Alone Again

Album: After Hours (2020)
Charted: 21
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The Weeknd kicks off his After Hours album by describing a personality disorder he is struggling with. The track hints the star's problem is connected with his fame and identity.

    Take off my disguise
    I'm living someone else's life
    Suppressing who I was inside


    Miserable and lonely, Abel pays for a prostitute. He wants her more for the company than the sex.

    So I throw two thousand ones in the sky
    Together we're alone


    The Weeknd has also resorted to taking hard drugs, and has concerns he has overdosed.

    Check my pulse for a second time
    I took too much, I don't wanna die


    He begs his lover to come and save his life and remind him of whom he is. Abel fears being on his own, as he's likely to overdose again.

    I don't know if I can be alone again
    I don't know if I can sleep alone again
  • The Weeknd wrote and produced the track with his go-to collaborators Illangelo and DaHeala. Also credited is Frank Dukes, who has worked with the likes of Drake ("0 to 100/ The Catch Up"), Camila Cabello ("Havana") and Post Malone ("Wow" and "Circles").
  • During this song and the next After Hours track, "Too Late," there's so much echo on The Weeknd's voice, it's difficult to understand what he's saying. Variety asked him if he is intentionally obscuring the lyrics.

    The Weeknd replied that he can't really explain some of the things he does - "it's just emotional." He added that on this song he doesn't want to listener to hear what he's saying; it's more about "the beat, the melody, the feeling, the sonics."

    Tesfaye continued that on After Hours' fourth track, "Scared To Live," and the next few songs, he does want the listener to hear what he's saying because he's telling a story.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Chris Tomlin

Chris TomlinSongwriter Interviews

The king of Christian worship music explains talks about writing songs for troubled times.

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About Transgenderism

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About TransgenderismSong Writing

A history of songs dealing with transgender issues, featuring Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Morrissey and Green Day.

Phone Booth Songs

Phone Booth SongsSong Writing

Phone booths are nearly extinct, but they provided storylines for some of the most profound songs of the pre-cell phone era.

Ramones

RamonesFact or Fiction

A band so baffling, even their names were contrived. Check your score in the Ramones version of Fact or Fiction.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Bryan Adams

Bryan AdamsSongwriter Interviews

What's the deal with "Summer of '69"? Bryan explains what the song is really about, and shares more of his songwriting insights.