Ain't No Sunshine

Bill Withers told Songfacts that an inspiration for this song was the 1962 movie Days of Wine and Roses . "I was watching a movie called Days Of Wine And Roses (1962) with Lee Remick and Jack Lemmon. They were both alcoholics who were alternately weak and strong. It's like going back for seconds on rat poison. Sometimes you miss things that weren't particularly good for you. It's just something that crossed my mind from watching that movie, and probably something else that happened in my life that I'm not aware of."

[Verse 1] Ain't no sunshine when she's gone It's not warm when she's away Ain't no sunshine when she's gone And she's always gone too long anytime she goes away [Verse 2] Wonder this time where she's gone Wonder if she's gone to stay Ain't no sunshine when she's gone And this house just ain't no home anytime she goes away [Verse 3] And I know, I know, I know, I know I know, I know, I know, I know I know, I know, I know, I know I know, I know, I know, I know I know, I know, I know, I know I know, I know, I know, I know I know, I know Hey, I ought to leave the young thing alone But ain't no sunshine when she's gone [Verse 4] Ain't no sunshine when she's gone Only darkness every day Ain't no sunshine when she's gone And this house just ain't no home anytime she goes away [Outro] Anytime she goes away Anytime she goes away Anytime she goes away