A Long Time Gone
Electric Light Orchestra Lyrics


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Seems like forever and time left to spare
When I look out the window
And still you're not there
You're a long time gone
Such a long time gone

Tearing down memories bitter and sweet
Smashing away 'til it's all obsolete
You're a long time gone, long time gone
Such a long time gone, long time gone
You're a long time gone

Do I wonder why
Every day that I
Think about you still
And I always will

Did so much for me
Now I think I see
This I do believe
Feels more like a dream

Looked at the weeds in the broken concrete
Before the bulldozers waltzed in and killed the old street
You're a long time gone, long time gone
Such a long time gone, long time gone

Door steps that shone in a bright summer sky
Lay shattered and wasted since our last goodbye
You're a long time gone, long time gone
Such a long time gone, long time gone
You're a long time gone

Do I wonder why
Every day that I
Think about you still
And I always will

You're a long time gone

Did so much for me
Now I think I see
This I do believe
Feels more like a dream

You're a long time gone

Do I wonder why
You're a long time gone
You never did




I never said goodbye
You're a long time gone

Overall Meaning

The Electric Light Orchestra's "A Long Time Gone" is a song about feeling the weight of the absence of someone who has left. The singer looks out the window and sees that the person in question is still not there, and realizing that they have been gone for a long time. The lyrics become particularly nostalgic when the singer references memories, both good and bad, that they shared with the person who left. It is not clear why the person left, as there is no mention of any conflict or disagreement that may have caused the separation.


The lyrics become more descriptive when the singer looks at the broken and battered surroundings. Previously bright and shining doorsteps and streets are now just memories to be reflected upon. The weed-riddled concrete, the bulldozers, and the shattered doorsteps represent the passing of time and how things change over it as the singer realizes that the person they are missing is a long time gone.


Overall, the Electric Light Orchestra's "A Long Time Gone" is a bittersweet song that beautifully captures the longing one feels for someone who has been gone for an extended period. It's a song where the starkness of the reality depicted is magnified by how much the singer misses the person they are singing about.


Line by Line Meaning

Seems like forever and time left to spare
It feels like an endless amount of time has passed with nothing to fill it


When I look out the window
As I gaze out of my window


And still you're not there
You are still absent


You're a long time gone
It has been a significant duration of time since you departed


Such a long time gone
A tremendously lengthy amount of time has elapsed since your departure


Tearing down memories bitter and sweet
I'm dismantling my good and bad memories


Smashing away 'til it's all obsolete
I'm eradicating all the memories until they are all entirely irrelevant


Do I wonder why
I sometimes question myself


Every day that I
On a daily basis


Think about you still
I'm still contemplating about you


And I always will
And I will continue to do so forever


Did so much for me
You did a lot for me


Now I think I see
I believe I've come to understand


This I do believe
This is what I am convinced of


Feels more like a dream
It almost seems like a distant dreaming


Looked at the weeds in the broken concrete
I saw the weeds that sprouted from the cracked sidewalk


Before the bulldozers waltzed in and killed the old street
Prior to the bulldozers arriving and demolishing the old neighborhood


Door steps that shone in a bright summer sky
The front steps of the house that gleamed in the sunny summer days


Lay shattered and wasted since our last goodbye
Now, they lay broken and useless since the last time we met


You're a long time gone
It's been a while since you were last here


Do I wonder why
I'm still curious about the reasoning behind it


You never did
You didn't


I never said goodbye
I didn't bid you farewell


You're a long time gone
You've been absent for a while




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JEFF LYNNE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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