Some songs are inspired by imagination, while others are inspired by real-life experiences—the kinds of feelings that linger long after a chapter is completed. “When You Are Not Around” is one of those songs for me.
It illustrates an experience that I am all too familiar with: the emptiness that remains when someone who was once a significant part of your life was suddenly gone. Not only physically, but in every way that counts. The echoes of their presence linger in unexpected places. A familiar melody, an old habit, the way quiet feels heavier than it did before.
I wrote this song with my own experiences in mind. I do have an ex-husband, and while life goes on, there’s something about that kind of loss that never truly goes away. The routine, the inside jokes, the arguments—they all come to an end one day. So, what’s left? Empty rooms, fading memories, and a version of oneself that no longer feels complete.
I’ve moved on from that period of my life, but that doesn’t imply the feelings were never real. And I believe that is why this song is so important to me. It’s not about wanting things back; it’s about realizing how loss affects us. Even as we heal, the ghosts of the past resurface at peaceful moments.
Perhaps this song will speak to those who have gone through something similar. Perhaps it will remind you of a moment when you felt like this. Perhaps it will simply be a song you listen to when you need to sit with your emotions for a bit.
Either way, I hope this song finds the people who need to hear it.
What’s Next?
This music will be available to listen to anytime you want on my Youtube channel. If you’ve ever been through a similar loss, I’d love to hear your comments on what helped you move ahead. Leave a comment and let’s have a conversation.
When You’re Not Around
Flickering streetlights, the night breathes slow,
Ghosts in the silence, nowhere to go.
Smokestacks whisper to the heavy sky,
City streets, echo your goodbye.
Empty rooms, shadows in the night,
Lonely hours pass without a fight.
Pictures fade, memories turn to dust,
In the silence, I unlearn my trust.
Footsteps echo down the haunted hall.
You’re the ghost I can’t outrun at all.
When you’re not around, I fall apart.
Collapsing bridges and a broken heart.
Lost in the murmur of a soundless crowd,
When you’re not around, there’s no way out.
Cigarette ashes on the windowsill,
Time moves slow, frozen at a standstill.
Rain taps softly on my windowpane,
Whispering echoes of forgotten pain.
Every corner holds a piece of you,
Fragments scattered like the morning dew.
In this labyrinth of aching dreams,
You’re the silence choking out my screams.
When you’re not around, I fall apart,
Collapsing bridges and a broken heart.
Lost in the murmur of a soundless crowd,
When you’re not around there’s no way out.
Footsteps vanish, the echoes fade,
But your shadow is here to stay …
Married in Arkansas 