly write one, but everybody in the studio told him to keep it. 😉

@juliusyapo1181

It was meant to be

@b3j8

Another fun fact, listen to the last verse. Bill starts to sing "And she's always gone too long", but instantly catches his mistake and smoothly changes to "this house just ain't no home."

@fatema861

@@b3j8 yeah i noticed that too

@gneurshk4906

@@b3j8 where?

@b3j8

@@gneurshk4906 Last verse, listen close.

226 More Replies...

@cuategomez4710

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
It's not warm when she's away
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And she's always gone too long
Anytime she goes away
Wonder this time where she's gone
Wonder if she's gone to stay
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away
And I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
I know, I know,
Hey, I oughtta leave young thing alone
But ain't no sunshine when she's gone
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
Only darkness every day
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away
Anytime she goes away
Anytime she goes away
Anytime she goes away

@danielochoa9590

Thank you but we all know the lyrics in our hearts

@cuategomez4710

Daniel Ochoa lol, really good song

@TheNickness

Thanks mate, I wonder why the description had only like half the lyrics

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