Songfacts®:

• This is an autobiographical song written by singer James Allan about his absent father. However Allan was put on the spot when this was released as a single. He explained to The Independent newspaper February 1, 2008 that the lyrics have had effects far beyond his control: "What's hard for people to understand is that I wrote that song a year ago and I don't think you can ever estimate the value of the songs you write. I try to put as much soul in and give myself away as much as possible, but you're never sure if other people will like what you do. Such a big deal has been made of it and now my family are picking up papers saying that 'Daddy's Gone' is about my absent father, which is something I never saw coming and never really thought about. Some of my lyrics may upset some people who think they are about them, and I want to say to them that they aren't. I am a songwriter and that's what happens, but I don't write to hurt other people's feelings. I could moan about how things are perceived or I could just write about things that don't mean anything. A lot of kids' parents have split up and most of the time one parent will see the kid more often than the other, which leaves them with a lot of regret over the things they have missed out on. I noticed that because my parents split up when I was younger, but all my friends' parents broke. It was just normal. That's what I was trying to say, that for me all this was a normal thing, but I realised the regret that went with it and that I didn't want to feel like that at any point in my life."
• Allan told the Daily Record August 5, 2008: "It's me saying I want to make things right in my life now. I don't want to get to a point where I am regretting things, as that regret can destroy anybody."
• This was originally released as a digital download and limited edition 7" single in November 2007. The version released as a single in August 2008 has a slower tempo.
• The New Musical Express named this song as the second best song of the year in a list of Best Tracks of 2007.
• This song was written by an unemployed James Allan in a crumbling flat in Glasgow. He jotted down the original lyrics on a job center application form and demoed it using a cheap computer, with a £28 sound card.