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"Gone" emerged at a time when two major life events in Trey's life were evolving simultaneously: his own mandated time in Washington County, NY drug court undergoing rehabilitation, and his sister's (Kristine Anastasio Manning) battle with and eventual death from neuroendocrine cancer. 

At its core the song is a story of redemption – a letter to one's self coming out of the other side of the very much life-threatening horrors of drug addiction. "I'm sorry / that you're gone" – but not 'sorry' as an 'apology', but rather literally kicking a bad habit to the curb like an abusive friend or lover. "Gone.. SO gone!" The song can be seen from this perspective as part of the "addiction and recovery suite" that might chronologically be performed as "Let Me Lie" -> "Kill Devil Falls" -> "Gone" -> "Light." Indeed "Gone" and "Light" are essentially an integrated whole expressed inversely, a shared meaning reflected in their similar introductory passages on the studio versions of Party Time and Joy, respectively. The song is far too judgmental to be explicitly about Trey's sister – especially the "You'll finally do whats right" line – but one can't help but embrace the parallels, where "rise into the light" represents a universal escape from pain, one tragic ("Gone"), the other celebratory ("Light").

Watch Gone on YouTube "Gone" – 12/30/09, Miami, FL

"Gone" made its live debut with TAB on 8/7/08 at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. "Gone" seemed destined to make its first Phish appearance at Festival 8 after being performed during the 10/29/09 soundcheck, but it was passed over during the festival itself. "Gone" made its Phish debut during the celebrated 12/30/09 Miami gig that featured ten songs not previously performed during 2009. "Gone" has yet to enter regular rotation in the Phish repertoire, though after being sound-checked on both 6/15/10 and 7/1/10 it returned to the Phish stage during the first set of the 12/31/10 MSG. Fans of the song will also want to pick up the version from Trey's 11/18/10 performance at Princeton's Richardson Auditorium featuring Trey on grand piano accompanied by The Scorchio Quintet string section.

Watch Gone on YouTube "Gone" – 12/31/10, New York, NY

(Anastasio)
© Who Is She? Music, BMI

Running from yourself
Come back from the dead
All those sleepless nights
All that pain
I'm sorry you're gone
But you're gone

When hope is nearly lost
You'll finally do what's right
Stop bleeding from your head anymore
The devil has you down
So turn around
And rise into the light

Running from yourself
(Spinning got you here)
Come back from the dead
(And there's no sun left in your eyes)
All those sleepless nights, all that pain
(You looked right through me)
I'm sorry you're gone
But you're gone
Left alone sleeping

When hope is nearly lost
(Gave with all your strength)
You'll finally do what's right
(Spoke with your eyes closed)
Stop bleeding from your head anymore
(I saw you dreaming like a child)
The devil has you down
(Cross the river with your friends)
So turn around
And rise into the light
(And rise into the light)