The Top 100 Songs of the ’00s, #99: “If You’re Gone”

Written by: Money Mike

I’m not entirely into sharing anecdotes about my personal life on this site, but this song has very special significance for me. It was late spring 2000 when I fell in love, really for the first time. It was also late spring 2000 when “Mad Season by matchbox twenty” came out. I can remember sitting on MetroNorth together the night I bought “Mad Season” (on cassette!). We listened to it together going home that night, on my Walkman, one headphone in each of our ears. I can remember the lyrics of “If You’re Gone” resonating deeply with me, as I found myself marvelling at this new relationship but also frightened half to death that I’d screw it up. As things turned out, the relationship was over by mid-autumn. I did indeed screw it up, and everything about that song reminded me of my gargantuan fuck-up, to the point where I was at a convention where a label rep was premiering the video, and I had to leave the room while the video played. The rawness is gone all these years later-I can actually listen to the song now without tearing up, and my memories of the relationship are focused more on the positive aspects, especially now that we’re friends again. Sometimes the most random songs speak to you-I’d never in a million years think that a matchbox twenty song would remind me of the greatest lost love of my life, but here we are, and here it is…

Thanks Rob Thomas for writing a beautiful song. Now, back to our regularly scheduled program. Confession time’s over.

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