Inspiration behind Every Time You Go Away:
Originally written by Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates, Paul Young’s soulful rendition of Every Time You Go Away has made this song stand the test of time. Young explores themes of love, longing, and emotional vulnerability which human beings can relate to as they grow old. As you listen to the lyrics, Paul’s serious tone addresses the relationship between separation and the emotional anguish felt by your heart. Every Time You Go Away resonates with the shared human experience of longing for intimacy during times of physical separation with a close friend or partner.
Biblical Application:
Solomon’s Song of Songs.2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth— for your love is more delightful than wine. 3 Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out. No wonder the young women love you! 4 Take me away with you—let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers, Song of Solomon 1:1-4.
Exegesis of Every Time You Go Away:
Hey, if we can solve any problem
Then why do we lose so many tears?
Oh, and so you go again
When the leading man appears
The Lyrics begin with a rhetorical question, if we can solve any problem together, why do we make each other cry?
Always the same thing
Can’t you see we’ve got everything goin’ on and on and on?
This outcome is caused by a specific repetitive behavior. When the leading man appears is likely referring to an old flame (heart throb) from your past.
Everytime you go away
You take a piece of me with you
Everytime you go away
You take a piece of me with you, ooh
The lyrics suggest an emotionally unstable relationship where someone is always look back at their past instead of the relationship right in front of you.
Once separated, Paul can’t keep this woman off his mind. The expression “taking a piece of me with you” refers to the biblical term “soul ties.” Every intimate moment you have from as little as holding hands, to a long embrace or passionate kiss creates a bond with this significant other.
The apostle Paul warns members of the Church at Corinth against having one-night stands in 1 Corinthians 6:15-17. Any type of intimate interaction with a partner leaves behind a sexual bond.
Go on and go free, yeah
Maybe you’re too close to see
I can feel your body move
It doesn’t mean that much to me
This is the connection Paul is singing about in the chorus of Every Time You Go Away.
This pain of separation Paul sings about can be triggered by a song, a special place where you first met, the physical location of your first kiss or images of your first sexual encounter.
“Maybe you’re too close to see” touches on the complexity of relationships. If an individual is stuck in their past, they can’t see what is clearly in front of them.
Can’t go on sayin’ the same thing
Just, “Can’t you see we’ve got everything?”, baby even know, you know
Meanwhile, some relationships become stagnant. When relationships are centered around the physical and not relationally, people can become numb, not as excited as your initial moments.
Everytime you go away, yeah
You take a piece of me with you, oh-oh
Everytime you go away
You take a piece of me with you, ooh
As the chorus repeats itself several times at the end, sometimes people run out of things to talk about. When a relational ship lacks direction or vision, conversation often becomes stale.
I can’t go on sayin’ the same thing
‘Cause baby, can’t you see
We’ve got everything goin’ on and on and on?
Everytime you go away
You take a piece of me with you
Everytime you go away
You take a piece of me with you
Everytime you go away (oh-oh)
You take a piece of me with you (everytime you go)
Everytime you go away
You take a piece of me with you
Everytime you go away (everytime you go away)
You take a piece of me with you (don’t leave me all alone)
Take another piece of me
Nonetheless, the individual Paul is singing and thinking about has created a bond that he doesn’t want to end. This is the driving force behind emotional connections that you don’t want to end.
Final Thoughts:
This is why having a will to love your spouse is essential to get through the hard times in life. While emotions and feelings are usually unstable, the will to love has gotten me through times of separation with my wife Leanne. Relationships don’t have to end if they are rooted in love.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 