“Slipped Away” by Avril Lavigne

One of the most serious songs Avril Lavigne has ever penned is “Slipped Away,” which tells listeners about how she felt when she learned the news of her grandfather’s death. It was 2003, and she was on her Try To Shut Me Up tour after the release of her first album, Let Go, when she learned of her grandfather dying. Lavigne dedicates the song to him in her liner notes.

Lavigne’s rise to fame began in the early 2000s. Her music was dubbed “skater punk,” and she was soon crowned “Pop Punk Queen” by critics. Her debut album remains the best-selling album of the 21st century by a Canadian artist. Lavigne’s music made it possible for many other female artists to share punk-influenced music in the 2000s.

The “Slipped Away” music video begins with Lavigne at a crowded party with young adults and is intercut by Lavigne on a stage alone, playing the piano. She begins,

I miss you
Miss you so bad
I don’t forget you
Oh, it’s so sad

Surrounded by teens dancing and hanging out, Lavigne walks around the party disengaged, not wanting to have fun like the others. The instrumentation of the song picks up as Lavigne reaches out to her grandfather, singing,

I hope you can hear me
I remember it clearly

The day you slipped away
Was the day I found it won’t be the same

Lavigne and her grandfather were very close, but because she was on tour, she wasn’t with her family when her grandfather died. Like so many people who lose someone, that distance made the pain of the loss worse. She felt unable to say goodbye or have closure.

I didn’t get around to kiss you
Goodbye on the hand
I wish that I could see you again
I know that I can’t

Understandably, Lavigne wishes there was something she could do about his death. She knows she can’t change anything, but that doesn’t relieve her from longing to do so. She’s full of questions, wondering why she had to lose someone she loves.

I’ve had my wake up, won’t you wake up?
I keep asking why? (I keep asking why)
And I can’t take it, it wasn’t fake, it
It happened, you passed by
Now you’re gone, now you’re gone
There you go, there you go
Somewhere I can’t bring you back
Now you’re gone, now you’re gone
There you go, there you go
Somewhere you’re not coming back

Eventually, Lavigne leaves the party, alone. Grief is heavy, and attending a party may not be the easiest activity for someone in the deep throes of mourning. When Lavigne first found out her grandfather died, she canceled that night’s concert. Time alone to process the big emotions is crucial for anyone going through a loss. Teenagers need just as much space to work through their feelings when dealing with the death of a loved one.

Lavigne sings that the day her grandfather died, is the day she ‘”found it won’t be the same.” Like Lavigne, life isn’t the same for any of us after someone we love dies. However, working through grief through art, like Lavigne did, can be a positive experience.

Watch Avril Lavigne’s “Slipped Away” below.