Beresford Hammond (b.August 28,1955 Annotto Bay,St.Mary, Jamaica) has only … Read Full Bio ↴Beresford Hammond (b.August 28,1955 Annotto Bay,St.Mary, Jamaica) has only really risen to become popular in the 'digital' age of Reggae, although his career stretches back to the 1970's. Considered by many to be one of Jamaica's finest contemporary vocalists, his best work has generally been captured on the 'Penthouse' and 'Xterminator' labels as well as his own 'Harmony House' imprint. The singer with his distictive 'Bourbon on the rocks' vocal style remains active today both recording and producing.

No Goodbye
Beres Hammond Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I can't, no I can't

Every time I think of saying goodbye
Everything inside me says it's a lie
So I can't, no I can't, no I can't, yes

Yes, you've been with me right through the rough
And you never said I've had enough

So I can't, no I can't, no I can't

I'd like to repay you for damages done
I know I won't be able to repair it all 'cause I lost out
And with all the time you've been hurting
You're still so fine and it's blowing my mind

I know I should pack and walk away
And leave you nothing to remind
But I can't, oh I can't, no I can't, no honey, no

Just wish I was man enough to
Come out and say it to you, you know

I'd like to repay you for damages done
I know I won't be able to repair it all 'cause I lost out
And with all the time I see you hurting
You're still so fine and it's blowing my mind

I should pack my things and walk away
And leave you nothing to remind
But I can't, oh I can't, no I can't

Every time I think of saying goodbye
Everything inside me says it's a lie
So I can't, no I can't, no I can't baby

'Cause you've been with me right through the rough
And you never said I've had enough
So I can't, no I can't, no I can't baby

I try, I try, I try but I can't, should've known better
I know I would never, how could I leave you baby
But you're so fine with everything I do
No I can't, I can't

Oh baby, ooh baby

I wish that we were just starting
Oh baby

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Beres Hammond's song "No Goodbye" express the dilemma of a man who is emotionally torn between leaving a romantic relationship or staying despite having caused damage to his partner. The opening lines, "I can't, no I can't, every time I think of saying goodbye, everything inside me says it's a lie," reveal the internal conflict of the singer. He wants to leave but acknowledges that his feelings for his partner are too strong to let him say goodbye. He then goes on to acknowledge his partner's unwavering support even in difficult times, as he sings, "Yes, you’ve been with me right through the rough, and you never said I've had enough." This statement reveals how his partner's resilience has endeared her to him.

The chorus of the song, "So I can't, no I can't, no I can't," is a repeat of his inability to say goodbye. This repetition emphasizes the emotional attachment he has to his partner and how difficult it is for him to leave her. He then admits that despite his inability to fix everything he has broken, he sees his partner's strength in persevering through the hurt he has caused, and this amazes him.

Overall, the song expresses the complexity of romantic relationships and how difficult it can be to walk away, even when the relationship has been damaged. It also speaks to the strength and resilience of the human spirit in persevering through difficult times in relationships.

Line by Line Meaning

I can't, no I can't
Despite knowing that I should leave, I find myself unable to do so.

Every time I think of saying goodbye Everything inside me says it's a lie So I can't, no I can't, no I can't, yes
The internal conflict in leaving you is too intense for me to bear, and so I cannot do it.

Yes, you've been with me right through the rough And you never said I've had enough So I can't, no I can't, no I can't
You have been a constant support in my worst times, always pushing me to persevere, and so I cannot leave you.

I'd like to repay you for damages done I know I won't be able to repair it all 'cause I lost out And with all the time you've been hurting You're still so fine and it's blowing my mind
I desire to make up for all the harm that I have done to you, but I know that it is impossible to undo everything. Despite all the hurts you've experienced, you continue to shine beautifully in my eyes.

I know I should pack and walk away And leave you nothing to remind But I can't, oh I can't, no I can't, no honey, no
Logically, I know that I should let go completely, but I find myself unable to do so.

Just wish I was man enough to Come out and say it to you, you know
I wish I had the courage and strength to tell you that I cannot leave you, despite what I should do.

I'd like to repay you for damages done I know I won't be able to repair it all 'cause I lost out And with all the time I see you hurting You're still so fine and it's blowing my mind
I wish to make things right, but I know there are limits to what I can do. Seeing you suffer all this time is painful, but you remain beautiful to me.

I should pack my things and walk away And leave you nothing to remind But I can't, oh I can't, no I can't
Although it would be the smart thing to do, I am unable to follow through with it.

Every time I think of saying goodbye Everything inside me says it's a lie So I can't, no I can't, no I can't baby
Just the idea of leaving you fills me with a sense of dishonesty and impossibility, so I am unable to do it.

'Cause you've been with me right through the rough And you never said I've had enough So I can't, no I can't, no I can't baby
You've been my rock in the hardest moments, never backing down, so I cannot leave you even when I should.

I try, I try, I try but I can't, should've known better I know I would never, how could I leave you baby But you're so fine with everything I do No I can't, I can't
I try to convince myself to let go, but it is impossible for me. Leaving you is unthinkable when you are so lovely and understanding towards me.

Oh baby, ooh baby I wish that we were just starting Oh baby
I wish that we could start anew, as if we just met, and move forward together in a new direction.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Beresford Hammond, Clement Dodd

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS