When You're Gone" is a rock ballad recorded by Irish band The Cranberries. … Read Full Bio ↴When You're Gone" is a rock ballad recorded by Irish band The Cranberries. It is the third single from their third studio album To the Faithful Departed (1996). The music video was directed by Karen Bellone and was released at the end of 1996. The song was first played during the North American leg of the No Need to Argue Tour in Autumn 1994.

Upon its release, the song peaked at number four in Poland and Norway, going Platinum in the latter country, and reached number 15 in Canada. It additionally peaked within the top thirty in France, Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United States. In 2017, the song was released as an acoustic, stripped-down version on the band's Something Else album. The song was played at the end of Dolores O'Riordan's funeral on 23 January 2018, following her sudden death a week before in London at the age of 46. It was also played by the majority of Irish radio stations at the same time during the funeral.

When Y're Gone
The Cranberries Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hold onto love that is what I do now that I've found you
And from above everything's stinking, they're not around you

And in the night, I could be helpless
I could be lonely, sleeping without you
And in the day, everything's complex
There's nothing simple when I'm not around you

But I'll miss you when you're gone
That is what I do, hey, baby
And it's going to carry on
That is what I do, hey, baby

Hold onto my hands, I feel I'm sinking, sinking without you
And to my mind, everything's stinking, stinking without you

And I'll miss you when you're gone
That is what I do, hey, baby
And it's going to carry on
That is what I do, hey, baby

Hey, baby

Overall Meaning

, baby
It's hard to carry on, that is what I do, hey baby
Don't discard me, just because you've heard my warning
Rendered unimportant, by all your friends and your foes

The singer of The Cranberries' song When Y're Gone appears to be speaking to a former lover, expressing the intense feelings of loneliness and helplessness that have taken over since they've been departed. The lyrics portray someone who has come to the understanding that they need love to hold onto life, and so hold on to love they must, but it's difficult to do so without the person they love. The sense of desperation to be with the other person again is palpable throughout the song, as the singer says it's hard to carry on without them. They seem to be asking the former lover to hold their hands and save them, because without them, they feel they are sinking, and everything is stinking without them.

The lyrics also show the complexity of life without the former lover, represented by the complexity of the day. To the singer, nothing is simple when they're not around, and they feel helpless and lonely at night when they're not there. The realization of how much they've come to rely on the other person is evident, as they recount how they used to slip without them. They miss the former lover every day when they're gone, and it's hard to keep going when they're not around. The singer then makes a plea to not be discarded and overlooked, despite the now perceived vulnerability in acknowledging their love and dependence.

Line by Line Meaning

Give it up
Let go of the pain and move forward

Hold on to love, that is what I do
I strive to keep our love alive

Now that I've found you
Since I have you, everything is better

And from above, everything's stinking
Life is difficult without you

They're not around you
I miss you when you're not here

And in the night I could be helpless
I feel weak and alone without you

I could be lonely slipping without you
I fear losing you and being alone

And in the day, everything's complex
Life is confusing and overwhelming without you

There's nothing simple when I'm not around you
My life is more complicated without you

But I miss you, when you're gone
I long for your presence when you're not here

That is what I do, hey baby, baby
My heart aches for you