Hello, fellow hivers. I hope y'all are having a swell day.
I just wanted to drop this video here real quick. This is an acoustic performance of a classic song that I am sure most of you must have heard before—Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers.
This song has been given a variety of meanings by various lyric interpreters. To me, this song is simply about a man who misses a woman, regardless of any extra dynamics. Bill Withers indirectly likens this woman he is talking about to the sun and declares that there is only darkness when she is away, depriving him of warmth. He also wonders where she's gone and is she's gonna stay.
Fun fact: In the bridge of this song where Bill Withers repeated “I know” 26 times, it was because he ran out of words and did not know what else to fix there. He was gonna change it later, but when he got to the studio, the producers and other cre members advised him to leave it that way. If you ask me, it's so perfect that he left it that way.
Here are the lyrics to the song.
Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone
It’s not warm when she’s away.
Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone
And she’s always gone too long
Anytime she goes away.
Wonder this time where she’s gone
Wonder if she’s gone to stay
Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone
And this house just ain’t no home
Anytime she goes away.
BRIDGE:
And I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, hey,
I ought to leave the young thing along
But ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone
Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone
Only darkness every day.
Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone
And this house just ain’t no home
Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.
Here's a video of the man himself playing his song.
Here's a video of a cover by John Mayer that I love so much!
▶️ 3Speak
