Gone (U2 song)

"Gone"
Song

"Gone" is the seventh track from U2's 1997 album, Pop. It is also featured on the compilation album The Best of 1990–2000, in a reworked version. A highlight of the PopMart Tour, it was often dedicated to Michael Hutchence during the final few months of the PopMart Tour and during the following Elevation Tour. Bono frequently refers to it as one of his favorite songs of the band's. The Edge has also stated he was very pleased with the "New Mix" of the song available on The Best of 1990–2000.

"Gone", along with several other tracks from Pop and previous album Zooropa were remixed and either dubbed "The New Mix" or "Mike Hedges Mix" to help fit in with the more instrumentally-conservative songs of All That You Can't Leave Behind. Some reviews of the "Best of..." notably Allmusic's review singled out the remixes of "Pop" songs saying "So, all the Pop material ("Gone," "Discothèque," "Staring at the Sun") is given new mixes, as is "Numb" [from Zooropa], none improvements and all undermining the actual career arc of U2 in the '90s."

"Gone" was never intended to be released as a single. The video that featured on the DVD The Best of 1990–2000 was taken from the video PopMart: Live from Mexico City.

Theme

The meaning of the song has to do with the inherent personal conflicts of being a rock star. Feelings of guilt, of duality, and emotions associated with becoming extremely wealthy in a short period of time. This is evident in the song's lyrics: "You get to feel so guilty, got so much for so little". Bono has often expressed that he feels that he is "spoiled rotten, and paid too much" and that he'd "do it for free". It is evident that he feels that Michael Hutchence harbored similar feelings, which ultimately led to his apparent suicide.

Live

"Gone" was played at all 93 PopMart Tour concerts and was also one of a few Pop songs that showed up during the band's following Elevation Tour. During PopMart it was regularly played in the first 5 songs, normally 3rd after "I Will Follow", while it was performed after "Kite" during the Elevation Tour. In PopMart shows, Bono would say "Hutch, going, going, but not gone." and in Elevation Tour shows, Bono would yell "Hutch!" in dedication to Hutchence. "Gone" is also performed on the Elevation 2001: Live from Boston live video release, most notably as showing Edge smashing his guitar at the end out of frustration. He had felt that the band messed up the song, perhaps the percussion section, as he immediately ran up to Larry's drumset and began yelling at him.

The Edge used a Rickenbacker 330-12 when performing this song live, and is accompanied by Bono using a Gretsch guitar. In live performances, The Edge would sing backing vocals "down" during Bono's "I'm not coming down" verses, which was absent on the album version. This however was present during the second and third choruses on the mix used on The Best of 1990–2000.

Since being performed during the band's first concert in Glasgow towards the end of the Elevation Tour's European leg on August 28, 2001, this song has not been performed live by the band.