Gone

Album: Late Registration (2005)
Charted: 18
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This track closes Kanye West's second album, Late Registration. Yeezy spits the first, second and last verse, whilst guest rappers Cam'ron and Consequence take the third and fourth verse respectively
  • "Gone" starts off with a with a vocal sample of Otis Redding's version of the Chuck Willis song "It's Too Late." Derek and the Dominos also covered the tune with Eric Clapton on vocals and Duane Allman on slide guitar.
  • The elaborate string arrangements were done by the album's co-producer, the Los Angeles-based songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Jon Brion.
  • The song gained newfound fame in 2013, eight years after it was released, after writer and producer Marina V Shifrin publicly told her boss she was quitting her job by posting a video to YouTube with "Gone" as the music. The clip, which features Shifrin dancing her way out of her deserted office at 4:30 AM, quickly went viral. The digital sales of the song spiked to such an extent that it debuted at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"They're Playing My Song

A song he wrote and recorded from "sheer spiritual inspiration," Allen's didn't think "Southern Nights" had hit potential until Glen Campbell took it to #1 two years later.

Zakk Wylde

Zakk WyldeSongwriter Interviews

When he was playing Ozzfest with Black Label Society, a kid told Zakk he was the best Ozzy guitarist - Zakk had to correct him.

Protest Songs

Protest SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know your protest songs (including the one that went to #1)?

Kim Thayil of Soundgarden

Kim Thayil of SoundgardenSongwriter Interviews

Their frontman (Chris Cornell) started out as their drummer, so Soundgarden takes a linear approach when it comes to songwriting. Kim explains how they do it.

Strange Magnetics

Strange MagneticsSong Writing

How Bing Crosby, Les Paul, a US Army Signal Corps Officer, and the Nazis helped shape rock and Roll.

Cy Curnin of The Fixx

Cy Curnin of The FixxSongwriter Interviews

The man who brought us "Red Skies" and "Saved By Zero" is now an organic farmer in France.