electronic :: songs :: when she’s gone

(electronic)

i’m shaking like a leaf on a tree
do you understand, will you come with me
don’t make a sound, don’t even breathe
they’ll understand, why don’t we leave

we can steal a ride on a bus
drive down a road all covered in dust
head north by north west ’til we reach the coast
we’ll find an address that don’t get the post

when she’s gone
even though she won’t be long
it just tears my world apart
puts a hole right through my heart

she let me see her little tattoo
it was my name, written in blue
a mark of pain across her chest
i was the lover on her breast

so come with me and don’t be afraid
we could be free, out of the shade
your life has begun, come on, let’s run
over the ground, in an air raid

we’ve got the gun, don’t be afraid

when she’s gone
even though she won’t be long
it just tears my world apart
puts a hole right through my heart

only when this girl has gone
will i know if i am wrong
who would choose a life of one
i can’t carry on when she’s gone

when she’s gone
even though she won’t be long
it just tears my world apart
puts a hole right through my heart

only when this girl has gone
will i know if i am wrong
who would choose a life of one
i can’t carry on when she’s gone

when she’s gone
even though she won’t be long
it just tears my world apart
puts a hole right through my heart

only when this girl has gone

album version—4:28

twisted tenderness
twisted tenderness::deluxe

every aspect of this song is great, from the dynamite intro and blithe words to johnny’s incisive mccartney-esque guitar parts. bringing in astrid williamson to contribute was a masterstroke, as she adds a welcome femininity to the serious electronic exterior. the vigour and speed with which twisted tenderness was recorded illustrates the vitality and inspiration that drove electronic during their final phase; it’s testament to their enduring talents that they could still produce songs as good as this.