Willy DeVille (born William Paul Borsey Jr. in Stamford, Connecticut, on Au… Read Full Bio ↴Willy DeVille (born William Paul Borsey Jr. in Stamford, Connecticut, on August 25, 1950; died in New York City on August 6, 2009) was an American singer and songwriter of Basque, Pequot, and Irish descent. During his thirty-five year career, first with his band Mink DeVille (1974–1986) and later on his own, Deville created original songs rooted in various American musical styles. He worked with collaborators from across the spectrum of contemporary music, including Jack Nitzsche, Doc Pomus, Dr. John, Mark Knopfler, Allen Toussaint, and Eddie Bo. A wide range of styles, including latin rhythms, blues riffs, doo-wop, Cajun music, strains of French cabaret, and echoes of early-1960s uptown soul, can be heard in DeVille's work.

As a teenager, DeVille had a band named Billy and the Kids. He moved to London looking to form a band, but was unsuccessful in finding like-minded musicians. Eventually he landed in San Francisco where he formed a band with bassist Ruben Siguenza and drummer Tom "Manfred" Allen. The band played under the names Billy DeSade & the Marquis and the Lazy Eights before settling on the name Mink DeVille. Later, DeVille took the band to New York City, where they helped to pioneer punk rock music and were one of the original house bands at CBGB, the New York nighclub where punk rock music was born in the mid-1970s.

The typical DeVille song -- if any of his songs can be called "typical" -- is filled with romantic conviction and yearning. Latin rhythms, Blues riffs, and strains of country music can be heard in DeVille songs. Spanish Stroll was a hit in the U.S. and the UK in 1978; Storybook Love (nominated for an Academy Award in 1987) is the theme song of the movie The Princess Bride.

DeVille suffered from drug addiction for many years, which stifled his career. Among fellow musicians and songwriters, he was widely respected. Songwriter Doc Pomus said about Deville, "He knows the truth of a city street and the courage in a ghetto love song."

DeVille died of pancreatic cancer during the night of August 6, 2009 in a New York hospital.

DeVille had homes in New Orleans and Mississippi.

When You're Away From Me
Willy DeVille Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When you're not with me I feel lost and forsaken
Without your touch my world is incomplete
I'm wasting time until we're once more together
You left me with a hunger I can't feed.

If there's a light to lead me out of this tunnel
A light to follow answering all of my prayers
If I could dream on, awaking never

Cause in my dreams you're always there.

Minutes are hours and hours forever
Forever's always and always my fear
When you're away from me
When you're away from me
When I'm without you, only half of me's here
When you're away from me.

If there's a light to lead me out of this tunnel
A light to follow answering all of my prayers
If I could dream on, awaking never
Cause in my dreams you're always there.

Minutes are hours and hours forever
Forever's always and always my fear
When you're away from me
When you're away from me
When I'm without you, only half of me's here
When you're away from me.

All around are friends but my world's deserted
If I can't hear your voice or you're not in sight
The saddest words I've ever heard are
I'll miss you baby so, til then it's goodbye.

But minutes are hours and hours forever
Forever's always and always my fear
When you're away from me
When you're away from me
When I'm without you, only half of me's here
When you're away from me.

Minutes are hours and hours forever
Forever's always and always my fear
When you're away from me
When you're away from me
When I'm without you, only half of me's here

When you're away from me
When you're away from me ...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Willy DeVille's "When You're Away From Me" are an expression of the singer's intense longing for their lover. The singer feels incomplete and lost without their partner's touch, and the passing of time only exacerbates this feeling. The singer yearns for a light to guide them out of this darkness, a light that represents their partner, the answer to all of their prayers. The singer longs for the ability to dream their dreams without fear of waking up alone, because their partner is always there in their dreams.

The repetition of the lines "Minutes are hours and hours forever/ Forever's always and always my fear" emphasizes the singer's perception of time as a constant reminder of their separation from their lover. The repetition of the line "When you're away from me" serves to drive home the central theme of the song - the singer feels incomplete and half-alive when they are without their partner.

Overall, "When You're Away From Me" is a poignant and emotional expression of longing and love, the lyrics painting a vivid picture of the singer's despair when they are separated from their heart's desire.

Line by Line Meaning

When you're not with me I feel lost and forsaken
My life has no direction or purpose when you're not by my side.

Without your touch my world is incomplete
I need your love and affection to make me feel whole and alive.

I'm wasting time until we're once more together
Every moment apart from you is meaningless and unproductive.

You left me with a hunger I can't feed.
Your absence has created a longing in me, which cannot be satisfied without you.

If there's a light to lead me out of this tunnel
I'm looking for a sign of hope and encouragement to guide me through this difficult time.

A light to follow answering all of my prayers
I need a beacon of light to fulfill my deepest desires and wishes.

If I could dream on, awaking never
I wish I could remain forever in a dream where you're always with me and never have to wake up to reality.

Cause in my dreams you're always there.
Even in my subconscious, you remain a constant presence in my life and thoughts.

Minutes are hours and hours forever
Time seems to drag on endlessly when we're apart.

Forever's always and always my fear
The thought of being without you for an indefinite period of time fills me with dread and anxiety.

When you're away from me
Your absence and distance from me is the cause of all my misery and sorrow.

When I'm without you, only half of me's here
Without you, I don't feel like myself and feel incomplete, like a part of me is missing.

All around are friends but my world's deserted
Even though I am surrounded by people, they can't fill the void that you've left in my life.

If I can't hear your voice or you're not in sight
If I can't communicate with you or see you, it feels like a part of me is gone.

The saddest words I've ever heard are
The most painful and heart-wrenching phrase I've experienced is

I'll miss you baby so, til then it's goodbye.
When you say goodbye and tell me you'll miss me, it only reinforces how much I need you and how incomplete I am without you.

Contributed by Gavin E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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