After landing her first professional theater gig at age 11, moving to New York City on her own to study with Broadway veterans at age 17, and spending her early 20s leading jazz bands back home in Missouri, Whitaker headed to L.A. and started setting up a series of residencies that eventually attracted fans like Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, and Michael Bublé and caught the attention of Verve Music Group chairman and 16-time Grammy Award-winner David Foster. The first new artist Foster has agreed to develop and produce since discovering Bublé, Whitaker is now set to release a debut album for Verve that finds her reviving a vast American jukebox of classic songs and revealing the full force of her stunning, soulful voice.
When I'm Gone
Brenna Whitaker Lyrics
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I always seem to push a little bit harder than I really should
And now we're standing in the street light and I'm feeling like I just might give up
We were never really meant to be together but I can't say no
Midnights and always fighting and deciding when to let it go
Finding comfort in a stranger just to get a little anger from you
When I'm gone
You'll only think about what I did wrong
But if I could've loved you more somehow I might still be with you now
Maybe no one ever really taught me how to love myself
Maybe I should fix it 'cause I can't blame anybody else
I should've loved you with compassion and know you shouldn't have to ask it of me
'cause when I'm gone you'll only think about what I did wrong
You won't remember how I turned you on
But if I could've loved you more somehow
I might still be with you now
Show me how to love (show me how to love)
I'm begging on my knees (begging on my knees)
I gotta give it up, give you what I need
Show me how to love (show me how to love)
I'm begging on my knees (begging on my knees)
'cause this just ain't enough, gotta give it up
(...?)
'cause when I'm gone
You'll only think about what I did wrong
You won't remember how I turned you on
But if I could've loved you more somehow
'cause when I'm gone
You'll only think about me when I'm gone
And if you could've loved me more somehow
I might still be with you now
Oohh, I might still be with you now
The lyrics of Brenna Whitaker’s “When I'm Gone” reflect a bittersweet tale of a relationship that was never meant to be. The song talks about the regret of not being able to love the person well enough before it's too late. The first verse talks about the singer’s tendency to push harder than they should have, causing their partner to reach a limit. They stand in the street light, feeling like they want to give up. The chorus repeats the line “When I’m gone, you’ll only think about what I did wrong” to suggest that the partner will only remember the singer's negative aspects instead of the positive ones, like how they used to turn them on. In the second verse, the singer acknowledges that they may have never loved themselves enough, which ultimately affected their relationship. The lyrics “show me how to love” and “I gotta give it up, give you what I need” suggest that the singer is willing to learn how to love and fix the relationship. In the end, the song concludes that the relationship may have had a better chance if they had just loved each other more.
Overall, this song speaks to the universal experience of many people who feel the pain of lost loves gone by. The contrast of the upbeat melody with the melancholic lyrics creates a beautiful blend that is both emotional and engaging. The song's message is relatable, emotional, and thought-provoking.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe I should've listened when you told me that you had enough
Perhaps the singer should have paid heed to the warning signs when their partner expressed that they were not satisfied with the relationship
I always seem to push a little bit harder than I really should
The singer acknowledges that they have a tendency to exert more effort in the relationship than necessary
And now we're standing in the street light and I'm feeling like I just might give up
The singer finds themselves on the brink of surrendering to their emotions while in a very public place
We were never really meant to be together but I can't say no
Although the artist recognizes that they and their partner may not have been compatible from the start, they struggled to end things between them
Midnights and always fighting and deciding when to let it go
The artist reflects on the frequent arguments and struggles with deciding when to finally let go of the relationship
Finding comfort in a stranger just to get a little anger from you
The singer seeks solace in another person to ease their emotional anguish caused by their partner
When I'm gone
You'll only think about what I did wrong
You won't remember how I turned you on
But if I could've loved you more somehow I might still be with you now
The singer fears that when they leave the relationship, their partner will only remember their faults and not the good times they shared because they were unable to love them fully
Maybe no one ever really taught me how to love myself
The artist recognizes that they may not have learned how to embrace self-love and it could be a contributing factor to their difficulties in loving their partner
Maybe I should fix it 'cause I can't blame anybody else
The artist takes ownership of their own issues and believes they should work to improve their ability to love themselves
'cause when I'm gone you'll only think about what I did wrong
You won't remember how I turned you on
But if I could've loved you more somehow
The artist reiterates their fear that their partner will only remember their negative aspects after they've left the relationship, but wishes they could have loved them more fully
Show me how to love (show me how to love)
I'm begging on my knees (begging on my knees)
I gotta give it up, give you what I need
Show me how to love (show me how to love)
I'm begging on my knees (begging on my knees)
'cause this just ain't enough, gotta give it up
The singer is pleading with their partner to teach them how to love properly because they recognize their current efforts are not sufficient to maintain the relationship
'cause when I'm gone
You'll only think about what I did wrong
You won't remember how I turned you on
But if I could've loved you more somehow
'cause when I'm gone
You'll only think about me when I'm gone
And if you could've loved me more somehow
I might still be with you now
Oohh, I might still be with you now
The artist reiterates their fear that once they are gone, their partner will only focus on their shortcomings and that if they had been able to love each other better, they might have had a chance to stay together
Writer(s): Brenna Whitaker, Jochem van der Saag, Maureen Mcdonald, David Foster
Contributed by Allison O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.