Goodbyes
Allman Brown Lyrics


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"Time to say goodbye," he said
Took my face in his hand
And he never really did that before

And all the same blood runs in our veins
Still don't know what to say
And I'm tired of being old and foolish this way
I love you
Why's it so hard to say
These words stick in my mouth
Must be pride gets in my way

Oh-h-h, I guess silence will have to do
Oh-h-h, silence will have to do

Silver burns down here in the door
Trip on the rock and stone
But I don't wanna be alone
This way any more

All the same blood runs in our veins
Still don't know what to say
And I'm tired of being old and foolish this way
I love you
Why's it so hard to say
These words stick in my mouth
Must be pride gets in my way

Oh-h-h, I guess silence will have to do
Oh-h-h, silence will have to do

Oh-h-h, oh-h-h
Oh-h-h, oh-h-h

"Time to say goodbye," he said




Took my face in his hand
And he never really did that before

Overall Meaning

In Allman Brown's song "Goodbyes," the singer is confronted with the difficult task of saying goodbye to a loved one. The opening line of the song "Time to say goodbye," sets the tone for the entire piece and suggests that the singer has been avoiding this confrontation. The subsequent line, "Took my face in his hand and he never really did that before," reveals that the singer's struggle is compounded by the fact that sharing emotions has not been a common experience between them.


Despite being family, the singer admits that they "still don't know what to say." The lyric implies a sense of distance between the two, and perhaps some longstanding tension between them that they have yet to resolve. The line "And I'm tired of being old and foolish this way" suggests that the singer is ready to let go of old grudges and move on from whatever has kept them apart. They even confess "I love you" but "why's it so hard to say," and "these words stick in my mouth, must be pride gets in my way." The power dynamic between the two is further emphasized by the line "must be pride gets in my way."


The song ends with the repeated refrain of "Oh-h-h, I guess silence will have to do." This is a fitting conclusion to the song, as it underscores the difficulty of parting ways and expressing one's emotions. Despite wanting to say more, the singer is left with silence as the only effective means of communication. Overall, the lyrics of "Goodbyes" reveal a profound sadness and sense of loss, as well as the struggle to overcome personal barriers and communicate one's true feelings.


Line by Line Meaning

"Time to say goodbye," he said
The singer's loved one has informed them that it is time to part ways


Took my face in his hand
The singer's loved one grasped their face in their hand, perhaps as a gesture of affection or reassurance


And he never really did that before
The singer notes that this physical gesture of affection is unusual for their loved one, indicating that the goodbye is significant


And all the same blood runs in our veins
The artist and their loved one are related, emphasizing the deep connection between them


Still don't know what to say
Despite the artist's close relationship with their loved one, they struggle to find the right words to express themselves


And I'm tired of being old and foolish this way
The singer is tired of feeling foolish and immature for struggling to express their emotions


I love you
The singer loves their loved one deeply


Why's it so hard to say
The artist is questioning why expressing their love is such a difficult task


These words stick in my mouth
The words of love are difficult for the artist to articulate


Must be pride gets in my way
The artist acknowledges that their pride is a barrier to expressing their true feelings


Oh-h-h, I guess silence will have to do
The singer resigns themselves to silence as a means of communicating their emotions


Silver burns down here in the door
Unknown


Trip on the rock and stone
Unknown


But I don't wanna be alone
The singer is afraid of being alone in the wake of their loved one's departure


This way any more
Unknown


Oh-h-h, oh-h-h
Unknown


"Time to say goodbye," he said
The artist's loved one has informed them that it is time to part ways


Took my face in his hand
The singer's loved one grasped their face in their hand, perhaps as a gesture of affection or reassurance


And he never really did that before
The singer notes that this physical gesture of affection is unusual for their loved one, indicating that the goodbye is significant




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD NADARAJ ALLMAN BROWN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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