Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
Haden Charlie and Quartet West Lyrics

The opening lines of the song 'Every Time We Say Goodbye' by Haden Charlie and Quartet West, "Every time we say goodbye, I die a little, Every time we say goodbye, I wonder why a little" conveys the pain and agony that the singer feels each time the person they love departs. The hurting they feel is evident as they use the word "die" to describe the emptiness they feel when the other person leaves. The lyrics suggest that the love and affection between the two are both genuine and deep. The singer's helplessness is expressed through the words 'wonder' and 'gods above me.' The line "Why the gods above me, who must be in the know, Think so little of me that they allow you go" suggests that the singer cannot understand why the gods have allowed the separation, indicating a feeling of desperation that they cannot control or understand why their loved one must leave.

In the following lines, the singer talks about the happiness that they feel in the presence of their loved one, "When your near there's such an air of Spring about it, I can hear a lark somewhere begin to sing about it." These lyrics reflect the change in mood when their loved one is near, bringing a sense of new beginnings and the hope of brighter days. Haden Charlie and Quartet West transition perfectly from the joy and lightheartedness of the opening lines to the melancholy tones of the closing line, "Every time we say goodbye." The final line, "There's no love song finer but how strange the change from major to minor, every time we say goodbye," captures the pain of separation, the feeling of loss, and the changes it brings. The shift from a joyful 'major' to a sad 'minor' reinforces the message that this separation is not easy and is something that the singer profoundly feels.