In the late 1990s Callier began his comeback to recorded music, contributing to Beth Orton's Best Bit EP in 1997 and releasing the album Timepeace in 1998, which won the United Nations' Time For Peace award for outstanding artistic achievement contributing to world peace. His colleagues at the University of Chicago never learned of Callier's life as a musician, but after the award the news of his secret life became widely known and subsequently led to his firing.[3][9]
As well as touring internationally, Callier continued his recording career, releasing five albums since Timepeace, including Lifetime (1999), Alive (2001), Speak Your Peace (2002) and Lookin' Out (2004). May 2009 saw his album Hidden Conversations featuring Massive Attack released on Mr Bongo records.[7][9] In 2001, Callier performed "Satin Doll" for the Red Hot Organization's compilation album Red Hot + Indigo, a tribute to Duke Ellington, which raised money for various charities devoted to increasing AIDS awareness and fighting the disease. Callier died on October 27, 2012, after a long illness.
When the Music Is Gone
Terry Callier Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Candy and flowers)
For my Valentine
(Minutes and hours)
You stay on my mind
(Romance and love songs)
I'm down on my knees
(Promise me you'll belong)
But that's just a start
What I'm trying to say
I'd give you my heart
But it's yours anyway
[Chorus]
What would I do without you
To me you're the meaning of
The meaning of love
And I'll always be true
Forever with you
It just isn't long enough
What would I do
Without You
(I love only you)
And nobody else
(With feelings so new)
Like I've never felt
(Come hold my hand)
Aw, get all closer to me
(Cause you understand)
How true love should be
But that's just a start
What I'm trying to say
I'd give you my heart
But it's yours anyway
[Chorus]
What would I do without you
To me you're the meaning of
The meaning of love
And I'll always be true
Forever with you, yeah
It just isn't long enough
What would I do
Without.....
Your kisses and your tender touch
I love you I love you I love you so much
Baby there's something I want you to know
I'm gonna die if you ever go
[Chorus]
What would I do without you
To me you're the meaning of
The meaning of love
And I'll always be true
Forever with you
It just isn't long enough
What would I do
Without You
What would I do without you
To me you're the meaning of
The meaning of love
And I'll always be true
Forever with you
Forever's not long enough
What would I do
Without You
What would I do (yeah
The lyrics of Terry Callier's song "When the Music Is Gone" are about a deep and enduring love. In the first verse, the singer describes the things he would do for his loved one, including buying candy and flowers on Valentine's Day, thinking about her all the time, and listening to love songs while on his knees. He asks her to promise to belong only to him, but acknowledges that simply having her in his life is the real gift. In the chorus, he reinforces his love, declaring that she is the meaning of love to him and that he will always be true to her. He imagines a life without her and notes that even the concept of forever isn't long enough to describe how much he needs her. In the second verse, he continues to express his devotion, listing the ways in which their connection is unique and powerful. He promises to die if she ever leaves him and implores her not to go.
The song is a haunting ballad that showcases Callier's clear, soulful voice against a spare, acoustic guitar melody. The lyrics are both romantic and vulnerable, revealing the depth of feeling that the singer has for his partner. The repeated refrain of "What would I do without you" becomes a desperate plea as the song goes on, underscoring the crucial role that the loved one plays in the singer's life. Overall, "When the Music Is Gone" is a testament to the enduring power of love, even in the face of uncertainty and hardship.
Line by Line Meaning
(Candy and flowers)
Small tokens of affection such as candy and flowers
(Minutes and hours)
The amount of time spent thinking about the person he loves
(Romance and love songs)
The themes that embody their love
(I'm down on my knees)
Asking for a commitment to only love him
(Promise me you'll belong)
Commitment to being in a monogamous relationship
What would I do without you
How his life would lack meaning without his beloved
(I love only you)
His heart only belongs to his beloved
(With feelings so new)
The intensity of the love he's experiencing is new to him
(Come hold my hand)
Wanting physical closeness and comfort
(Cause you understand)
Being able to truly connect and empathize with each other
(Your kisses and your tender touch)
The physical expression of love
(I'm gonna die if you ever go)
The unbearable thought of losing his beloved
Forever's not long enough
The depth of his love feels like it could never be enough time spent together
What I'm trying to say
The difficulty of expressing the depth of his emotions
(But it's yours anyway)
His heart belongs to his beloved, with or without a promise of commitment
[Chorus]
Reinforcing and summarizing the intensity of his feelings
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RAY CHARLES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ann marie Murray
Indeed. He shared so much of himself within his music.
Louise Rose
Very poignant and such a soulful melody and voice - a really good performance! I think in some way the "death/passing of music" here becomes a metaphor for the death and afterlife of individual humans - like at 1:35 - and this is one of the reasons why the song is so moving. A world where music didn't exist anymore would be a hopelessly cold place, but this is not really what the song is exploring.
kelvin
From the great Sir Terry Callier. Unsung hero of the great art and a prophet
Joyce Picco
Very talented...I had never heard of Terry Callier previously. Thank you for sharing.
Louise Rose
Yes he was. I first heard him on Nitin Sawhney's brilliant "Prophesy" album, almost twenty years ago, where he is heard calling out in his bluesy voice "The Sea of Prophesy /---/ Everyone must choose /universal blues". :)
Andy H
Thank you for sharing.