Alison Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer… Read Full Bio ↴Alison Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. Signed to Rounder Records as a 14-year-old fiddler from Champaign, Illinois, she has become the most recognized face in contemporary bluegrass, a critically acclaimed artist who has brought modern sophistication to the genre while respecting its traditions. Songfacts reports that in 2011 Krauss recorded her first ever number one country album in her home country with Paper Airplane. She has also sold upwards of 11 million records and garnered 2 Oscar nominations as well as 26 Grammy® Awards, the most for any female artist in Grammy® history.

Also impressive is Krauss's unwavering commitment to being an independent-label artist who has succeeded far beyond the scope of many major-label artists. She has circulated freely within pop, mainstream country and roots music circles, as a solo artist and with her long-time band Union Station, creating impeccably produced records that appeal to an equally wide-ranging and inquisitive audience. Krauss has continued doing things the old-fashioned way: following her heart and whatever path the music takes her on.

Every Time You Say Goodbye
Alison Krauss Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Look at the sky, baby
What do you see?
Looks like the tears that I cry
Fallin' down like rain on the ground
Every time you say goodbye

Take a look around now
Why don't you feel

The way that cold wind stings and bites
And your words just are like arrows through my heart
Every time you say goodbye

There's a restless feeling knocking at my door today
There's a shadow hanging 'round my garden gate
I read between the lines of words you can't disguise
Love has gone away, and put these tears in my eyes

Look at the sky, baby, see how it cries?
Ain't it just like my tears
Fallin' down like rain on the ground
Every time you say goodbye

There's a restless feeling knocking at my door today
There's a shadow hanging 'round my garden gate
I read between the lines of words you can't disguise
Love has gone away, and put these tears in my eyes

There's a restless feeling knocking at my door today
There's a shadow hanging 'round my garden gate

I read between the lines of words you can't disguise
Love has gone away, and put these tears in my eyes

Overall Meaning

The song "Every Time You Say Goodbye" by Alison Krauss & Union Station is a melancholic reflection of the pain of a lover's departure. The lyrics are written to evoke a sense of sorrow and loss, with repeated references to the tears that fall like rain on the ground. The opening lines of the song invites the listener to look at the sky and compare it to the tears that the singer cries every time their lover says goodbye.

The chorus of the song sets up the theme of the lyrics, with the cold wind stinging and biting, and words that feel like arrows through the heart every time the lover says goodbye. As the song continues, the singer reveals a restless feeling, like something is knocking at their door, and a shadow of sadness hanging around their garden gate. The verses repeat the theme of sorrow as the singer reads between the lines of words their lover can't disguise, and their love has gone away, leaving behind tears in their eyes.

Overall, in this song, Alison Krauss & Union Station explore the heartache that comes with the departure of a lover, leaving the singer feeling alone with no hope in sight. The lyrics convey a strong sense of vulnerability and melancholy, inviting the listener to feel the same emotions.

Line by Line Meaning

Look at the sky, baby
Can you observe the sky, my dear?

What do you see?
Is it similar to the tears I shed?

Looks like the tears that I cry
The clouds resemble the droplets that stream down my face

Fallin' down like rain on the ground
Pouring down to the earth like the precipitation

Every time you say goodbye
Whenever we part ways

Take a look around now
Observe your surroundings at the moment

Why don't you feel
What's preventing you from sensing

The way that cold wind stings and bites
How the chilly breeze feels harsh and painful

And your words just are like arrows through my heart
Your words pierce my heart like sharp, pointy missiles

There's a restless feeling knocking at my door today
An unease emotion is bothering me now

There's a shadow hanging 'round my garden gate
A shade lingers in the vicinity of my entrance

I read between the lines of words you can't disguise
I perceive what you're attempting to hide behind your phrases

Love has gone away, and put these tears in my eyes
Affection has disappeared, causing me to shed tears

Ain't it just like my tears
Doesn't it resemble the tears I cry