You only realize the value of someone when you lose them. Shawn Mendes is going through a breakup and both of his newest releases have been about heartache and his struggle to move on. The brand new track “When You’re Gone,” has Shawn Mendes contemplating the aftermath of his breakup.
Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello have been dating ever since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. The two singers released their collaborative track “Señorita” during this period and seemed to be very much in love. However, the two lovers had to call it off, when their professional lives got in the way.
In an interview with BBC Radio 1, Shawn Mendes talked about the inspiration behind “When You’re Gone;”
I wrote this a couple, like a month after Camilla [Cabello] and I split up. It’s interesting, because I think after you get over, like, the shock, of just like “wow, I’m not gonna see that person every day,” comes in the way that you realise you were relying on that person. And for me, Camilla was a lot of my support system, and kind of realising “okay, I’ve gotta be there and cope by myself and for myself, and a lot of that just came through in the song, and… a lot of that is very true to me, and it feels right […] It doesn’t have to stay that way, but it’s nice to get it while it’s there.
Since the breakup, Shawn Mendes released another single “it’ll be okay,” a self-help song for him to move on.
Listen to “When You’re Gone” by Shawn Mendes
Shawn Mendes “When You’re Gone” Lyrics Meaning and Song Review
You never know how good you have it, oh
Until you’re starin’ at a picture of the only girl that matters, aah
These opening lyrics encapsulate the entire theme of the song. Shawn Mendes misses her and he probably did not realize how much he would miss her until she was gone from his life.
It takes some time for these emotions to sink in some times. And when they do, they hit like a truck. Especially when you were wrapped in love for several years. Now he only has a picture of her to stare at and the bitter realization that he will not get to hold her again.
Shawn Mendes confesses that he knows what to do after a breakup. Move on! Sounds simple. But really difficult to execute. The more he forces himself to let her go, the more he gets stuck in the memories. Moving on has to come naturally. If not, you’d end up writing songs like this.
I don’t wanna know what it’s like when you’re gone
I don’t wanna move on
Shawn Mendes is trying to live a lie because reality is too painful to handle. He lives in a simulation hoping he would never have to experience what it would be like to be without his lover.
Shawn Mendes is also hurting over the fact that he does not know how she is doing since the breakup. Camila Cabello has not been as vocal as Shawn Mendes has been. However, her upcoming album ‘Familia,’ may have a song or two about the breakup. A recently released TikTok teased a song from the album, which goes “Now, I’m in my head, about what’s in your head, come back to bed. Can we talk about it?”
Shawn Mendes just wants to move on. But easier said than done. Let us hear what you think about this song in the comments below. Check out the complete lyrics on Genius.