Lee was a musical prodigy and by the time she was two she would hear songs on the radio once and be able to whistle the complete tune. She was five years old when she started to gain wider attention when she won a local singing contest sponsored by the elementary schools. At age 11, she was offered a recording contract with Decca Records and released the song “Dynamite,” leading to her lifelong nickname, “Little Miss Dynamite.”
Lee was popular in the UK very early in her career, and her 1961 rockabilly release “Let’s Jump the Broomstick” did not chart in the US, but went to #12 in the UK. Her biggest hits during this time include a rockabilly version of the country classic “Jambalaya (On the Bayou),” “Sweet Nothin’s,” “I Want to Be Wanted,” “All Alone Am I,” and “Fool #1.”
In 1960, she recorded her signature song, “I’m Sorry,” which hit number one on the Billboard pop chart and was her first gold single. Her last top-10 single on the pop charts was 1963’s “Losing You,” while she continued to have other chart songs such as her 1966 song “Coming On Strong” and “Is It True?” in 1964.
During the early 1970s, Lee re-established herself as a country music artist, and earned a string of Top 10 hits on the country charts. Her biggest selling track of her career is, oddly enough, a Christmas song: “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” It was released in 1958, but it sold only 5,000 copies. However, it eventually sold over five million copies and remains a perennial radio favorite each December. In December 2023, Lee became the oldest artist to ever top the Hot 100, when "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" topped the chart 65 years after its release.
Over the ensuing years, Lee has continued to record and perform all around the world, previously cutting records in four different languages. She is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, and the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. In 1992, she recorded a duet with Willy DeVille; Chuck Berry also wrote a song about her. Lee has been married to Ronnie Shacklett since 1963, and they have two daughters and three grandchildren. She is the second recipient of the Jo Meador-Walker Lifetime Achievement award.
Throughout her career, Brenda Lee has released 41 studio albums, 12 compilation albums, and over 100 singles. She has had numerous top twenty hits on the Billboard Hot 100, Country, and AC charts in the US, UK, and Canada.
When Your Lover Has Gone
Brenda Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That comes with each new love affair
The dreams that we cherish, so often might perish
And leaves you with castles in air
When you're alone, who cares for starlit skies
When you're alone, the magic moonlight dies
At break of dawn, there is no sunrise
What lonely hours, the evening shadows bring
What lonely hours, with memories lingering
Like faded flowers, life can't mean anything
When your lover has gone
In the first paragraph, the lyrics highlight the futility of the efforts we put into scheming, planning, and dreaming in a new love affair. It questions the purpose and value of these actions when they often lead to disappointment and the dissolution of our dreams. The imagery of castles in the air emphasizes how these aspirations can remain unrealized and ultimately leave us feeling empty and unfulfilled.
Moving on to the second paragraph, the lyrics delve into the despair and desolation that one feels when they are alone after their lover has departed. It implies that all the beauty and enchantment of starlit skies and magic moonlight lose their appeal and lose their ability to evoke wonder and joy. The mention of the absence of a sunrise at dawn further symbolizes the absence of hope and renewal in one's life when their lover has left them.
The third paragraph continues to explore the profound loneliness experienced after a lover is gone. The evening shadows become a metaphor for the haunting memories that linger and intensify the feelings of isolation. The comparison to faded flowers suggests that life loses its vibrancy and significance when the love that once nourished it is no longer present. It conveys a sense of emptiness and the feeling that life loses its meaning without that special someone.
Overall, Brenda Lee's lyrics depict the depths of emotional pain and emptiness one feels when their lover departs. It exposes the fragility of love and the prevalence of loss in romantic relationships. The song portrays a sense of longing and highlights how love can color every aspect of our lives, making its absence even more pronounced and devastating.
Line by Line Meaning
What good is the scheming, the planning and dreaming
The effort and anticipation put into a new relationship ultimately serve no purpose
That comes with each new love affair
That accompanies the start of every romantic involvement
The dreams that we cherish, so often might perish
The hopes and desires that we hold dear often end up being unfulfilled
And leaves you with castles in air
Leaving you with fantasies and illusions that have no basis in reality
When you're alone, who cares for starlit skies
When you are by yourself, there is nobody to appreciate the beauty of the night sky
When you're alone, the magic moonlight dies
When you are alone, the enchanting glow of the moon loses its charm
At break of dawn, there is no sunrise
When your lover is no longer with you, even the dawn brings no sense of new beginnings or hope
When your lover has gone
When the person you love is absent or no longer a part of your life
What lonely hours, the evening shadows bring
The time spent in solitude feels desolate, intensified by the darkness of the evening
What lonely hours, with memories lingering
The hours seem even more lonely as memories of the past linger and haunt your thoughts
Like faded flowers, life can't mean anything
Similar to wilting flowers losing their vibrancy, life loses its significance and purpose
When your lover has gone
When the person you love is absent or no longer a part of your life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Einar Aaron Swan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind