"After You've Gone"

A contender for the greatest break-up song in the American Popular Songbook is certainly Turner Layton's and Henry Creamer's 1918 standard, "After You've Gone." There is a particularly wonderful version of this song sung by Leigh Harris over the closing credits of John Sayles's great 1988 film Eight Men Out, about the 1919 Chicago "Black Sox" scandal. (No soundtrack album was issued -- why is it that the movie tracks you want are the ones that aren't made available? -- and I haven't found this cut on the Internet either.)

I just discovered another perfectly marvelous version of "After You've Gone" on YouTube, sung by Fiona Apple at a record store promotional event.



Apple sings the frequently omitted introduction, showing true respect for the song. As with any durable standard, there are various ways of "doing" the song; Apple's rendition brings out the passion. The lyrics have often been slightly tweaked over the years; here are the words that Apple sings.

Now won't you listen honey
While I say
How could you tell me that you're going away
Don't say that we must part
Don't break my aching heart

You know I've loved you truly many years
I loved you night and day
How could you tell it to me
Honey can't you see my tears
Now listen while I say

After you've gone
And left me cryin'
After you've gone
There's no denyin'
You feel blue
You feel sad
You miss the bestest pal you ever had

There'll come a time
Now don't forget it
There'll come a time
When you'll regret it

Someday when you grow lonely
Your heart will break like mine and you'll want me only
After you've gone
After you've gone away

After you've gone
After the break up
After you've gone
You are gonna wake up
And you will find that you were blind
To let somebody come and change your mind

After the years that we've been together
The joy and all the tears
In all types of weather

Someday when you're down-hearted
You'll long to be with me right back where we started
After you've gone
After you've gone away

Oh babe think what you're doin'
You know my love for you will drive me to ruin
After you've gone
After you've gone away