I keep thinking any minute you’ll be coming home honey
I ain’t seen nothing of you in a month of Sundays
Tell me how long gone you’re gonna be?
All you said was you had to get going
Oh but baby I wouldn’t mind knowing
How long gone you’re gonna be?
How am I supposed to make any plans
When I still don’t even understand
If you’re ever gonna come back home to me?
Tell me, please
How long gone you’re gonna be?
Maybe I didn’t pay enough attention
I do believe you forgot to mention
Just how long gone you were gonna be
And the phone ain’t ringing, ’cause you ain’t calling
I ain’t been hearing your footsteps falling
Tell me how long gone are you gonna be?
How am I supposed to make any plans
When I still don’t even understand
If you’re ever gonna come back home to me?
Tell me, please
How long gone are you gonna be?
How long gone are you gonna be?
How long gone are you gonna be?
How long gone are you gonna be?
How long gone are you gonna be?
How long gone are you gonna be?
How long gone are you gonna be?
I said
“How long gone are you gonna be?”
Baby, how long gone are you gonna be?
Baby, how long gone are you gonna be?
Yearning for Answers: A Look at “How Long Gone”
“How Long Gone” by Brooks & Dunn captures the heartache of waiting and uncertainty in love. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of someone left behind, unsure if their partner will ever return. The recurring question—”How long gone are you gonna be?”—echoes the pain of unanswered calls and unspoken goodbyes. The song’s narrator is caught between hope and resignation, struggling to make sense of a relationship put on indefinite hold. This emotional limbo is further emphasized by the absence of communication, leaving only memories and longing in its wake.
Song Credits
Songwriters: Shawn Camp, John Scott Sherrill
Release Year: 1998
Label: Arista Nashville