Goodbye Dear Old Stepstone
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh, 'tis sad to be parted from those that we love
Strange faces we see every day
Each heart string of mine is broken in time
When I think of those dear ones at home

Goodbye dear old stepstone, goodbye to my home
God bless those I leave with a sigh
I'll cherish fond memories when I'm far away
To roam o'er this wide world alone

I stood on my doorstep one evening and morn
The wind whispered by with a moan
The fields may be whitening, but I will be gone
To roam o'er this wide world alone

Goodbye dear old stepstone, goodbye to my home
God bless those I leave with a sigh
I'll cherish fond memories when I'm far away
To roam o'er this wide world alone

And I stood on my doorstep when school time was o'er
And I wished for the time to go by
Now it has passed, and I stand here tonight
To bid this old stepstone goodbye

Goodbye dear old stepstone, goodbye to my home
God bless those I leave with a sigh
I'll cherish fond memories when I'm far away




To roam o'er this wide world alone
To roam o'er this wide world alone

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's song "Goodbye Dear Old Stepstone" express the sadness of leaving loved ones and familiar places behind to journey into the unknown. The singer describes how difficult it is to leave those they love and to face the unfamiliar faces they will encounter every day. As they depart, they feel each heartstring breaking as they think of their dear ones at home.


The singer's home is represented by the "dear old stepstone," which stands as a symbol of the warm memories they shared with their family and friends. The singer expresses that they will always cherish these memories while they roam over the vast expanse of the world alone. The singer reminisces about standing on their doorstep in the past, wishing for the time to go by, and now realizes that time has passed, and they must say goodbye to the old stepstone.


Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of loss and longing for the comfort of home. The singer recognizes the ache that leaving behind familiar places and people can cause, and the uncertainty that comes with starting fresh. However, they also acknowledge the excitement that lies ahead, as they journey towards a new adventure.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh, 'tis sad to be parted from those that we love
It is a sorrowful moment when we have to say goodbye to the people we love


Strange faces we see every day
We see unfamiliar faces every day when we are not with our loved ones


Each heart string of mine is broken in time
Every part of my heart is aching from the separation over time


When I think of those dear ones at home
I can't help but think of the people I love back home


Goodbye dear old stepstone, goodbye to my home
I am saying farewell to my old home, my dear resting place


God bless those I leave with a sigh
I pray for the well-being of those I leave behind with a heavy heart


I'll cherish fond memories when I'm far away
I will treasure the beautiful memories while I am far away


To roam o'er this wide world alone
I will travel around the world all by myself


I stood on my doorstep one evening and morn
I stood on my doorstep during the evening and morning hours


The wind whispered by with a moan
The wind passed by me in a mournful tone


The fields may be whitening, but I will be gone
Even though the fields are turning white, I am departing


And I stood on my doorstep when school time was o'er
When school was out, I stood on my doorstep


And I wished for the time to go by
I hoped that time would pass by quickly


Now it has passed, and I stand here tonight
Now it has gone by, and I am standing here this night


To bid this old stepstone goodbye
I say goodbye to this old stepstone




Contributed by Xavier O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

Graeme Phillips

will oldham is the most accomplished songwriter of our time. period.

carboniferousdave

Well Hell, it made me cry...a tune of emmigrants everywhere!

edumota

maybe the best and underrated artist in these times..

sara freill

i was in a store yesterday and heard him, not knowing who he was- and i compared him to phish and the dead too, his new album hurts my heart.

jumpoffmountaineers

this gent is only half the singer that bascom lamar lunsford is, but its nice to see someone appreciate traditional song and present it to folks who would never otherwise care about american music

Kallen Law

Okay, the rendition of this song is fucking amazing and all but wow, just look at that video quality.

rapidrex

SUPERB! Drive on! God bless you with a sigh...hahah! I cherish fond memories of this song.

curiousjapan

The chords on ultimate guitar by irunsometimes seem correct, but should be played with a capo at the first fret, so the verse progression sounds as Eb, Eb, Ab, Eb, Eb, Ab, Bb, Bb, Eb, Eb, Ab, Eb, Eb, Bb, Bb, Eb etc. You could also try playing the Bb as Bb7.

Domitilla Argentieri Federzoni

This is how home sickness sounds like

Rei Sem Roupa

very grateful for having uploaded this video.

More Comments

More Versions