All That I
Gary Barlow Lyrics

The telephone it never rings when you wanted to ring
You can never rely on external factors to work in your favor when you need them to, like the phone ringing.

When it rings it's never the voice you needed to hear
Even when the phone does ring, it's often not the person whose voice you wanted to hear the most.

It's funny how the radio sings the words you meant to say
Sometimes you find comfort in hearing songs that say the things you wish you could say, but can't express.

When you need a smile, you only find a tear
During tough times, it's hard to find joy or happiness, and you end up feeling sad instead.

I'm in deep regret I'm trying to forget
The artist is filled with regret, but is trying to move past it and forget about it.

But hope you'll never sleep when we're apart
They hope that the person they're singing about never forgets or stops thinking about them, even when they are apart.

All that I've given, given away,
The singer has given away everything and is left with nothing.

Is all that I need here tonight
Despite giving everything away, all the artist needs tonight is what they have left, even if it's not much.

All that I try to, try to forget
The artist is trying to forget about something in their past that they regret or are ashamed of.

It's the more this empty heart seems to fight
Despite trying to forget, the emptiness in their heart continues to cause them pain and struggle.

It fights for all that I've given away
The emptiness inside is a reminder of everything the singer has given away and lost in their life.

The day it never goes too fast when you needed it to pass
When you want time to pass quickly, it always seems to drag on longer than usual.

Every corner of the night loneliness sleeps
Loneliness is always present and doesn't go away, even at night when one should be resting and sleeping.

And though I'll never hear the answers
There are questions that the singer has asked, but will never receive an answer for.

To the questions that I've had asked
The singer has had many questions throughout their life that have gone unanswered.

I often wonder what our future could have been
The artist thinks about what could have happened in their life if things had gone differently and wonders how things could have turned out.

(What our future could have been)
This is a reminder of the previous line, just restated.

This deep regret makes it harder to accept
The singer's deep sense of regret makes it harder for them to accept what has happened in their life.

With love I paid the price from the heart
The singer has paid a great price in their life for love, and it has weighed heavily on their heart.

When I know the Lord of changes slowly turn you upside down
The artist knows that life can change in an instant and that things can be turned upside down without warning.

And the pieces of your life fall all around
When things change suddenly, it can feel like the pieces of your life are falling apart and you don't know how to put them back together.

And the times it's hard to recognize the place you've always lived
Even in familiar surroundings, when things change it can be hard to recognize or feel at home in the place you've always lived.

Where's the sun, where's the sky, what is love, what is life, you are mine (oh-oh)
When everything around you changes, it can be hard to find stability and understand what love and life really mean. The singer reminds the addressee that they are 'mine,' offering some form of stability in a world that can often feel unstable.

You were mine
The artist is reminding the addressee that they used to be close and shared a special bond.

And I'm feeling now
The singer is currently feeling something in relation to the addressee and their past relationship.

(All that I've given away)
The singer has given away everything, as previously stated.

And I feel
The singer is still feeling something in relation to their past and the addressee.

(Is all that I'm living for today)
Despite having given away everything, the artist is still living for what they have remaining, even if it's just the memories of their past relationship.

(All that I'm feeling inside)
The artist is feeling a lot of emotions and turmoil inside, which has been previously discussed in the song.

(Set the things I'm living for tonight)
The things that the singer is living for tonight are the same as what they've been living for all along - the memories and emotions from their past, even if they cause pain and struggle.

It's all that I've given away
The singer is still consumed by the fact that they gave away everything.

(All I've given away, is all that I'm living for today)
Despite having given away everything, the artist is still living for what they have remaining, which is the same as before.

(All that I've given)
This is just a restatement of the same idea that has been expressed multiple times throughout the song.

(Oh Yeah)
This is just an expression of the emotions and ideas expressed in the song.