Drew Matthews

ENG 1201

Cook

11 Feb 2021

Since U Been Gone. Who Did It Better?

“Since you been gone

I can breathe for the first time

I’m so moving on, yeah, yeah

Thanks to you, now I get what I want

since you been gone.”

These words have a universal truth to them that can be appreciated by anyone that listens

to the song. What happens if someone else takes that same message and puts their own twist on

it? “Since U Been Gone”, originally released and performed by Kelly Clarkson in 2004, was an

anthem for the heartbroken. Since then it has been covered thousands of times in almost as many

ways. One of the most notable renditions is a cover released by the metalcore band A Day To

Remember in 2007. While A Day To Remember and Kelly Clarkson’s versions of “Since U

Been Gone” are very similar they appeal to very different audiences. Clarkson’s version is

positioned from a young woman’s perspective and portrays her taking back her independence

and getting revenge by destroying her ex’s new love interest’s apartment. A Day To

Remember’s version is from a young man’s perspective and while the band is still destroying
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someone’s apartment, it is showcasing the importance of friendship and having someone you

can count on.

The original version sang by Clarkson, was featured on her second studio album

“Breakaway.” The song quickly rose, and peaked at number 2 on the Billboard charts, then

continued to stay on the charts for the following 46 weeks. The song is about a girl that has

been in a very unstable relationship, that ended after she found out her boyfriend was cheating

on her. The music video depicts Clarkson systematically going room by room and destroying

the apartment of her now ex’s new love interest. The idea behind the video is that now that

she has had her revenge, she is finally able to let go and move on as sang in the lyrics, “Since

you been gone, I can breathe for the first time.” This is Clarkson saying that now that she is

out of the relationship, she is finally free to be herself, without the drama and stress.

A Day To Remember takes a slightly different approach. While their music video is

almost a direct parody of the original version, they still manage to maintain the essence of the

original while keeping true to themselves. The chord structure and lyrics remained the same,

even the video is shot almost frame for frame. The primary difference is that A Day To

Remember’s version is simply more aggressive. With dropped-tuned guitars, driving drums,

and a few screams sprinkled in, this version does a good job of standing apart from the

original.

Visually, as similar as the videos are, they are still very different. Both videos open

with both vocalists, Clarkson and Jeremy McKinnon, sitting on couches clutching necklaces.

That is the only scene in which both vocalists are shown alone, for the rest of A Day To

Remember’s version, McKinnon is only shown with the rest of the band, which is the primary

difference visually. In the Clarkson video, she is alone the entire time, symbolizing that she is
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independent. She doesn’t need anyone’s help; she is able to handle this all on her own. In A

Day To Remember’s video, McKinnon starts off by himself but is joined by the band in the

next scene. This symbolizes that he needed his friends. He may or may not have been able to

handle the situation by himself, but in the end, decided that he would rather have his friends

around him than be alone.

Both versions rely on Pathos to connect to their listeners. Clarkson focuses on the idea

of being strong and independent and not having to rely on anyone to help her. She is

empowered by the fact that now that she is free from her relationship, she is able to be herself,

to enjoy life, and get everything that she wants. A Day To Remember’s version focuses on

having good friends that you can rely on, that will always be there for you through thick and

thin. Both versions also use Ethos, almost entirely in the same way. They both use personal

experience and storytelling as an anecdote to prove that they are credible. This allows the

listener to relate to the song on a personal level.

Although the songs are almost identical and the videos are extremely similar, the

audiences for the two versions are very different. Age, race, or even gender do not play a

particularly large role in the difference of audience as it is mainly due to the style of music.

Fans of the Clarkson version are typically people that are more inclined to listen to top 40 pop

hits, where fans of the A Day To Remember version are typically more likely to listen to more

aggressive music such as rock and metal. There is some crossover, but typically more Kelly

Clarkson fans are likely to appreciate the A Day To Remember version than A Day To

Remember fans are to appreciate the Kelly Clarkson version.

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Works Cited

A Day To Remember. “Since You Been Gone.” YouTube, uploaded by A Day To Remember,

30 Sept. 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy4Uq86QbaE

Clarkson, Kelly. “Since U Been Gone.” YouTube, uploaded by Kelly Clarkson, 27 Sept. 2020,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7UrFYvl5TE