I feel I've done my last favor
So I'll say goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye

I know we both
Have gone a long time being denied
Instead of being favored

Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Please don't ever let me do you wrong
And never do me wrong

You know, I'd like to dream
In dreams, in dreams
We never say goodbye

Goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye

Once, I saw you on some corner
I tried to say hello, hello
Hello, hello
I know it's been an awful long time
And now it shows
How time has made us older

Hello, hello,
Hello, hello

You know, I never meant to do you wrong
But life is not so long
And so I'll cross the street
I don't believe we ever said goodbye

Goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye

Goodbye

Overall Meaning

The Finches's song "Last Favor" expresses the emotions of someone who believes they have done their last favor and is saying goodbye. The song begins with the singer stating that they have done their last favor and that they are leaving. The repetition of the word "goodbye" reinforces the idea of finality and closure.

The second stanza of the song reflects on a period of being denied, and how this situation has impacted their relationship. The singer admits to not always being favored themselves. Despite this, they ask the other person not to do them wrong, and they will do the same. The use of the word "never" highlights the idea of a permanent decision.

In the third stanza, the singer acknowledges the past and how time has caused them both to age. They share a brief moment of seeing each other on the corner but instead choose to cross the street, implying a reluctance to revisit the past. The final repetition of "goodbye" is a haunting reminder that this goodbye is final.

Overall, the song is a poignant and somber reflection on the end of a relationship. The lyrics highlight the difficulties of someone's last act of kindness towards another, even as it signals the end.

Line by Line Meaning

I feel I've done my last favor
I believe that it's the end of the favors I can give to you

So I’ll say goodbye
Thus, I am bidding farewell

I know we both
I am aware that both of us

Have gone a long time being denied
have suffered being left out for a long time

Instead of being favored
rather than being treated as a favorite

Please don't ever let me do you wrong
Kindly refrain me from harming you

And never do me wrong
and in return, I vow to never cause harm to you

You know, I'd like to dream
I would love to envision

In dreams, in dreams
in an imaginary world of dreams

We never say goodbye
where we never separate forever

Once, I saw you on some corner
In the past, I laid eyes on you at a certain place