Flat as a Pancake would remain their most popular album spawning two charting singles, the well-known anthem "Never Been Any Reason" and "Love Me tonight", both written by guitarist Mike Somerville.
This lineup of John Schlitt (vocals), Mike Somerville (guitars), Roger Boyd (keyboards), Dan Birney (bass) and Steve Huston (drums) would last through four more studio albums and a double-LP live album when in 1980 Schlitt, Birney and Somerville left the band although Somerville would return for 1994 through 2003. By the mid-80’s, John Schlitt, had joined Petra, a christian rock band when lead singer Greg X. Volz left the band.
Roger Boyd took over leadership of the band for one mildly successful album, U.S. 1, and two more studio albums before the band became an oldies act
Since You've Been Gone
Head East Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fall to the ground then I wake up
So I get out of bed, put on my shoes and in my head
Thoughts are back to the break-up
These four walls are closing in
Think of the fix you put me in
Since you been gone, since you been gone
Could I be wrong but since you been gone
You've cast a spell, so break it
Doo doo doo, doodoo doo doo, doodoo doo doo, can't take it
And in the night I stand beneath the back street lights
I read the words that you sent to me
I could take the afternoon but night time comes around too soon
You can't know what you mean to me
Your poison letter, your telegram
They go to show you don't give a damn
(Ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh)
And if you need me back
Baby I'm here whenever you want
Doo doo doo
Since you been gone, since you been gone
I'm out of my head, can't take it
Could I be wrong but since you been gone
You've cast a spell, so break it
Doo doo doo, doodoo doo doo, doodoo doo doo, doo doo doo doo
Ever since you been gone
Since you been gone
Since you been gone
Doodoo doo doo, doo doo doo
Ever since you been gone
The lyrics of Head East's "Since You Been Gone" tell a story of a man who is haunted by the memory of his former lover. He dreams the same dream every night, falls to the ground and wakes up. He gets out of bed, puts on his shoes and tries to distract himself from the heartache by thinking about the events leading up to their break-up. However, everything he does only reminds him more of her, and he's ultimately left feeling trapped within the walls of his own mind.
The song's chorus reiterates the idea that he can't escape the power she holds over him since she's been gone. The repetition of the phrase "doo doo doo" serves as a sort of refrain, emphasizing the intensity of his emotions. He then reveals that he's been reading the words she sent to him, noting that he could use the afternoon to wallow in self-pity but he doesn't have time, as night-time comes too soon. He laments that she doesn't care about him by calling her letters "poison" and saying they show that she "doesn't give a damn".
Overall, the song portrays a man who is struggling to move on from a devastating heartbreak. His love for his ex-girlfriend is so deep that it's affecting his daily life and he can't seem to shake the attachment he feels to her. The song ends on a note of hope, where the heartbroken man offers himself up for her return.
Line by Line Meaning
I get the same old dream same time every night
I keep having the same nightmare every night, and it always happens at the same time.
Fall to the ground then I wake up
In my dream, I fall to the ground and then I wake up in real life.
So I get out of bed, put on my shoes and in my head
I try to distract myself by getting out of bed and going for a walk, but my thoughts keep going back to my breakup.
Thoughts are back to the break-up
I keep dwelling on the end of our relationship and everything that went wrong.
These four walls are closing in
Being stuck inside during lockdown is making me feel even more trapped and isolated.
Think of the fix you put me in
I'm stuck in this situation that you caused, and I don't know how to get out of it.
Since you been gone, since you been gone
Things have been terrible since you left, and I can't stop thinking about it.
I'm out of my head, can't take it
I'm going crazy, and I can't handle my emotions.
Could I be wrong but since you been gone
Maybe it's just in my head, but everything feels wrong since you left.
You've cast a spell, so break it
It feels like you've put a curse on me, and I need to find a way to break free from it.
Doo doo doo, doodoo doo doo, doodoo doo doo, can't take it
I can't even put into words how much this is affecting me.
And in the night I stand beneath the back street lights
Sometimes I go for a walk at night and stand under the streetlights, just to escape my thoughts.
I read the words that you sent to me
I keep rereading the messages you sent me, trying to make sense of what happened between us.
I could take the afternoon but night time comes around too soon
During the day, I tell myself that I'll be okay, but when night falls, everything feels even worse and I can't escape my thoughts.
You can't know what you mean to me
You have no idea just how much you meant to me, and how much it hurts that we're not together anymore.
Your poison letter, your telegram
The message you sent me was like poison, and it hurt me deeply.
They go to show you don't give a damn
Your message made it clear that you don't care about me or how your actions have affected me.
(Ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh)
An emotional cry of pain and hurt.
And if you need me back
Despite everything, I'm still willing to take you back.
Baby I'm here whenever you want
I'm always going to be here for you, no matter what you've done or how much you've hurt me.
Since you been gone, since you been gone
Everything has fallen apart since you left, and I can't stop thinking about it.
I'm out of my head, can't take it
My mind is completely consumed by thoughts of you, and it's driving me insane.
Could I be wrong but since you been gone
Maybe I'm just crazy, but everything feels wrong without you.
You've cast a spell, so break it
It feels like you've put some kind of curse on me, and I need to find a way to break free from it.
Doo doo doo, doodoo doo doo, doodoo doo doo, doo doo doo doo
Once again, words can't express how much this hurts.
Ever since you been gone
Everything has gone downhill since you left, and I don't know how to fix it.
Since you been gone
Things have been terrible since you left, and I can't stop thinking about it.
Doodoo doo doo, doo doo doo
A bittersweet melody that captures the pain and longing I feel.
Ever since you been gone
Everything in my life has been off-kilter since you left, and I can't seem to get back on track.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Russell Ballard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Skooby_doobie_Doonkann33
How head east got overlooked the way they did is a damn shame! These guys had some great songs!! Flat as a pancake is one of my all time favorite albums ever
A N
I never knew this band's name until Googling another track today. Knew them by sound, though.
Mead Faerie
Mine too!
Brian Randle
recorded in pekin il
HARD WORKER
agreed
greg knight
I was a 16 year old and saw Head East and Golden Earring in little rock Arkansas in 1978. They played their big hits in a small theater. I left and was hooked on rock music my whole life. So much so when I got out of the Army in 1982 I had to play guitar and became a music teacher. Just retired this year and still play these songs!!!
Robert Long
I saw Head East at the Wild Hog Boogie in July 1980 at War Memorial Stadium. Also saw Atlanta Rhythm Section, Molly Hatchet and the Doobie Brothers headlined it.
Darrel Darrel
Very cool story, remember though it was the back drop to our lives. These "kids" never have known what music can and should be,
Jack Hunsucker
Barton Coliseum
Greg Simpson
Head East........saw them in Sioux City, Iowa when their hits were on the top. The opening or backup band was, get this, Rush!