Raymond Charles Jack LaMontagne (born June 18, 1973) is an American songwri… Read Full Bio ↴Raymond Charles Jack LaMontagne (born June 18, 1973) is an American songwriter, singer and musician. LaMontagne has released eight studio albums, Trouble, Till the Sun Turns Black, Gossip in the Grain, God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise, Supernova, Ouroboros, Part of the Light, and Monovision. He was born in New Hampshire and was inspired to create music after hearing an album by Stephen Stills. Critics have compared LaMontagne's music to that of Otis Redding, The Band, Van Morrison, Nick Drake and Tim Buckley.

Early life
LaMontagne was born in Nashua, New Hampshire, in 1973, one of six children raised by his mother. In his early teens he lived in Morgan, Utah, and was more interested in drawing images of Dungeons & Dragons than in his school work. After graduating from high school, LaMontagne moved to Lewiston, Maine, and found work in a shoe factory. LaMontagne also spent a significant amount of time in Wilton, Maine. Other sources state that by his teen years he was living in Maine, spending time in Turner and Buckfield.

Style
LaMontagne has a unique vocal style which he says is created by singing through his gut instead of through his nose. He cites Stephen Stills, Richard Manuel, and Rick Danko as strong musical influences while critics have compared LaMontagne's music to that of The Band, Van Morrison, Nick Drake, and Tim Buckley.[failed verification] A Rolling Stone review of his album Supernova referred to his voice as an "impeccably weathered tenor croon" and his phrasing as "marble-mouthed."

Awards
For his debut album, LaMontagne won four awards, including three Boston Music Awards (Best Male Singer-Songwriter, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year) and an XM Nation Music Award for Acoustic Rock Artist of the Year. LaMontagne has received a nomination from the Pollstar Concert Industry Awards for Best New Touring Artist, the BRIT Awards for International Breakthrough Act, the MOJO Awards for Best New Act, and was given the title of Best Voice in 2006 by Esquire.

In 2011, Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs received two Grammy Award nominations, and they were awarded the Grammy for the Best Contemporary Folk Album for God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise.

Controversy
On July 23, 2014, during a show at the Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan, LaMontagne interrupted a song and walked off stage as a result of two fans talking during his concert, after having previously asked the audience to quiet down. The incident included yelling profanity at the couple before walking off stage. Once the couple was escorted away LaMontagne continued the concert.

On September 20, 2016, LaMontagne announced that he was canceling a September 22 show at the Bass Concert Hall at the University of Texas at Austin, due to Texas's recently implemented campus carry law.

Personal life
In 2009, LaMontagne paid $1.05 million for a 103-acre farm in Ashfield, Massachusetts, the former residence of U.S. Ambassador William C. Bullitt, where he lives with his wife, Sarah Sousa, and their two children in the farmhouse built in 1830. Sousa is a published poet via Red Mountain Press and their sons are budding artists. He refers to himself as a "very private person" and rarely gives interviews.

Gone Away from Me
Ray LaMontagne Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

For a while
I sat there staring at the photograph
For a while
I cried and tried not to make a scene
There was a time,
When we were young
I used to make her laugh
But life is long,

My love has gone away from me

Chorus:
Gone away from me
Gone away from me
Life is long
My love has gone away from me
Gone away from me
Gone away from me
Life is long
My love has gone away from me

Lately I
Can?t seem to find myself no sleep at all
Lately I
Just lie awake here and dream
Of the time when she was mine
Felt like I had it all
But life is long,
My love has gone away from me

Chorus

Yesterday?s gone
Yesterday?s dead
Get it through your head
And walk away
Yesterday is gone
Ain?t no use hanging on
To a memory that only causes you pain

For a while
I sat there staring at the photograph
For a while
I cried and tried not to make a scene
There was a time,
When we were young
I used to make her laugh
But life is long,
My love has gone away from me

Chorus

Overall Meaning

The song Gone Away from Me is a poignant reflection on the loss of love and the memories that remain after a relationship ends. The opening verse depicts the singer staring at a photograph of his former love, trying not to make a scene as he cries. He then reflects on their past together, when they were young and happy. But now his love has gone away, and he is left to lament the passage of time that has led to their separation.

The chorus reinforces the theme of loss and the inevitability of change in life. The repetition of the phrase "Gone away from me" emphasizes the gravity of the situation, while the acknowledgement that "life is long" suggests that time heals all wounds. The second verse describes the singer's current state of mind, as he struggles to sleep and instead spends his nights dreaming of the past. But ultimately, there is no use in holding onto memories that only cause pain, and the song encourages the listener to let go and move on.

Line by Line Meaning

For a while
I was stuck in a moment, unable to move on

I sat there staring at the photograph
I looked at the past trying to find solace

For a while
I cried without any suppression or control

I cried and tried not to make a scene
I tried to hold back my tears, not wanting to make a spectacle

There was a time,
In the past, there was a moment

When we were young
When we were youthful and carefree

I used to make her laugh
I had the power to bring happiness into her life

But life is long,
However, life is full of trials and tribulations

My love has gone away from me
The love that I once cherished has left me behind

Gone away from me
My love has departed from me

Gone away from me
My love has gone forever