Alone

Album: Life By Misadventure (2021)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Rag'n'Bone Man – real name Rory Graham – wrote this song about the pressure on women in their 30s to settle down and have children. He penned the tune after harking back to a conversation he had a few years back with a friend who felt judged by her family for not marrying and becoming a mother.

    "Women shouldn't be asked those questions - 'When are you going to have children? When are you getting married?' - because some don't want to have children, or settle down like that, it's not the life that they want," he told Apple Music. "But unfortunately it's this archaic idea that women of a certain age should. And it just seems so unfair."
  • Graham wrote the song with his bassist Bill Banwell and keyboard player/musical director Ben Jackson-Cook.
  • Mike Elizondo (Eminem, Fiona Apple, Alanis Morissette) co-produced the song with Rag'n'Bone Man and Jackson-Cook at his studio near Nashville.
  • The singer's label released "Alone" as the third single from Life By Misadventure. Rag'n'Bone Man, Jackson-Cook and Mike Elizondo co-produced all the tracks on the album except for "Old Habits," which was produced without Elizondo.
  • Rag'n'Bone Man teamed up with Nothing But Thieves to transform the song into a rock number. Rag'n'Bone Man explained why he recruited the rock band to create the remix. "Most singles I've released so far come with remixes and sometimes it's a bit difficult to imagine what it's going to be like - especially if it's dance or drum and bass," he said. "With 'Alone', I felt like that wasn't going to be possible and I had to think outside the box. I remember seeing Nothing But Thieves at some festivals previously and thinking how amazing they were - I love their sound."

Comments: 1

  • Sharon T. Williams from G V. CaliforniaRag'n'Bone is lodged in my heart...This is a whisper of Grace...soft and harsh...shedding tears, as before.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Danny Clinch: The Art of Rock Photography

Danny Clinch: The Art of Rock PhotographySong Writing

One of rock's top photographers talks about artistry in photography, raising funds for a documentary, and enjoying a County Fair with Tom Waits.

Brandi Carlile

Brandi CarlileSongwriter Interviews

As a 5-year-old, Brandi was writing lyrics to instrumental versions lullabies. She still puts her heart into her songs, including the one Elton John sings on.

David Clayton-Thomas of Blood, Sweat & Tears

David Clayton-Thomas of Blood, Sweat & TearsSongwriter Interviews

The longtime BS&T frontman tells the "Spinning Wheel" story, including the line he got from Joni Mitchell.

David Gray

David GraySongwriter Interviews

David Gray explains the significance of the word "Babylon," and talks about how songs are a form of active imagination, with lyrics that reveal what's inside us.

Five Rockers Who Rolled With The Devil

Five Rockers Who Rolled With The DevilSong Writing

Just how much did these monsters of rock dabble in the occult?

Martin Page

Martin PageSongwriter Interviews

With Bernie Taupin, Martin co-wrote the #1 hits "We Built This City" and "These Dreams." After writing the Pretty Woman song for Go West, he had his own hit with "In the House of Stone and Light."