He Wasn't There

Album: It's Not Me, It's You (2009)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This torch song pastiche features emotional lyrics about Lily Allen's actor father, Keith Allen. Lily's parents broke up when she was four, and here she forgives her dad for not being around for most of her childhood. The Smile singer told The Sunday Telegraph that she remembers "the day that Dad left, and us all saying good-bye to him in the hall of our flat in Bloomsbury. I just remember there being a thing of 'does that mean Dad's never going to be around?' She was reassured otherwise. "Then of course Dad did go, and didn't come back for a while." However the song praises their adult relationship. Lily explained to The Sun January 30, 2009: "With my dad, we have made a go of our relationship, after years of pain. But we're there now, we're in a good place."
  • For more on Keith Allen on Songfacts, check out "World In Motion," "Jerusalem" and "Country House."

Comments: 1

  • Theresa from Murfreesboro, TnThis song has an old-fashioned feel to it, so cool.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater RevivalFact or Fiction

Is "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" about Vietnam? Was John Fogerty really born on a Bayou? It's the CCR edition of Fact or Fiction.

Randy Houser

Randy HouserSongwriter Interviews

The "How Country Feels" singer talks Skynyrd and songwriting.

Dave Mason

Dave MasonSongwriter Interviews

Dave reveals the inspiration for "Feelin' Alright" and explains how the first song he ever wrote became the biggest hit for his band Traffic.

Randy Newman

Randy NewmanSongwriting Legends

Newman makes it look easy these days, but in this 1974 interview, he reveals the paranoia and pressures that made him yearn for his old 9-5 job.

Female Singers Of The 90s

Female Singers Of The 90sMusic Quiz

The ladies who ruled the '90s in this quiz.

Supertramp founder Roger Hodgson

Supertramp founder Roger HodgsonSongwriter Interviews

Roger tells the stories behind some of his biggest hits, including "Give a Little Bit," "Take the Long Way Home" and "The Logical Song."