Brooks was a phenomenal musical force in the 1990s. He had his chart breakthrough in 1989, having come apparently from nowhere, and was an immediate commercial success. Lacking the tall and lanky physical appearance typical of some male country stars, he successfully integrated pop and rock elements into his recordings and live performances. He soon began to dominate the country singles and country albums charts and quickly crossed over into the mainstream pop arena, selling records like no one else in country music ever had and exposing country music to a larger audience than previously thought possible.
Brooks enjoyed one of the most successful careers in popular music history, with over 70 hit singles and 15 charted albums to his credit and over 115 million albums sold in the US alone, breaking records for both sales and concert attendance throughout the 1990s. Possibly dissatisfied and looking to expand his career boundaries, he then attempted an artistically ambitious (but uncompleted) multimedia project involving a fictitious alter ego.
Troubled by the conflicts between career and family, the year after the decade ended Garth Brooks announced his retirement from recording and performing, thereby disappearing from the music world as suddenly as he had come.
Recently he has announced his return to live performances by agreeing to a 5 year 15 show a year contract in Vegas. His plan is to finish this contract, write some new stuff, and wait for his youngest daughter to go off to school, and then he plans to return to touring with his wife.
Ain't No Sunshine
Garth Brooks Lyrics
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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
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
Hey, I ought to 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
Hey, I ought to leave young thing alone
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
The song Ain't No Sunshine by Garth Brooks is a cover of Bill Withers’ 1971 hit. The song is about the feeling of emptiness that arises when a loved one is absent. The lyrics point out that everything about life seems incomplete when the woman he loves isn't present. Bill Withers uses the metaphor of "sunshine" to show how his lover brings joy and vibrancy to his life. He sings that "it's not warm when she's away" and "only darkness every day," meaning that her absence brings disorder and darkness to his life. Throughout the song, he expresses his uncertainty about his lover's location and her intentions. He wonders if her absence will be permanent and laments that his house doesn't feel like home without her.
Garth Brooks brings out the pain and the longing in the song with a more emotional interpretation. The song's repetitive lyrics and the melancholy tune leave the listener with a sense of longing for something that he cannot have. His voice grows louder as the song progresses, expressing his hurt and frustration at the situation. He repeats the phrase "I know" multiple times, perhaps indicating that he understands that his lover is gone, but he can't help feeling incomplete without her.
Line by Line Meaning
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
Things aren't as bright when the woman is not around
It's not warm when she's away
The person feels cold and lonely when she is not there
And she's always gone too long
It takes too much time for her to come back
Anytime she goes away
Whenever she leaves, it is hard to maintain the same level of happiness
Wonder this time where she's gone
The person is confused about where the woman has gone and why she has not returned
Wonder if she's gone to stay
The person is concerned that she may never come back
And this house just ain't no home
The place lacks warmth and love without her
And I know, I know
The person is fully aware of the impact that she has on his life
Hey, I ought to leave young thing alone
The person realizes that he should leave this woman alone even though he cannot imagine life without her
Only darkness every day
Without her, everything feels dull and mundane
Anytime she goes away
Again, when she leaves, the feeling of emptiness consumes him
Anytime she goes away
Reiterating the fact that her absence has a profound effect on his life
Hey, I ought to leave young thing alone
Desperate for a change, the person acknowledges that he should move on from this woman despite how much he loves her
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
The woman's presence is everything that brings light into his life and without her, everything feels less than him it should be
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bill Withers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind