The song Crosses, from Crosses EP and the later Veneer, appeared on the finale of the second season of the popular American television comedy-drama The O.C.. His cover of Heartbeats (also from Veneer) was used in a popular Sony BRAVIA TV commercial featuring coloured bouncing balls in San Francisco and an episode of Zach Braff's Scrubs
His song Far Away was also prominently featured in the Rockstar video game Red Dead Redemption.
His trademark sound is solo acoustic guitar with soft melody. His work, although mostly original, does include acoustic covers of great hits such as Love Will Tear Us Apart, Born in the U.S.A., and Teardrop.
González also appears in the Zero 7 album The Garden, in which he sings on three tracks and on a re-worked version of Crosses.
Afterglow
José González Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All of this will be gone someday
You and me and everyone
The memories and traces, and for the afterglow
All of this will be gone someday
All of this will be gone someday
All of this will be gone someday
All of this will be gone someday
You and me and everyone
The memories and traces, and for the afterglow
The lyrics of José González's song Afterglow are a contemplation of the impermanence of life. The repetition of the line "All of this will be gone someday" emphasizes the inevitability of change and how nothing lasts forever. The second stanza adds "You and me and everyone" to include all living beings in this cycle of life and death. The line "The memories and traces, and for the afterglow" suggests that although we may be gone someday, the things we leave behind - memories and traces - will linger on as a sort of afterglow.
The song's message is both melancholic and hopeful. It acknowledges the fleeting nature of life but also celebrates the idea that we can leave something behind, even if it's just memories or traces. The choice of using acoustic guitar, González’s gentle voice, and minimalistic instrumentation add to the mood of contemplation and introspection.
Line by Line Meaning
All of this will be gone someday
Everything that exists in this moment, including people, places, and things, will eventually cease to exist.
All of this will be gone someday
No matter how wonderful or terrible things seem right now, they will ultimately pass away.
You and me and everyone
Every single person on this earth is included in this brief moment of existence.
The memories and traces, and for the afterglow
Although everything will eventually fade away, our experiences and the effects we have on others will leave a lasting impact, like the afterglow of a sunset.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JOSE GONZALEZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DanLn1
No one else comes close to Joses songwriting and performances, the greatest ever ♥️
@justinhunt1714
God damn, this guy's music will just start making me unexpectedly cry at times. I'm in a convenience store parking lot just enjoying a coffee scrolling facebook and BAM! it hits me 😢
@sanitarydept.2828
all of this will be gone someday
@ARGallardo_
Hearing this song for three years, living many experiences, meeting different people and having a girlfriend with a hard past. I've realized that everything is left behind in time.
@blznj
Jose Gonzalez = Lyrical Poetry.
@taniadelacombe4476
...a poetic CSNY... bravo!!!✌💖
@adeliahogarth2407
Beautiful.
@GuilhermeBuster
Musica incrível ❤️
@larakatus
Is amazing..
@christophermassaad3841
Strong influence of African Blues sounds in this song.