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Say Hello Wave Goodbye
David Gray Lyrics


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Standin' in the door of the Pink Flamingo cryin' in the rain
It was a kind of so-so love
And I'm gonna make sure it doesn't happen again
You and I had to be the standing joke of the year
You were a run-around, a lost and found and not for me, I feel

Take your hands off me, hey
I don't belong to you, you see
And take a look in my face for the last time
I never knew you, you never knew me
Say hello goodbye
Say hello and wave goodbye

We tried to make it work
You in a cocktail skirt and me in a suit but it just wasn't me
You're used to wearing less
And now your life's a mess, so insecure you see
Well I put up with all the scenes
And this is one scene that's going to be played my way

Take your hands off me, hey
I don't belong to you, you see
And take a look in my face, for the last time
I never knew you, you never knew me
Say hello, goodbye
Say hello and wave goodbye
Say hello and wave goodbye

Under the deep red light I can see the make up slidin' down
Well hey little girl you will always make up
So take off that unbecoming frown
As for me, well I'll find someone who's not goin' cheap in the sales
A nice little housewife
Who'll give me a steady life and not keep going off the rails

Take your hands off me, hey
I don't belong to you, you see
And take a look in my face, for the last time
I never knew you, you never knew me
Say hello, goodbye
Say hello and wave goodbye

Say hello and wave goodbye
Say hello and wave goodbye
Wave goodbye

Say hello and wave goodbye
Say hello, wave goodbye
Goodbye

Say goodbye
Say goodbye

We were born before the waves
Who are we to understand?
We were born before the waves
Say goodbye

Through the rain, hail, sleet and snow
Say goodbye
Get on the train, train, train
And say goodbye

Say goodbye
Say goodbye
Say goodbye

In the wind and the rain now, darling
Say goodbye
In the wind and the rain now, darling

Overall Meaning

"Say Hello Wave Goodbye" is a song by David Gray that talks about the end of a relationship. Gray sings about his decision to end the relationship with his partner, who has been a "run-around" and a "lost and found" for him. He stands in the rain outside a club called Pink Flamingo and regrets the time he has spent in the relationship, vowing to make sure it doesn't happen again. He concludes that he and his partner were the "standing joke of the year" and that they could never make it work. Gray asks his partner to take a look at his face for the last time, stating that he never knew her and she never knew him. He says goodbye to her as he leaves her and her messy life behind.


Throughout the song, Gray describes the conflict between himself and his partner. They both seem to be at odds with each other, and despite their best efforts, they can't find common ground. Gray explains that his partner is used to wearing less and that she is very insecure. He puts up with all of her problems until he decides to take control and end the relationship. He states that he wants a "nice little housewife" who will give him a steady life.


Overall, "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" is a song about a troubled relationship that ends in a goodbye wave. It is an emotional, honest song with excellent lyrics and a great melody.


Line by Line Meaning

Standin' in the door of the Pink Flamingo cryin' in the rain
I am in front of the Pink Flamingo, crying in the rain.


It was a kind of so-so love
Our love was mediocre, nothing particularly special.


And I'm gonna make sure it doesn't happen again
I will ensure that our kind of so-so love will never return.


You and I had to be the standing joke of the year
Our romance turned out to be the butt of all jokes for a year.


You were a run-around, a lost and found and not for me, I feel
You fooled around with other people, lost your way, and I am left feeling like I never belonged with you.


Take your hands off me, hey
Please remove your hands from me.


I don't belong to you, you see
I am not yours and never was.


And take a look in my face for the last time
This will be the last time you see my face.


I never knew you, you never knew me
We didn't really know each other at all.


Say hello goodbye
Hello and goodbye.


Say hello and wave goodbye
Greet and then bid farewell.


We tried to make it work
We attempted to make our relationship succeed.


You in a cocktail skirt and me in a suit but it just wasn't me
You were dressed up, but it wasn't my style.


You're used to wearing less
You're accustomed to wearing very little clothing, revealing attire.


And now your life's a mess, so insecure you see
Now, your life is a complete mess; you are insecure.


Well I put up with all the scenes
I tolerated all the dramatic moments.


And this is one scene that's going to be played my way
I am in charge of this moment.


Under the deep red light I can see the make up slidin' down
Under the red light, I can see your makeup running down your face.


Well hey little girl you will always make up
Well hey young lady, you will always apply makeup to cover up your faults.


So take off that unbecoming frown
Remove the unattractive scowl from your face.


As for me, well I'll find someone who's not goin' cheap in the sales
As for me, I will find someone who is not available at a cheap price.


A nice little housewife
A pleasant stay-at-home wife.


Who'll give me a steady life and not keep going off the rails
Who will provide me with a stable routine and not drive me crazy.


Wave goodbye
Wave your hand as a sign of departure.


In the wind and the rain now, darling
Through the storm and strong winds, my sweet.




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID BALL, MARC ALMOND

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@melv8948

Anyone listenening in 2024?

@Addadiktomehaktovisions

24

@rosssimons3688

two weeks after you. love this song

@robmaryphi62

no

@barryhamilton7845

46 now ,and still coming back to it.🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

@allanlewis333

Hello and yes totally adore this song!
I was so blessed to finally see David’s anniversary tour in Dublin last year.
And he only brought on Mark Almond for this and then Tainted Love!
Wonderful end to a motorcycle tour of Ireland.

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@reallifevictoria914

Found this song tonight. My friend died this morning. He introduced me to David Gray back in 2004. Perfect song for saying goodbye to my pal. RIP Mark Jones.

@jennyperrio4887

Im so sorry sweetheart for your loss Its not easy losing somebody you care about Before my Dad died in my arms He told me You will never be alone i will walk with you always Thats what your friend will do
I will hold you in my heart and prayers Jenny 🌹🌹

@bonniemillhone6180

I’m so sorry

@stuartdudgeon9693

1st heard this on the radio working night shift on a contract in Belfast driving home in the morning. Stopped at Wellworths and bought the CD. When I got back to digs realised I didn't have a CD player.......back to Wellworths....what a dick?

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