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Credits
PERFORMING ARTISTS
will.i.am
Vocals
Jack Johnson
Vocals
Printz Board
Trumpet
Tim Izo Orindgreff
Saxophone
Ron Fair
String Conductor
Endre Granat
Violin
Natalie Leggett
Violin
Phillip Levy
Violin
Jackie Brand
Violin
Charlie Bisharat
Violin
Joel Derouin
Violin
Mario Deleon
Violin
Rene Mandel
Violin
Julie Gigante
Violin
Katia Popov
Violin
Josefina Vergara
Violin
Tammy Hatwan
Violin
Alan Grunfeld
Violin
Sid Page
Violin
Songa Lee
Violin
Sarah Thornblade
Violin
Brian Dembow
Viola
Simon Oswell
Viola
Matt Funes
Viola
Vicki Miskolczy
Viola
Steve Erdody
Cello
Cécilia Tsan
Cello
David Low
Cello
Suzie Katayama
Cello
Roberto Cani
Violin
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Jack Johnson
Songwriter
William Adams
Songwriter
Ron Fair
String Arranger
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
will.i.am
Producer
Tal Herzberg
Engineer
Jack Joseph Puig
Mixing Engineer
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Johnny want to be a big star
Get on stage and play the guitar
Make a little money, buy a fancy car
A big old house and an alligator
[Verse 2]
Just to match with them alligator shoes
He's a rich man so he's no longer singing the blues
He's singing songs about material things
And platinum rings and watches that go bling
[Verse 3]
But, diamonds don't bling in the dark
He a star now, but he ain't singing it from the heart
Sooner or later it's just gonna fall apart
'Cause his fans can't relate to his new found art
[Verse 4]
He ain't doing what he did from the start
And that's putting in some feeling and thought
He decided to live his life shallow
Cash in his love for material
[Verse 5]
And its gone
Gone, going
Gone, everything gone, give a damn
Gone be the birds when they don't want to sing
Gone people, up awkward with their things, gone
[Verse 6]
You see yourself in the mirror
And you feel safe 'cause it looks familiar
But you're afraid to open up your soul
'Cause you don't really know, don't really know
[Verse 7]
Who he is, the person that's deep within
'Cause you are content with just being the name brand man
And you fail to see that its trivial
Insignificant, you addicted to material
[Verse 8]
I've seen your kind before
You the type that thinks souls is sold in a store
Packaged up with incense sticks
With them vegetarian meals
To you that's righteous
[Verse 9]
You're fiction like books
You need to go out to life and look
'Cause uh, what happens when they take your material?
And you already sold your soul
[Verse 10]
And its
Gone, going
Gone, everything gone, give a damn
Gone be the birds when they don't want to sing
Gone people, up awkward with their things, gone
[Verse 11]
You say that time is money and money is time
So you got mind in your money and your money on your mind
But what about, that crime that you did to get paid
And what about, that bid, you can't take it to your brain
(Tell me about it)
[Verse 12]
What about those shoes you're in today?
They'll do no good on the bridges you've walked along the way
[Verse 13]
All that money that you got gon' be gone, yeah
That gear that you rock gon' be gone
The house up on the hill gon' be gone
The gold fronts, on your grill gon' be gone
[Verse 14]
The ice on your wrist gon' be gone
That nice little Miss gon' be gone
That whip that you roll gon' be gone
And what's worst is your soul already gone
[Verse 15]
Yeah its gone
Gone, going
Gone, everything gone, give a damn
Gone be the birds when they don't want to sing
Gone people, up awkward with their things, gone
[Verse 16]
Gone
Written by: Jack Johnson, William Adams