Synopsis

Soul Asylum perform "Without a Trace" in a loose, offbeat video that matches the song's restless humor and outsider perspective. The clip follows the band's energetic performance while presenting a series of eccentric, slightly surreal images and situations. Rather than building a conventional narrative, it reflects the song's string of comic misadventures, from romantic disappointment to failed attempts at fitting into ordinary life. The result is a brisk, irreverent portrait of a man who keeps trying to escape his circumstances.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was released in 1993, although "Without a Trace" first appeared on Soul Asylum's 1992 album *Grave Dancers Union*.

• "Without a Trace" is one of the songs directly responsible for the album's title. The phrase comes from the lyric about joining the "Grave Dancers Union."

• The song was written by Soul Asylum frontman Dave Pirner and produced by Michael Beinhorn.

• The single was issued by Columbia Records and received a separate video treatment after the success of *Grave Dancers Union* and "Runaway Train."

• The track was part of Soul Asylum's 1993 *MTV Unplugged* set, alongside "Runaway Train," "Somebody to Shove," "Black Gold," "Get on Out," and "To Sir, With Love."

• The official high-definition version of the video was uploaded to Soul Asylum's YouTube channel in 2009, helping preserve the clip for a later audience.

• Unlike "Runaway Train," whose video became widely known for its missing-children appeal, "Without a Trace" remained a more conventional music video built around the song's comic, downbeat character study.