A jazz-pop singer as well as a theater and film actress, Christy Baron was … Read Full Bio ↴A jazz-pop singer as well as a theater and film actress, Christy Baron was born and raised in the Pittsburgh area but has lived around New York most of her adult life. Baron has said she appreciates pop, rock and R&B as well as jazz, and the artists she has expressed admiration for range from Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Dianne Reeves to Annie Lennox, Stevie Wonder and Sting. Baron was only five or six when she was first exposed to standards by her mother (a pianist) and started to sing and play them on the piano. By the time she was 16, Baron was singing standards in piano bars, and as a young adult in the early 1980s, she attended Carnegie Mellon University and often sang at a popular Pittsburgh jazz club called the Balcony. It was in 1984 that Baron moved to New York, where she pursued both acting and singing. In the 1990s, the lead characters that Baron played ranged from Julie Hammer in the film Pants on Fire (directed by Rocky Collins) to Stevie in a theatrical production of Eduardo Machado's Stevie Wants to Play the Blues at the Williamstown Theater Festival in Williamstown, MA. Directed by Jim Simpson (who married Sigourney Weaver), Stevie is loosely based on the life of Billy Tipton, a female jazz musician who passed herself off as a man. (Before Baron, Stevie had been played by Amy Madigan at a separate production in L.A.). Baron has also played the lead role of Fantine in a Broadway production of Les Miserables. In 1996, she signed with Chesky Records and recorded her debut album, I Thought About You. Steppin' followed in 2000. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

Ain't No Sunshine
Christy Baron Lyrics

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Ain't No Sunshine

(Bill Withers)

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

Anytime he goes away

I wonder this time where he's gone
Wonder how long he's gonna stay
Ain't no sunshine when he's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Anytime he goes away

Well I know I know I know I know

When he's gone
Always gone too long
Anytime he goes away

Anytime he goes away
Anytime he goes

Overall Meaning

Christy Baron's rendition of Ain't No Sunshine, which was originally composed by Bill Withers and released in 1971, is an emotionally charged ballad that speaks to the desolation that is felt when a loved one is absent. Through the simple repetition of the opening phrase, "Ain't no sunshine when he's gone," Baron creates a sense of bleakness that permeates the entire song. She communicates that life is dull and unappealing without the presence of the person who has departed.

The song's lyrics describe a love that seems to be deteriorating as the man remains absent for extended periods. The singer wonders where he has gone and how long he will stay away. The second verse speaks to the fact that his prolonged absence makes the house feel less like a home, emphasizing the importance of his presence to create a sense of warmth and security. In the final verse, the repeated phrase "anytime he goes away" serves as a mournful lament, highlighting the fact that no amount of reassurance or promises can fill the void of his absence.

Overall, Christy Baron's rendition of Ain't No Sunshine captures the sorrow felt when a loved one is absent. The lyrics express a sentiment that is easy to identify with, and the repetition of the opening phrase reinforces the sense of longing felt when someone is gone.

Line by Line Meaning

Ain't no sunshine when he's gone
Life is dark and gloomy without him.

It's not warm when he's away
His presence brings warmth and comfort.

Ain't no sunshine when he's gone
Life is bleak without him.

And he's always gone too long
His absence is consistently prolonged and painful.

Anytime he goes away
Every time he leaves, life loses its brightness.

I wonder this time where he's gone
I'm curious about his current whereabouts.

Wonder how long he's gonna stay
I'm anxious about when he'll come back.

Ain't no sunshine when he's gone
Life is dull and boring without him.

And this house just ain't no home
Without him, the place I live just doesn't feel like home.

Anytime he goes away
Every time he leaves, it feels like a part of me leaves with him.

Well I know I know I know I know
I am fully aware of how much I miss him.