Ryne's Song

**Producer(s)** | Clampitt

**Ryne's Song** is a song by Ashe and is the twelfth track on her album *Ashlyn*.

This "piano-driven ballad" is an incredibly raw, vulnerable track that Ashe sings like an open letter towards her brother, who had passed away.

## Background

Described as the "heav[iest]", "most devastating", "most powerful" and "most vulnerable and rawest" song on *Ashlyn*. With an audio recording of Ryne serving as the outro, the song is written as if it were being sung to Ryne, and is very personal.

It is one of four songs on *Ashlyn* which details Ashe's complicated relationship with time (see the Trivia section for more).

In the lyrics, she expresses sadness, gratitude, potential regret, and lost time; of realizations that weren’t picked up on until it’s too late. Interwoven throughout the track, it is extremely apparent how much her brother meant to her, and how much he helped to shape her into who she is today.

Speaking about the song, Ashe has said:

> "My brother and I have a really complicated relationship, and there were a lot of conversations that him and I didn’t get to have when he died. And I remember thinking if I could write a song that speaks to that and that someone could listen to and call their sibling, or call their mom or call their dad or call that friend that they haven’t talked to in a long time. You know? If it could get them as the listener to call someone, tell ‘em that you love 'em, and have that hard conversation, then it would be worth writing the song".
> "And there’s a lyric in that song that says “I always thought we’d fix things in our forties or so, I never imagined that I’d be the only one getting old” and you just always think you have time and we fool ourselves into thinking we have time, and there’s just none of it".
>
>

## Meaning

The song is about Ashe's older brother, Ryne, whom passed away in 2020, and Ashe wishes she had more time with him. It is the materialisation of her realisation that there will never be enough time.

The song is a reminder to tell people that you love them and call or text your family and friends once in a while.

## Lyrics

[Verse 1]

I got your voicemail again, seemed like you were busy

So I tried to hide all the disappointment in the message I left behind

If only I could be that ignorant girl for a couple more hours or so

But I got a call, soon after, that you died

[Verse 2]

What a beautiful night, I wish you were here to see it

We'd sit on the porch and laugh about the things that we said wrong

And I would forgive you for all the tears

And years we missed out on

As we count all the leaves of autumn as they fall

[Chorus]

I don’t wanna cry 'cause it doesn't help

No, it won’t bring you back to me any sooner, sooner

We always think we got time

But there's no time before it's over

And it's over

Honest, honest

We always think we got time, but there's no time if we're honest

If I'm honest

[Verse 3]

I can't imagine the pain that you felt to get here

And all of the blame that you put on yourself that no one could ever see

But I wouldn’t be who I turned out to be

Without the brother you were to me

And I took a walk with Mary, she’ll be fine

[Chorus]

I don't wanna cry ’cause it doesn't help

No, it won't bring you back to me any sooner, sooner

We always think we got time

But there's no time before it’s over

And it's over

Honest, honest

We always think we got time

But there's no time if we're honest

If I'm honest

[Bridge]

I always thought we'd fix things in our forties or so

I never imagined that I'd be the only one getting old

Yeah, I like to think if I had've known there were only some hours left

Before you were gone forever

I would've called you back sooner

[Outro: Ryne]

You know I've, I've been through a lot of crazy stuff

And, uhm, made it to the other side

Alright, I love you (*I love you, babe*)

Bye y'all (*Bye*), see you later, 'til next time

Bye

## Trivia

* Sadly, Ryne passed away in September 2020 following a relapse into drugs, and overdosed.

* The outro is a saved voicemail audio of Ryne, that Ashe wishes she'd replied to before it was too late.
	+ Other songs that use a saved voicenote audio are "Loose Ends" as its intro, and "Count On Me" as its outro.

* *Ashlyn* was completely finished in 2020, but when Ryne passed Ashe felt the need to write a song in his honour to work through her feelings, and decided to add just one more song to her album.

* "Ryne's Song" is one of four *Ashlyn* songs which explore the motif of time. In this song, she realises that there is never enough time in life.
	+ The other songs with this motif are "Love Is Not Enough", "When I'm Older", and "Kansas".

* "Ryne's Song" is one of two songs written specifically for Ryne, the other being "Love Is Letting Go" from *Rae*.

* It has been described as the "spiritual twin" to "Till Forever Falls Apart".

## Navigation

 Ashlyn Tracklist

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 https://www.insider.com/ashe-ashlyn-debut-album-interview-2021-5
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://genius.com/Ashe-rynes-song-lyrics
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 https://www.stereogum.com/2147101/ashe-ashlyn-album-review/columns/the-week-in-pop/
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://ftpunks.com/ashlyn-the-breakup-album-everyone-needs/
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 https://ghsexplosion.com/5424/reviews/ashlyn-ashe/
6. ↑ https://lancerledger.com/5900/entertainment/review-on-ashlyn-by-ashe-a-must-hear-album/
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMVNYPhc5dA