“She’s Out Of My Life” was a poignant ballad written by Tom Bahler and popularized by the late Michael Jackson (August 29, 1958 to June 25, 2009) on his 1979 Off The Wall album. Bahler wrote this gorgeous song after the end of a long relationship. Quincy Jones said that he initially wanted to record the song with the late Frank Sinatra (December 12, 1915 to May 14, 1998), but eventually cut it with Jackson who gave a very emotional performance that immediately made “She’s Out Of My Life” a classic.

The intimate, nocturne mood was a far cry from the upbeat, happy atmospheres on the rest of Off The Wall. “She’s Out Of My Life” was the fourth single from the record and became another Top Ten Single for the now-deceased King Of Pop. David Foster was among the top-notch sidemen appearing on Off The Wall. He played on it and even co-wrote “It’s The Falling In Love” with Carole Bayer-Sager.

Fast forward to 2003 and Foster was working with Josh Groban on the superstar’s sophomore recording eventually titled Closer. The two selected material for the album and decided to cut a new version of “She’s Out Of My Life.” The Hitman said that he immediately called Bahler to communicate their idea to the songwriter and his response was a happy and excited one. Beautifully sung by Groban and masterfully played, arranged and produced by Foster, “She’s Out Of My Life” was included in the special edition of that six-times platinum certified cd. Groban’s rendition keeps the emotional power of Jackson’s original thanks to the singer’s heartfelt performance and the warm orchestral arrangement courtesy of Foster. Foster’s piano plays a sweet counterpart to Groban’s voice. “She’s Out Of My Life” captured the essence of the collaboration between Groban and Foster. It was traditional pop at its best; delivered by one of pop’s most distinctive voices of this generation and directed by one of the true geniuses in popular music.

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Lead Vocals: Josh Groban
Piano & Bass: David Foster
Synthesizer Programming: Neil Devor

Produced & Arranged by David Foster

Lyrics

She’s out of my life
She’s out of my life
And I don’t know whether to laugh or cry
I don’t know whether to live or die
And it cuts like a knife
She’s out of my life

It’s out of my hands
It’s out of my hands
To think for two years she was here
And I took her for granted I was so cavalier
Now the way that it stands
She’s out of my hands

So I’ve learned that love’s not possession
And I’ve learned that love won’t wait
Now I’ve learned that love needs expression
But I learned too late

And she’s out of my life
She’s out of my life
Damned indecision and cursed pride
Kept my love for her locked deep inside
And it cuts like a knife
She’s out of my life