Gone, Gone, Gone

Album: The World From The Side Of The Moon (2012)
Charted: 24
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The second single from American Idol winner, Phillip Phillips' debut album The World from the Side of the Moon is a kick-drum-pounding, indie-folk acoustic love song.
  • Phillips co-wrote 10 of the 14 tracks on The World from the Side of the Moon, but this was one that he didn't contribute towards. He told Yahoo! Canada Music: "Todd Clark and Derek Fuhrmann, they wrote [it] and brought it to me and I thought it was a beautiful song. The more I've played it live, the more I've made it more my own and people seem to really connect with it and really enjoy it."
  • Gregg Wattenberg helmed the track. A co-writer on O.A.R.'s "Shattered (Turn the Car Around)," his other production credits include Five for Fighting's "Superman (It's Not Easy)" and Train's "Hey Soul Sister." Phillips recruited him to produce The World from the Side of the Moon after they wrote together "Get Up Get Down" at Wattenberg's New York studio. Phillips told Billboard magazine, "He's a goofy guy and I'm a goofy guy - and when I had to come up with a producer, I mentioned him and we made it happen."
  • Phillips performed the song on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live! on January 16, 2013 to coincide with the twelfth season premiere of American Idol.
  • The song's music video was directed by Joseph Toman. The clip features footage of Phillips performing mixed with a pastiche of home video shots of important moments in lives. Said Toman, "It's a celebration of life, and hopefully something that everyone can find something in to relate to."
  • This was an obvious choice to be the 2013 American Idol farewell song in the season after Phillips triumphed on the show.
  • This is one of the few instances of a hit single where not only the act's name ("Phillip(s)") repeats, but so does at least one of the words in its title. Other hit tunes that sported both artists and titles with likewise doubled (or tripled) words include:

    1982 "Talk Talk" by Talk Talk
    1985 "A View To A Kill" by Duran Duran
    1989 "A Dream's a Dream" by Soul II Soul
    2005 "Goodnight Goodnight" by Hot Hot Heat
    2012 "Boom Boom" by Rye Rye

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Dennis DeYoung

Dennis DeYoungSongwriter Interviews

Dennis DeYoung explains why "Mr. Roboto" is the defining Styx song, and what the "gathering of angels" represents in "Come Sail Away."

Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde

Johnette Napolitano of Concrete BlondeSongwriter Interviews

The singer/bassist for Concrete Blonde talks about how her songs come from clairvoyance, and takes us through the making of their hit "Joey."

George Harrison

George HarrisonFact or Fiction

Did Eric Clapton really steal George's wife? What's the George Harrison-Monty Python connection? Set the record straight with our Fact or Fiction quiz.

Joan Armatrading

Joan ArmatradingSongwriter Interviews

The revered singer-songwriter talks inspiration and explains why she put a mahout in "Drop the Pilot."

Janis Ian

Janis IanSongwriter Interviews

One of the first successful female singer-songwriters, Janis had her first hit in 1967 at age 15.

Amanda Palmer

Amanda PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Call us crazy, but we like it when an artist comes around who doesn't mesh with the status quo.