"Only When It's Gone"

[Intro / First Chorus] (Only guitar, soft and steady) Well, you only need the rain when the garden's dry Only miss the laughter when it echoes in the night Only know you love her when she's walking out the door Only feel the cold when you can't hold her anymore [Verse 1] We were young and reckless, chasing dreams down rainy streets Sharing cups of tea and secrets till the morning light I thought we'd have forever, didn't see the warning signs Now the flat feels empty and I'm talking to the sky [Chorus] You only need the light when it's burning low Only miss the sun when the winter winds start to blow Only know you love her when you let her go Only when she's gone, you realise what you had, you know [Verse 2] I see her smile in photographs, proper proper laugh she had The way she'd call me "love" even when I made her mad I reckon I was foolish, took her patience for a given Now I'm staring at the ceiling, wishing I could live it different [Chorus] You only need the light when it's burning low Only miss the sun when the winter winds start to blow Only know you love her when you let her go Only when she's gone... you realise what you had [Bridge] And the nights are longer now, the days feel incomplete I play our favourite records but they don't sound as sweet If I could turn the clock back, I'd hold her tight and say "Don't walk away, my darling, please don't walk away..." [Final Chorus – building gently then stripping back] You only need the light when it's burning low Only miss the sun when the winter winds start to blow Only know you love her when you let her go Only when she's gone... (Last line almost a cappella, soft and broken) Only when she's gone... do you really know.