Released 7 February 2011 Length 3:56 Writer(s) Joe West
Dave Pahanish | Genre Country pop
pop rock Label Capitol Nashville Producer(s) Dann Huff
Keith Urban | |
"Without You" is a song written by Joe West and Dave Pahanish, and recorded by Australian country music artist Keith Urban. It was released in February 2011 as the second single from the album Get Closer. The song has since reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.
Contents
"Without You" is not to be confused with a song of the same title Urban recorded for his Australian self titled 1991 album.
Background
Urban described the song as his "life story" and considered it "an amazing song that [he] would have never allowed [himself] to write."
Content
The song is a ballad accompanied mainly by acoustic guitar and fiddle, in which Urban sings that his life would not have meaning without his lover. It is in A-flat major, with a main chord pattern of A♭-A♭/G♭-D♭sus2/F-D♭ and a vocal range from E♭4 to F5.
Critical reception
Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave the song five stars out of five, citing it a song that "suits Keith Urban and his life with wife Nicole Kidman." Blake Boldt of Engine 145 gave the song a "thumbs down," stating that Urban is "at his best when exploring heart's aches and pains," and saying that it "lacks the excitement of past hits."
Chart performance
"Without You" debuted at number 47 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts for the week of 19 February 2011. It also debuted at number 95 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week of 26 March 2011.