Yahoo Lifestyle Shawn Mendes' "When You're Gone" Lyrics Detail Life After His Breakup With Camila Cabello
Shawn Mendes finally dropped his new single, "When You're Gone," after teasing the track on Instagram earlier this month. While he played a stripped-down version on the piano, he sang the first few lines to the chorus, "I don't want to know what it's like when you're gone / I don't want to move on." The 23-year-old Toronto native went on to explain how he's been coping since his November 2021 breakup with "Señorita" collaborator, Camila Cabello.
"A lot of the thing that also is like resonating in the lyric for me is like, 'Oh f--k.' You don't realize when you're breaking up with someone, you like, think it's the right thing. You don't realize all the sh-t that comes after it," he said in a video he posted to Instagram on March 18. Fans have also been speculating that the former couple is communicating through their new music releases, from Shawn's hopeful and heartbreaking song "It'll Be Okay" to Camila's uplifting Cuban-inspired track with Ed Sheeran, "Bam Bam."
Naturally, you may be wondering which lyrics trace back to his romance with Camila. Ahead, find a full breakdown of Shawn Mendes' new track, "When You're Gone."
Lyrics provided by Genius
[Verse 1]
You never know how good you have it, oh
Until you're starin' at a picture of the only girl that matters, aah
After Shamila posted their joint statement regarding their split on Instagram, E! News reported that Shawn was allegedly the one to initiate the breakup. "The relationship was getting stale and complacent and they decided they are better off being friends," an anonymous source told the outlet.
As one does after a breakup, Shawn was probably going through his camera roll or scrolling through Insta when he stumbled upon a pic of his past lover and only realized what he had when it was over.
[Pre-Chorus]
I know what we're supposed to do
It's hard for me to let go of you
So I'm just tryna hold on
Before the chorus hits, Shawn admits that it's difficult for him to move on from the relationship. "I know what we're supposed to do" can also allude to the message of his song, "It'll Be Okay," where he shares heartfelt sentiments of having love for his ex despite how things ended. "I will love you either way," he sings on the track.
[Chorus]
Hold on
I don't wanna know what it's like when you're gone
I don't wanna move on
I don't wanna know what it's like when you're gone for good
You're slipping through my fingertips
A little bit, by a little bit
I didn't know that loving you was the happiest I've ever been
So I'm just tryna hold on
In the chorus, Shawn is trying to grasp what post-breakup life will entail and comes to the realization that he had a good thing going in his relationship. In a video he posted to his Instagram account on March 18, Shawn opened up about how challenging it's been to move on from the breakup.
"[The aftermath] is like, 'Who do I call when I'm like in a panic attack? Who do I call when I'm like f---ing, on the edge?' and I think that's the reality that kind of hit me, 'Oh, I'm on my own now.' Now I feel like I'm finally like, I'm actually on my own. And I hate that. That's my reality, you know?" the singer-songwriter said in the clip.
[Verse 2]
I need to learn how to cope without you
I'm tryna protect myself but only you know how to, yeah
Now that he's on his own, Shawn's learning how to ride solo and put himself first.
[Pre-Chorus]
[Chorus]
[Bridge]
Starting to feel like you don't need me
Wanna believe it's all for the better
It's gettin' real, I'm missing you deeply
So I'm just tryna hold on
Starting to feel like you don't need me
Wanna believe it's all for the better
It's gettin' real, missing you deeply
So I'm just tryna hold on
According to a report by Entertainment Tonight, Shamila called it quits because their lives no longer aligned. "They realized they are in totally different places in their lives at this point, and it was time to end things," a source told the outlet. "They're both sad about the split, but doing their best to take care of themselves, stay busy, and surround themselves by loved ones." The lyrics "Starting to feel like you don't need me" may indicate how each of their careers has pulled them in different directions. Another source told InTouch Weekly that "The [original plan] was that Camila would go back to Los Angeles with [Shawn]. But they decided they needed to take a break from each other."
The bridge could also be a response to Camila's song, "Bam Bam," where she sings about dancing with strangers to move on from her past relationship.
[Chorus]
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