Dolly Parton - I'm Gone Lyrics
Lyrics
Verse 1
Some chewing gum and candy, some magazines and snacks
Some starting-over money that I've been holding back
A change of clothes and notepad to write a letter back
To say so long
Verse 2
A one-way ticket saying goodbye to everything
Threw my wedding band out the window of the train
All I want's my freedom, reclaim my maiden name
I'm moving on because I'm gone
Chorus 1
You can tell the truth or you can lie
You can say I left you or I died
Say I'm in the Himalayas on some spiritual quest
And could spend years looking for the light
Say I'm in the witness program with the FBI
Say a UFO abducted me from home
You can say what you choose, but I tell you the truth
You can say for sure I'm gone, 'cause I'm gone
Verse 3
You think that you're above me, like I'm not good enough
You make me feel unwanted, unwelcome and unloved
You're selfish, vain and greedy, you're hateful, rude and rough
And you're so wrong
Verse 4
But you'd rather live unhappy and tolerate the pain
Than separate and have me taking half of everything
Well, I'm leaving your possessions, left on the goodbye train
Left you alone 'cause I'm gone
Chorus 2
You can have the house, the car, the boat
My records, books and stereo
The dog and the cat, my ceramic shop out back
My doll collection and my clothes
You can keep all our friends and all the pictures in the den
And the fluffy pillows you sleep on
But when you lay your head on that big feather bed
You can rest assured I'll be gone, I'll be gone
Chorus 1
You can tell the truth or you can lie
You can say I left you or I died
Say I'm in the Himalayas on some spiritual quest
And could spend years looking for the light
Say I'm in the witness program with the FBI
Say a UFO abducted me from home
You can say what you choose, but I tell you the truth
You can say for sure I'm gone
Refrain
You can say what you like, but I tell you twice
You can say for sure, say for sure I'm gone, gone
Verse 1
Some chewing gum and candy, magazines and snacks
Starting-over money I've been holding back
Change of clothes and notepad to write a letter back
To say so long
Verse 2
I got a one-way ticket saying goodbye to everything
I threw my wedding band out of the window of the train
All I want's my freedom, reclaim my maiden name
I'm moving on, 'cause I'm gone
Outro
I'm moving on
Oh, I'm gone, gone, gone
I'm moving on
I'm gone
I'm so gone
I'm gone
Gone, I'm gone
Video
Dolly Parton - I'm Gone (Official)
Meaning & Inspiration
Released on June 1, 2024, as part of the soundtrack for Dolly Parton's "Luther and the Mountain Man" audio series, "I'm Gone" arrives carrying the weight of its narrative context, yet its core message resonates powerfully even outside the story. The song seems to capture the moment of final departure, a poignant farewell as someone prepares to leave everything and everyone behind. It's a theme that touches the deepest parts of the human experience – the inevitability of endings and the journey beyond what we know. The beauty here lies in how this moment of leaving is framed, not necessarily with despair, but perhaps with a sense of resolution or moving towards a destined place.
Analyzing "I'm Gone" through the lens of faith reveals a profound connection to the Christian perspective on life's ultimate transition. When the song speaks of being gone, it echoes the biblical understanding that our time on this earth is temporary, a sojourning. Scripture teaches that for believers, leaving this physical existence is not an end but a transition to being present with the Lord. The Apostle Paul articulates this beautifully in Philippians 1:21-23, where he states, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain... I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better." This mirrors the sense of a purposeful departure, seeing the act of leaving not as loss, but as moving towards something immeasurably better. It’s a perspective that transforms the difficult reality of saying goodbye into an expression of hope anchored in eternity.
Furthermore, the concept of "being gone" can be interpreted as entering a place of rest and peace, a promise found throughout the Bible. Revelation 14:13 offers comfort, declaring, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on... they will rest from their labor, for their deeds follow them." This verse speaks directly to the peace found on the other side of earthly struggles, a rest that is eternal and well-deserved after the toils of life. The song, in its simple declaration of departure, can evoke this same sense of laying down burdens and stepping into a state of blessed repose. It reminds us that even in moments of goodbye, there is a divine assurance of peace waiting for those who trust in God’s promises. John 14:2-3 provides another powerful parallel, with Jesus telling his disciples, "In my Father's house are many rooms... I go to prepare a place for you... that where I am you may be also." This paints a picture of departure not as a solitary vanishing, but as a journey towards a prepared home, a welcoming place in the presence of the divine. "I'm Gone," when heard with these biblical truths in mind, transforms from a simple statement of leaving into a quiet affirmation of faith’s ultimate destination, a poignant reminder that even in the final moment of earthly farewell, there is a profound, eternal welcome awaiting.