Goodbye
Emmylou Harris Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

My famous last words
Are laying around in tatters
Sounding absurd
Whatever I try
But I love
And that's all that really matters
If this is goodbye
If this is goodbye

Your bright shining sun
Would light up the way before me
You were the one
Made me feel I could fly
And I love you
Whatever is waiting for me
If this is goodbye
If this is goodbye

Who knows how long we've got
Or what were made out of
Who knows if there's a plan or not
There is our love
I know there is our love

My famous last words
Could never tell the story
Spinning unheard
In the dark of the sky
But I love you
And this is our glory
If this is goodbye
If this is goodbye





If this is goodbye
If this is goodbye

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Emmylou Harris's song "Goodbye" have a touching and emotional depth to them, describing the end of a relationship between two people in a poignant and heartfelt manner. The opening lines, "My famous last words, are laying around in tatters, sounding absurd, whatever I try," indicate that the singer has reached a point where they feel like they've said everything they can to save the relationship but all of their words have fallen on deaf ears. They sound ridiculous to the other person, leaving them feeling helpless and lost.


The chorus serves as a reminder that love is at the center of everything. Despite the pain of the impending goodbye, it is the love that they have shared that truly matters. The singer sings, "But I love, and that's all that really matters, if this is goodbye, if this is goodbye," implying that love will always be the one lasting thing that will stay with them long after they have said their goodbyes. They continue to express their love and admiration for the other person, even though they know that their time together is coming to an end.


The final lyrics offer a sense of hope and optimism, while still acknowledging the underlying pain of the situation. The lines "But I love you, and this is our glory, if this is goodbye, if this is goodbye" convey a beautiful message of how, even in moments of sorrow, we can find something beautiful and lasting to hold onto – in this case, the love that they shared. "Goodbye" is a powerful testament to the importance of love, even in the face of loss and sadness.


Line by Line Meaning

My famous last words
The words that will be remembered after I am gone


Are laying around in tatters
They are in disarray and do not make sense anymore


Sounding absurd
They do not sound believable or sensible


Whatever I try
No matter what I attempt to do


But I love
Despite everything else, I feel love


And that's all that really matters
Love is the most important thing and the only thing that truly counts


If this is goodbye
If this is the end of our time together


Your bright shining sun
You were the light of my life, my guide and my inspiration


Would light up the way before me
You would show me the way and make everything clear


You were the one
You were the most important person in my life


Made me feel I could fly
You gave me confidence and made me feel like I could accomplish anything


And I love you
Despite everything else, I feel love for you


Whatever is waiting for me
I do not know what the future holds for me


Who knows how long we've got
We do not know how much time we have left together


Or what were made out of
We do not know what we are made of, what our purpose is, or what our destiny is


Who knows if there's a plan or not
We do not know if there is a predetermined plan for us or if we have control over our own lives


There is our love
The only thing we know for sure is the love we share


I know there is our love
I am certain that our love will keep us connected forever


My famous last words
The words that will be remembered after I am gone


Could never tell the story
They are not sufficient to tell the full story of our lives together


Spinning unheard
They are lost in the vastness of the universe and unheard by anyone


In the dark of the sky
Lost in the immense darkness of the universe


And this is our glory
Our greatest achievement is the love we share with each other


If this is goodbye
If this is the end of our time together


If this is goodbye
If this is the end of our time together


If this is goodbye
If this is the end of our time together


If this is goodbye
If this is the end of our time together




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MARK KNOPFLER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

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

@wayneforte524

Lost my four yr old son in 2015 then my soulmate in 2019 ,the last few years hv been so tough , ive just found this track now 2024 , brings bk so many memories , love them so much it hurts ,never got to say a proper goodbye to either of them ,it all heppened so suddenly , lifes so trying ar times ❤️

@MrWallybones

Hang in there.

@missoula1886

Yes, hang in there. This is my late wife's favorite album. She died of cancer of un-known primary. Remember life is for the living. We must move one. Peace.

@davidhall562

This is one of the saddest, prettiest songs ever. Emmylou’s voice sounds like smoke through the trees.

@jeanettenorman7052

What an amazing description of her voice - thanks for sharing.

@lisa888warrior

My mother’s favorite female singer 💔 I miss you Mom

@davidwestphal3469

Doesn’t get any better than this. What a voice. What an arrangement.

@deancaron988

Yes, thank you to the genius of Daniel Lanois.

@richardreid3268

Her voice is as beautiful as she is.

@ulrichwill496

Dieses Lied wird an meiner Beerdigung gespielt. Diese Frau habe 1979 zum erstenmal gesehen. Sie ist unglaublich gut.

More Comments

More Versions