“See You Again,” by Charlie Puth

The piano-laden ballad “See You Again” by Charlie Puth is an emotional tune, reflecting on the sadness and numerous questions that loom following the death of a loved one.

Credit: headlineplanet.com

Puth talks directly to his loved one who has died in “See You Again.” He begins with the chorus:

It’s been a long day without you, my friend
And I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again
We’ve come a long way from where we began
Oh, I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again
When I see you again

Here Puth seems to use a technique many people employ to ease the pain following the death of a loved one: imagining that they are only temporarily gone, perhaps on a trip or vacation somewhere. He says, “I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again,” suggesting that his loved one is simply somewhere else for the time being. However, this idea is short-lived, when Puth begins with the song’s first stanza.

He starts by asking a few questions of his loved one who has died.

Why’d you have to leave so soon?
Why’d you have to go?
Why’d you have to leave me when I needed you the most?

Charlie Puth is struggling to comprehend his loss. He asks questions most people ponder after the death of a loved one: Why did this have to happen? Did they purposefully and intentionally leave me behind?

There are no soothing answers to those questions. We can only speculate. However, sometimes it is beneficial to “speak” to our loved ones who have died. It may help to alleviate the pain, to allow our emotions out instead of holding them in.

Puth follows his questions with a statement of his agony.

‘Cause I don’t really know how to tell ya
Without feeling much worse
I know you’re in a better place
But it’s always gonna hurt

Credit: rockonphilly.com

Puth is trying to mitigate the sting of his loss. He’s attempting to have a conversation with his loved one, and though he knows they’re “in a better place,” it doesn’t really soothe his own pain. The tumult and distress caused by his loved one’s death will always be with him.

“See You Again” is definitely an emotional song. You really get the sense that Charlie Puth is singing from somewhere deep within, his passion coming through his vocal chords, particularly when you watch him live.

Personal Rendition

The song featured here is actually Charlie Puth’s solo version of the original song. The initial “See You Again” is performed by rapper Wiz Khalifa, and features Puth as a guest artist. The first version was commissioned to pay tribute to the late actor Paul Walker, and was included in the 2015 action movie “Furious 7.” Walker was one of the main actors in the movie. Unfortunately, he died in 2013 before the film’s completion, though his character was still featured in the movie.

According to Puth, the hook for the original “See You Again” (which is the chorus in his solo version) was inspired by the death of one of his college friends who had died in an automobile accident. “I was carrying my friend in his casket to put him in the hearse,” Puth said, “and I was thinking, ‘I need to write a song for this guy, because he always told me I would have a number one song,'” the artist told USA Today.

The original song by Wiz Khalifa is the definition of a mega hit. The music video for that version is currently the second-most viewed video on YouTube, with over three billion views. Both versions include language of loss, but Puth’s solo rendition has lyrics that are much more related to grief and the struggles that come with the death of a loved one.

Lyrics for Charlie Puth’s solo version of the song can be found here.

Below is a live version of Charlie Puth performing “See You Again.”