Gone (4:26)

“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. 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. That song, along with several other tracks from Pop and 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.

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.


Edge turns to kick his guitar at the closing of “Gone” on the DVD Elevation 2001: Live from Boston.”Gone” was never slated to be released as a single, but the video done for it was simply the 3 Dec ‘97 show in Mexico City. It was one of a few Pop songs that showed up on the Elevation Tour. It is 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.