Their best known song remains the single "The Last Good Day of the Year", from their eponymous debut album.
The Last Good Day of The Year
Cousteau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That you get sick of living
When the summer's so forgiving, although we have stolen
All of the things that we thought we had owned then
Have disappeared
All these things in flavour
Won't do you no favours
You relent, you resent, now you're burning
For nothing to change
There's something there
Among the fallen fruit and flowers, won't rest
Only minutes, only hours unless
Now the morning breaks in showers, I guess
We'll remember this all of our lives
On the last good day of the year
On the last good day of the year
On the last good day of the year
All the leaves are turning
Autumn's fingers burnished
Furnished here in hope and in faith in the meantime
Kinda working my way through a dream I
Was having alone
Was having alone
There's something there
Among the fallen fruit and flowers, won't rest
Only minutes, only hours unless
Now the morning breaks in showers, I'm left
With the north wind breathing down my neck
On the last good day of the year
On the last good day of the year
On the last good day of the year
There's something there
Among the fallen fruit and flowers, won't rest
Only minutes, only hours unless
Now the morning breaks in showers, I guess
We'll remember this all of our lives
On the last good day of the year
On the last good day of the year
On the last good day of the year
On the last good day of the year
The lyrics of Cousteau's song "Last Good Day of the Year" are about the fleeting nature of summer and the transition to autumn. The song starts by rejecting the idea of getting sick of living, especially when the forgiving summer is still here. However, despite the summer's forgiving nature, we steal things that we thought we owned, and they disappear. The lyrics suggest that we take things for granted during the summer, and we only realize their value when they're gone.
The second stanza talks about how the summer fragrance is full of returning scents, but we often resent and persist for things to stay the same. Nonetheless, there's something there, perhaps a nostalgic feeling, among the fallen fruit and flowers that won't let us rest. The following stanzas continue to describe the autumn season, where leaves are turning and fingers are burnished, while maintaining the notion that there's something among the beauty that won't rest. The song ends by conveying the idea that we will remember this last good day of the year as it marks the end of the season and the start of a new one.
In summary, the song talks about the bittersweet transition from summer to autumn, and how we often take things for granted during the summer. The lyrics remind us that everything changes, and sometimes we can't hold on to what we thought we owned.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't tell me
The singer does not want to hear about someone getting sick of living
That you get sick of living
The singer does not want to hear about someone getting sick of living
When the summer's so forgiving, although we have stolen
Despite having taken everything we thought belonged to us, summer is still kind to us
All of the things that we thought we had owned then
The artist and others believed to own things that turned out to be unattainable
Have disappeared
Everything we thought we owned has vanished
All these things in flavour
Pleasures are available everywhere
Won't do you no favours
Satisfying every desire will not improve one's situation
When the summer's light is fragrant with scents of returning
As seasons change, the warmth of the summer disappears, and Autumn approaches
You relent, you resent, now you're burning
People begin to feel regret for misusing their summer days and time is running out
For nothing to change
Despite the feeling of regret, people want life to remain the same
There's something there
A mysterious presence is present
Among the fallen fruit and flowers, won't rest
The mysterious presence is among the decay of life
Only minutes, only hours unless
The mysterious presence will not rest and will only last for a short time
Now the morning breaks in showers, I guess
Rainy weather has arrived in the morning
We'll remember this all of our lives
The singer will remember this moment for the rest of their life
On the last good day of the year
The final day of summer is approaching
All the leaves are turning
Autumn has arrived
Autumn's fingers burnished
Autumn has a distinctive polish to it
Furnished here in hope and in faith in the meantime
Despite the coming cold weather, people remain hopeful
Kinda working my way through a dream I
The artist is working out the details of a dream by sorting out their thoughts
Was having alone
The artist had the dream by themselves
With the north wind breathing down my neck
Cold weather is approaching
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.,
Written by: DAVEY RAY MOOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@taniahoffmann8377
Such a bittersweet song. Something about that sadness of being unable to capture the beauty a summers or autumn day can offer. Time ticks on. Beauty can't last forever. Really evocative song
@grazianabarsocchi9970
I feel exactly the same, and I'm drawn to it although it's full of melancholy... a masterpiece, one of my favourite songs ever.
@gaetanocaccianini5600
Perfect description 🎶😉
@tomnee8631
well said, Tania.
@DJJamesJr
@tania, I agree very well put. I always try and listen to this on a patio in October or November on the last warm afternoon before the first big freeze comes on! Today is the day in Colorado!
@andreagilroy4291
One of the greats mesmerized
@paulauspitzthegreatestsong7785
This song is a Masterpiece!
@iboughtbooks
Questa canzone rimarrà per sempre una delle canzoni più belle mai composte ed eseguite. La poesia, il ritmo, la voce - tutto tende ad una sublime perfezione. Difficile tradurre in parole ciò che provo ogni volta che la ascolto; è un misto di malinconia diffuso da una appena percepibile consapevolezza che la bellezza dura un attimo.
@picniconmars
!!!
@MiRadoDiRado
Sono d’accordo, non avresti potuto usare parole migliori