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They Are Gone is an original song written, produced and with lyrics by Paul Robert Thomas with music exclusively commercially licensed to Paul from the album More Folk
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They Are Gone is available to download at all good download stores as well as on Bandcamp
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You can download the album More Folk at all download stores HERE and on Bandcamp HERE
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“They Are Gone” is a poignant and comforting folk song that explores the universal themes of grief, remembrance, and the enduring resilience of the human spirit.
The song opens with a solitary narrator traveling through a harsh landscape (“cold and the rain,” “valleys and plains”) to reach a high vantage point. This physical journey mirrors the emotional uphill battle of dealing with loss.
At the hilltop, the tolling of a bell breaks through the haze. The bell acts as a universal call to action, urging the living to pause, remember, and honor those who have fallen. The lyrics beautifully shift focus to the night sky, comparing the departed souls to “ten billion stars” that watch over the living. This imagery introduces a cyclical view of life and death, where the fading of one light gives way to the birth of another at dawn.
The core message of the song anchors on the powerful contrast between loss and perseverance. The recurring refrain summarizes this bitter-sweet reality: “They are gone, they are gone / But we go on, we go on”
The song strikes a delicate balance between solemn melancholy and uplifting hope. By using evocative folk imagery—like ringing bells, lit candles, tears, and starlight—it creates a communal space for mourning. It ultimately delivers a deeply comforting promise: we will keep the memory of the dead alive, and when our time comes, the world will do the same for us.
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They Are Gone lyrics
I walk through cold and the rain
And across the valleys and plains
Up to the top of the hill
I stand upright and so still
I hear a bell through the haze
I hear the bell ev’ry day
Ringing out across the land
Calling you to understand
To remember all those who fell
For them we will ring the bell
They are gone, they are gone
But we go on, we go on
Let the bells ring out across the land
Hold a lighted candle in your hand
Stop the world for a moment or two
When you’re gone we’ll do the same for you
Ten billion stars in the sky
Each for a soul that has died
They kiss the dark with their light
And watch over us at night
One light goes out one is born
The world come alive at dawn
The light of your soul shines on
Even after you have gone
We remember all those not here
The light reflects in our tears
They are gone, they are gone
But we go on, we go on
The light shines out over the land
Hold a lighted candle in your hand
Stop the world for a moment or two
When you’re gone we’ll do the same for you
We remember all those not here
The light reflects in our tears
They are gone, they are gone
But we go on, we go on
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Paul Robert Thomas PRS No. 497904008 (London)
PRS Tunecode: 032265NB ISWC: T-341.172.064-0
Audiosparx Catalogue ID: 1426778 ISRC: US5UL2655134
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You can check out Paul’s complete Music Discovery HERE that includes 53 of Paul’s albums, as well as 569 of Paul’s songs catogorized according to their music genre HERE and you can also read Paul’s interesting and eventful Bio HERE
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Take a tour of Paul’s music site HERE where you’ll find not only great songs, but you can also read about Paul’s meeting with Andy Warhol, the letter that Robert Johnson’s grandson’s sent to Paul, the letter to Paul from Buckingham Palace, Paul’s successful court battle against the London police, Paul’s Dylan concert reviews, articles and much much more!
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Paul is a member of the PRS (London) CAE 497904008
Join Paul on YouTube HERE and on Facebook HERE and on Bandcamp HERE
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You can contact Paul via email at paul@paullyrics.com
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