Miller formed the Buddy Miller Band, which included singer/songwriter Shawn Colvin on vocals and guitar.
In addition to releasing several solo albums over the years, Miller has toured as lead guitarist/backing vocalist for Emmylou Harris's Spyboy band, Steve Earle on his El Corazon tour, and Linda Ronstadt. He co-produced and performed on Jimmie Dale Gilmore's 2000 album Endless Night. He has also appeared on several albums by songwriter/singer Lucinda Williams.
At the 4th Annual Americana Music Association Honors & Awards, the Ryman Auditorium September 2005, Miller received the Album of the Year Award for his Universal United House of Prayer, and the opening cut of that album, Worry Too Much (penned by Mark Heard, and originally released on Second Hand), won the Song of the Year Award.
I'm Not Getting Any Better At Goodbye
Buddy Miller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just outside some closing door
Standing here just searching for a line
You'd think by now I'd have it down
I know I should be wiser now
Cause no one's gonna bail me out this time cause
I'm not gettin any better at goodbyes
It hurts every bit as much as it did way back then
I suppose I cry a lot
The only thing for sure is I'm not gettin' any better at goodbyes
Friends will come and friends will go
But lovers memories die so slow
And they won't always let you know it's time
But even this shall pass I guess and
You'll be just like all the rest
I'll start dusting off all my best lines cause
I'm not gettin' any better at goodbyes
In Buddy Miller's song "I'm Not Getting Any Better At Goodbye," the artist speaks to the heartache of saying goodbye. The song begins by expressing a sense of familiarity, as if the singer has been in this situation many times before. He stands outside a closing door, searching for a way to express himself, yet he cannot find the words. The lyrics suggest that he has been in and out of relationships before, and he should have learned by now, but he feels no wiser.
The chorus of the song repeats that he is not getting any better at goodbyes. He is not growing from his experiences, and the pain of leaving and losing someone still affects him deeply. He previously thought that he would become stronger and feel less hurt after each goodbye, but that is not the case. The final verse acknowledges the transitory nature of relationships. Friends come and go, but memories of love linger and make it hard to let go. He is resigned to the fact that soon he will find himself back in this familiar position, searching for the right words to say goodbye.
Line by Line Meaning
Seems like I've been here before
I'm experiencing a sense of familiarity in this situation
Just outside some closing door
I'm standing outside a door that is about to close
Standing here just searching for a line
I'm struggling to find the right words to say
You'd think by now I'd have it down
You might expect me to be better at this by now
I know I should be wiser now
I understand that I should be more mature and experienced
Cause no one's gonna bail me out this time cause
I'm on my own this time, without any help
I'm not gettin any better at goodbyes
I'm still struggling with saying farewell
I'm not any better now than when I first began
I haven't improved my skills since my first attempt
It hurts every bit as much as it did way back then
It's still just as painful as it was in the past
I suppose I cry a lot
I'm guessing that I shed tears often
The only thing for sure is I'm not gettin' any better at goodbyes
The only thing I know for sure is that I'm still struggling with goodbyes
Friends will come and friends will go
I'll make new friends and lose old friends
But lovers memories die so slow
It takes a long time to forget about an ex-lover
And they won't always let you know it's time
Sometimes you won't get closure from a breakup
But even this shall pass I guess and
I suppose this heartache will eventually fade
You'll be just like all the rest
You'll eventually become just another failed relationship
I'll start dusting off all my best lines cause
I'll try to come up with new things to say to soften the blow of goodbye
Contributed by Taylor Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.