If You're Gone
Encyclopedia
"If You're Gone" is the title of a song by the rock band Matchbox Twenty
. It was the second single off Mad Season
. The song, written by Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas
, became a hit on adult contemporary radio, spending two weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
chart. It also reached #5 on the US Billboard Hot 100
chart, the band's second best-ranking song, preceded by the single "Bent
" from the same album. Rob Thomas never dreamed of the song going out on an album, let alone being a huge success. The horn-driven outro of "If You're Gone" borrows heavily (note for note) from "When the Rainbow Comes" by World Party
from their 1990 release Goodbye Jumbo.
players and a trombone
player), performing at night on the rooftop of a building in the central business district of downtown Los Angeles. Halfway through the video, Rob Thomas steps onto the edge of the roof and spreads his arms like he's going to jump. He doesn't; he turns around and goes back to where the band is playing. Near the end of the video, the sun dawns and illuminates the rooftop and surrounding buildings of the city.
Matchbox Twenty
Matchbox Twenty is an American rock band, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1995...
. It was the second single off Mad Season
Mad Season (album)
Mad Season, also known as Mad Season by Matchbox Twenty, is the second studio album from American rock band Matchbox Twenty, released in May 2000...
. The song, written by Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas
Rob Thomas (musician)
Robert Kelly "Rob" Thomas is an American rock recording artist and songwriter. He is the primary songwriter and lead singer of the band Matchbox Twenty. Thomas also records and performs as a solo artist...
, became a hit on adult contemporary radio, spending two weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
chart. It also reached #5 on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, the band's second best-ranking song, preceded by the single "Bent
Bent (song)
"Bent" is the first single from Mad Season, the second album by the rock band Matchbox Twenty. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 22, 2000, and stayed there for one week before being unseated by 'N Sync's "It's Gonna Be Me"....
" from the same album. Rob Thomas never dreamed of the song going out on an album, let alone being a huge success. The horn-driven outro of "If You're Gone" borrows heavily (note for note) from "When the Rainbow Comes" by World Party
World Party
World Party is a British pop/alternative rock band, which is essentially the solo project of its sole member, Karl Wallinger. He started the band in 1986 in London after leaving The Waterboys.-Career:...
from their 1990 release Goodbye Jumbo.
Background and writing
Thomas told Billboard magazine that he wrote the song right after he met his future wife. "We were separated for a few weeks and were on the phone all the time, and I was thinking, 'I met this wonderful person,' and I wondered if everything I was going through [with Matchbox Twenty's success] was going to make it too crazy to build a relationship."Music video
The music video for the song, directed by Pedro Romhanyi, is filmed completely in black and white and features only the band (along with two trumpetTrumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
players and a trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
player), performing at night on the rooftop of a building in the central business district of downtown Los Angeles. Halfway through the video, Rob Thomas steps onto the edge of the roof and spreads his arms like he's going to jump. He doesn't; he turns around and goes back to where the band is playing. Near the end of the video, the sun dawns and illuminates the rooftop and surrounding buildings of the city.
Chart positions
| Charts | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
18 |
| Canadian Top Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
27 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
5 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 4 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
50 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 12 |
See also
- Mad SeasonMad Season (album)Mad Season, also known as Mad Season by Matchbox Twenty, is the second studio album from American rock band Matchbox Twenty, released in May 2000...
- Matchbox TwentyMatchbox TwentyMatchbox Twenty is an American rock band, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1995...
- Rob ThomasRob Thomas (musician)Robert Kelly "Rob" Thomas is an American rock recording artist and songwriter. He is the primary songwriter and lead singer of the band Matchbox Twenty. Thomas also records and performs as a solo artist...