Since You're Gone

"Since You're Gone" by The Cars from their 1981 album Shake It Up is a power ballad that captures the emotional fallout of a breakup, blending new wave irony with classic pop songwriting. One intriguing piece of trivia comes from the song's music video, which features Ric Ocasek moping around an empty apartment, a visual that received solid airplay on MTV in the early '80s. According to Keith Thomas of Knight-Ridder Newspapers, this video ranks among The Cars' best, emphasizing the song's melancholic tone. AllMusic critic Donald A. Guarisco praised the song’s “inspired wordplay,” citing lyrics like “you’re so treacherous/when it comes to tenderness” for their cleverness, while also noting the heartfelt sincerity in lines such as “Since you’re gone I never feel sedate/Since you’re gone moonlight ain’t so great.” However, not all reviews were glowing—Boston Globe critic Steve Morse called some lyrics, like “since you’re gone the nights are getting strange,” trite, though he acknowledged Ocasek’s playful Bob Dylan-esque vocal phrasing, particularly in the line “You’re so treacher-ess!”

Another fascinating tidbit is the song’s musical composition. Guitarist Elliot Easton’s solo in “Since You’re Gone” pays homage to King Crimson’s Robert Fripp, showcasing a blend of gutsy guitar work and winding synthesizers, as described by Thomas. A 2023 post on X by user @vurnt22 hailed Easton as one of the finest post-punk guitarists, noting his “hyper melodic approach” and “Frippesque” tones in this track. The song’s production also stands out, with Record World noting its “bass drone” for drama and “percussion shakes” for tension, paired with a catchy synthesizer melody. Interestingly, The Cars recorded Shake It Up at their own Syncro Sound studio in Boston, which they purchased and renamed in 1981, allowing them the freedom to refine the album’s polished, pop-oriented sound.

The Cars formed in Boston in 1976, emerging from the vibrant new wave scene of the late 1970s. The band—consisting of Ric Ocasek (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), Benjamin Orr (bass guitar, lead vocals), Elliot Easton (lead guitar), Greg Hawkes (keyboards), and David Robinson (drums)—began when Ocasek and Orr met in the early 1970s. Before The Cars, they played in various bands in Columbus, Ohio, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, before settling in Boston. There, they formed a folk rock band called Milkwood with guitarist Jas Goodkind, releasing an unsuccessful album, How’s the Weather, in 1972. After Milkwood, Ocasek and Orr performed as an acoustic duo, playing early versions of songs that would later become The Cars’ hits. Greg Hawkes, who studied at Berklee School of Music, joined them after playing saxophone on Milkwood’s album, and the lineup solidified with Easton and Robinson, the latter previously a member of The Modern Lovers.

The Cars’ breakthrough came with their self-titled debut album in 1978, which sold six million copies and featured hits like “Just What I Needed” and “My Best Friend’s Girl.” Their blend of punk minimalism, art rock textures, and power pop, as described by music critic Robert Palmer, made them pioneers in merging 1970s rock with synthesizer-driven pop. You can follow The Cars on their official website, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Fans also gather on dedicated spaces like the The Cars Fan Club on Facebook, a group with thousands of members sharing memorabilia and memories, and CarsFanzine.com, a fan site offering discographies, photos, and news about the band.