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Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
Benny Goodman and His Orchestra Lyrics
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Every time we say goodbye I wonder why a little
Why the gods above me, who must be in the know
Think so little of me they allow me to go
When you're near there's such a joy of spring about it
I can hear a lark somewhere begin to sing about it
there's no love song finer
But how strange the change from major to minor
Every single time we say goodbye
The lyrics to Benny Goodman's song "Ev'rytime We Say Goodbye" express the pain and confusion felt by the singer whenever they part ways with their lover. They describe the physical and emotional toll saying goodbye takes on them, as demonstrated by the melancholy shift from major to minor chords in the song's melody. The singer questions why they are allowed to suffer this way, attributing their heartbreak to the whims of the gods or fate. Despite the sadness, they still find joy in the presence of their lover, likening it to the feeling of spring and the sound of a lark singing.
The lyrics of this song use vivid imagery to convey the depth of the singer's feelings. The repeated phrase "Every time we say goodbye" serves as a poignant reminder of the pain of separation. The mention of the gods who "think so little" of the singer implies a sense of unfairness or injustice, as if the gods have singled them out for punishment. The contrast between the joyful imagery of spring and singing birds and the minor chords of the song's musical arrangement highlights the bittersweet nature of the singer's emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time we say goodbye I die a little
Whenever we part ways, I feel a small part of me dies inside
Every time we say goodbye I wonder why a little
I can't help but question why fate keeps separating us
Why the gods above me, who must be in the know
I am filled with confusion as to why the divine powers allow this to keep happening.
Think so little of me they allow me to go
It feels like the universe doesn't value our relationship, as if it's insignificant enough for us to part ways.
When you're near there's such a joy of spring about it
Your presence brings me immense joy, almost as if a season of rebirth and renewal has arrived
I can hear a lark somewhere begin to sing about it
The sound of a bird signifies the arrival of happiness and positivity when I'm with you
there's no love song finer
Among all the love songs in the world, none can match the beauty and depth of what we share
But how strange the change from major to minor
It's ironic how our beautiful love song can shift in tone from happy and optimistic to sad and mournful.
Every time we say goodbye
No matter how many times it happens, I can never get used to the pain of saying goodbye to you.
Every single time we say goodbye
Each and every instance of parting ways is equally difficult for me.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Yuji Miura
How beautiful sound remastered from 78rpm. Very congrats!
Opaula Morgan
A beautiful arrangement by Benny Goodman and beautiful singing by Peggy Mann.
Tejas Ambhore
One of the early recordings. Beautiful 😊
Sorcha McCarrey
really wonderful version! love the simple unadorned vocal treatment
Trombonology Erstwhile
This number stands out as one of Porter's most beautifully crafted of the '40s -- which is saying a lot. I've always had a tough time choosing a favorite treatment, but I've narrowed it down to this one and another on which two of the participants here are also present, Teddy Wilson and Red Norvo, and that version would be the Teddy Wilson Quintet recording for Musicraft, on which Maxine Sullivan provides the vocal chorus. Here we have Peggy Mann, a lady who, while not flashy or extraordinary, was a fine and tasteful singer with an attractive tone. Before her measly one session with Goodman, she worked with the Larry Clinton and Teddy Powell orchestras. In 1947, she succeeded Joan Edwards on the Your Hit Parade radio show. Goodman, who we know frequently tinkered with his band personnel, replaced Peggy with Jane Harvey, whom I consider to be not nearly as good as her predecessor. She made it through four sessions; her replacement, Kay Penton, two and Penton's successor, Dottie Reid (whose work I've always enjoyed), again a lousy one session. Finally, Liza Morrow came along and participated in several recording dates with the Goodman orchestra in the '45-'46 period. On "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye," despite the small group format, we find a fair amount of structure to the performance, in the way in which Norvo, in particular, and Wilson support Goodman's opening melody statement, but it's an attractive effect. Peggy's vocal is straight forward and meaningful and free of irritating histrionics. Benny's fluttering obbligato intensifies the mood of tension that permeates the song, culminating with Porter's brilliant "There's no love song finer/But how strange the change from major to minor" and the accompanying harmonic shift.
Susan
Every time we say goodbye,
I die a little,
Every time we say goodbye,
I wonder why a little,
Why the Gods above me,
who must be in the know.
Think so little of me,
they allow you to go.
When you're near,
there's such an air of spring about it,
I can hear a lark somewhere,
begin to sing about it,
There's no love song finer,
but how strange the change
from major to minor
Every time we say goodbye.
When you're near,
there's such an air of spring about it,
I can hear a lark somewhere,
begin to sing about it,
There's no love song finer,
but how strange the change
from major to minor
Every time we say goodbye.
Opaula Morgan
This is a great song. About fifteen years ago I was walking in Georgetown, in Washington, D. C. And heard this song being played, and bought the cassette the same day, it has many other Benny Goodman songs on it, including "We'll be Close As Pages in a Booki."
Miguel Osvaldo Flores Dominguez
Nice arrengement by Benny Goodman, nice vocals, nice song!
Kekuahiwi
Splendid vibes. Pretty sure it must be Lionel Hampton