Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye
Joss Stone Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Kiss me each morning, for a million years
Hold me each evening, by your side
Tell me you love me, for a million, a million years

And then if it don't work out
And then if it don't work out
Then you can tell me goodbye
Sweeten my coffee, with a morning kiss
Soften my dreams, with your sigh
Tell me you love me, for a million, a million years

And then if it don't work out
And then if it don't work out
Then you can tell me goodbye

If you must go, I won't grieve
Just wait a life-time before you leave, please

Then if you must go, I won't Tell you "no"
Just so we can say that we tried
Tell me you love me, for a million, just a million years

And then if it don't work out
And then if it don't work out
Then you can tell me goodbye




Then you can tell me goodbye
You can tell me goodbye, goodbye.

Overall Meaning

Joss Stone's song "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" talks about a love that seems to be eternal, a love that is expected to last for millions of years. The lyrics have a sense of urgency, that the singer wants to be told these words of affection while there is still time. She asks her lover to kiss her every morning and hold her every evening, telling her that he loves her over and over again until the end of time. The singer's request is a declaration of commitment to love, to be with each other no matter what comes their way.


The song also shows the realistic side of a relationship as the singer understands that love doesn't always prevail, that sometimes things don't work out. The lyrics anticipate that, and the singer asks her lover that if ever their love ends, then tell her goodbye. It's almost as if she's accepted that things don't always work out and that if that time comes, then she's ready to move on. She tells her lover that if he must go, she won't stop him, but she hopes that he'll wait a lifetime before leaving, paving the way to prove that they tried to make it work.


Overall, "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" is a song that speaks of profound love, unafraid of the difficulties that accompany it. It's a love that accepts reality, that things might not always work out, but it's willing to try.


Line by Line Meaning

Kiss me each morning, for a million years
Express your love for me every day for an endless amount of time


Hold me each evening, by your side
Stay close to me every night and never let me go


Tell me you love me, for a million, a million years
Promise me your love forever, for all of eternity


And then if it don't work out
If things do not go as planned


Sweeten my coffee, with a morning kiss
Wake me up with a loving gesture that starts my day off right


Soften my dreams, with your sigh
Help me sleep soundly and peacefully with your presence


If you must go, I won't grieve
If you need to leave, I won't cause you any pain or distress


Just wait a life-time before you leave, please
Stay with me for as long as possible before departing


Then if you must go, I won't Tell you "no"
I won't stand in the way of your departure if it's truly what you want


Just so we can say that we tried
We should make the effort to keep our love alive before giving up


Tell me you love me, for a million, just a million years
Even if we can't promise forever, at least promise me your love for a significant amount of time


You can tell me goodbye, goodbye.
If it doesn't work out, you can leave without regret




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Loudermilk

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

More Versions