Me Without You

**Producer(s)** | Clampitt

**Me Without You** is a song by Ashe and is the fifth track on her album *Ashlyn*.

The song is emboldening with an upbeat tune to bring a wave of confidence over the listeners, rather than sympathy.

## Background

Described as a "twee chamber-pop jaunt", and "most sonically unique" by Ashe herself. Sonically, the songs sees Ashe sticking with her "vintage aesthetic, complete with lots of layered vocals, bass guitar, and orchestral elements" throughout.

Ashe says, "There’s a couple songs on the record that kinda digged back into that relationship that “Moral Of The Story” did, and I didn’t really share the full story with the world. “Me Without You” is a record that really digs into me sort of coming to the realization that I was in a psychologically abusive relationship. […] Things like “no one’s gonna love you the way I love you,” isolating the people that love you the most, not being able to call my mom or my best friend because I knew there was gonna be a fight. There was just a lot in that relationship that when I was in it, I didn’t know what I was in and as I grew out of it, writing “Me Without You” was like a realization that I can be me without you. I can be me detached from this other person who told me that I couldn’t. And that was so powerful ‘cause I didn’t think I could be me without this other person. I really thought my worth and my value and who I was, was so intrinsically connected to this other person".

## Meaning

The song is about moving on after a relationship, and finding who you truly are without the need for someone else with newly found independence, highlighting the effort to find oneself after a long-term, psychologically-abusive relationship.

## Lyrics

[Verse 1]

Red velvet wallpaper stained by the cigarette smoke

Of people more in love than we could ever know

And it's midnight and I wanna go but you don't

You get in the passenger seat just to give me a reason

And you cut the brakes, just to keep me from leavin'

Your hands on the wheel drove us into a wall

[Pre-Chorus]

The only world I could exist in

Was one you lived in

Ooh, you almost had me fooled

[Chorus]

But I can be me without you

I don't feel lost without you

Go find yourself

You let me down

Down, down, down, down

I can be me without you (Ba-da, ba-ba)

You don't believe that it's true

Go find yourself

You let me down

Down, down, down, down

[Verse 2]

I can be funny and I can be interesting

People can like me, it shouldn't be threatening

These are all things that I've learned now that I've been alone

We were so young when it started, I thought you might grow up

But that didn't happen, you're actually smaller now

I can't believe I stayed long as I did

[Pre-Chorus]

The only world I could exist in

Was one you lived in

Ooh, you almost had me fooled

[Chorus]

But I can be me without you (Ba-da, ba-ba)

I don't feel lost without you

Go find yourself

You let me down

Down, down, down, down

I can be me without you (Ba-da, ba-ba)

You don't believe that it's true

Go find yourself

You let me down

Down, down, down, down

[Bridge]

Down, down, down, down

Down, down, down, down

Down, down, down, down, down

[Chorus]

I can be me without you

The sun doesn't shine 'cause of you

Go find yourself

You let me down

Down, down, down, down (Oh)

I can be me without you (Ba-da, ba-ba)

You don't believe that it's true

Go find yourself

You let me down

Down, down, down, down, down

## Trivia

* The music video was filmed at *Café Birdie* and *Highland Theatre*, both in Los Angeles, California, USA.
	+ During the start of the final chorus, Ashe walks past movie posters of movies being shown at that time, they were: Mortal Kombat, A Quiet Place: Part II, Spirit Untamed, Black Widow, and Cruella.
	+ These locales are located on the same street, *N Figueroa Street*.

* The music video features a mint-coloured door which also appears in the "Not Mad Anymore" music video.

* In the "Another Man's Jeans" music video, different versions of Ashe are hidden as Easter eggs.
	+ One is wearing a red suit outfit and is washing her bloody feet by the pool. This is a reference to the "Me Without You" music video, where Ashe in the same outfit smashes a glass on a bar and dances atop it, making her feet bleed.
	+ Another is wearing a yellow jacket with a shiny purple shirt, faired floral trousers, and pink boots. This is a reference to the "omw" music video, where Ashe in the same outfit is a birthday clown.
		- Interestingly, this music video would release over seven months later.

* There was a lot of online speculation about whether the word "*find*", in the lyric "Go find yourself", was originally an explicative directed at Ashe's ex-husband; Ashe has not commented on this.

* The song references Ashe's ex-husband in the lines "But I can be me without you/I don't feel lost without you" [...] "We were so young when it started, I thought you might grow up/I can't believe I stayed long as I did".
	+ She also does in these other *Ashlyn* songs: "Love Is Not Enough", "When I'm Older", "Save Myself", "Not Mad Anymore", and "Moral Of The Story".
	+ And from *Rae*: "Another Man's Jeans", "Hope You're Not Happy", "It Can't Be You", and "Loose Ends".

* "Me Without You"'s title is contradictory.
	+ "Me Without You" implies that someone can't be without their partner, that they are inseparable; however, the opposite is true, that Ashe can be her own person alone.
	+ Other songs with contrasting titles to their theme/lyrics are: "I'm Fine", "Serial Monogamist", "Emotional", and "It Can't Be You".

* The song was released two days before the release of *Ashlyn*.
	+ Perhaps coincidentally, "omw" was also released two days before *Rae*.

* "Me Without You" was written after "Not Mad Anymore".

* The song is one of Ashe's favourites from *Ashlyn*.

## Navigation

 Ashlyn Tracklist

## References

1. ↑ https://lancerledger.com/5900/entertainment/review-on-ashlyn-by-ashe-a-must-hear-album/
2. ↑ https://www.stereogum.com/2147101/ashe-ashlyn-album-review/columns/the-week-in-pop/
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 https://www.insider.com/ashe-ashlyn-debut-album-interview-2021-5
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://genius.com/Ashe-me-without-you-lyrics
5. ↑ https://youtu.be/zQmTmVexCT0?t=276
6. ↑ https://ghsexplosion.com/5424/reviews/ashlyn-ashe/
7. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20211023092124/https://thehoneypop.com/2021/10/22/ashe-taps-out-of-ashlyn-era-with-the-final-chapter-not-mad-anymore/
8. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FAavxLZjcc
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ6urqPSvu4&ab\_channel=AsheMusicVEVO
10. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIp70O56oqo
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzK3L2A05lw
12. ↑ https://youtu.be/RqCXQ2hZ7iA
13. ↑ https://variety.com/2021/music/news/ashe-ashlyn-album-review-1234968587/
14. ↑ https://autos.yahoo.com/ashes-debut-album-big-songs-093000986.html