Musician (oboe/cor anglais, sax, accordion, piano), composer, arranger, pro… Read Full Bio ↴Musician (oboe/cor anglais, sax, accordion, piano), composer, arranger, producer and solo artist. One time member of The Ravishing Beauties, psychedelic 80s band The Dream Academy, years recording and touring with Van Morrison and a member of Tom Waits’ Magic Bullets band for Robert Wilson’s Black Rider, she has been involved in many varied projects. In the last few years she has worked extensively with New York producer/curator Hal Wilner including concert tributes to Nino Rota as arranger/player, and the Dublin Came So Far For Beauty Leonard Cohen show, arranger and player in Jarvis Cocker’s Meltdown Disney tribute and the Rogues Gallery shows.

In 2007 she was part of Damon Albarn’s team producing the score for his Monkey: Journey To The West opera and toured the USA with Philip Glass as oboeist in The Book Of Longing. 2009-2010 she co produced and played on Kathryn Williams’s album The Quickening and is a member of Marianne Fatihfull’s live band.

In 1992 Kate started her association with the All Saints record label as a composer, player and singer. This resulted in The Familiar, a collaborative album with pianist and composer Roger Eno. She and Roger then joined up with Bill Nelson and Laraaji to form the eclectic, avant-garde collective Channel Light Vessel who released two improvisational albums, Automatic and Excellent Spirits.

In 1995 Kate’s first solo album, Indescribable Night, came out. Produced by her and French composer Joseph Racaille it featured her singing, playing, compositions and arrangements

My Goodbyes
Kate St. John Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I have my answer, you are never coming back
I'll never see you again
I can't believe I held you in the palm of my hand
And let you slip from my fingers, well

How do you say goodbye to love
When it's the love of a lifetime
Just how am I supposed to say

Goodbye, my love

(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)

Every red-eyed dove and every sunflower symphony
You're all I see, all I hear
I can't pretend you never happened to me
Can't believe we once belonged to each other, well

How do you say goodbye to love
When it's the love of a lifetime
Just how am I supposed to say
Goodbye, my love

And maybe one day, possibly some day
You'll remember all the words I said
And you will realise the only words you never
Ever thought you'd hear me say
Was goodbye

(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye) Goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)

How do you say goodbye to love
When it's the love of a lifetime
Just how am I supposed to say

Goodbye, my love

I still can't bring myself to say
Goodbye, my love
My love
Goodbye

(Goodbye, goodbye)
(Goodbye, goodbye) Goodbye, my love
(Goodbye, goodbye) Goodbye

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Kate St. John's song "My Goodbyes" convey a deep sense of loss and heartbreak due to a failed relationship. The singer acknowledges that their partner is not returning and they will never see them again. There is a sense of disbelief and regret, as the singer realizes that they let their loved one slip away, unable to hold onto them. The lyrics express the difficulty of letting go of a love that was believed to be the love of a lifetime. The singer questions how they are supposed to say goodbye to such a profound love, struggling to accept the reality of the situation.

The imagery used in the song adds to the emotional impact. The mention of a "red-eyed dove" and a "sunflower symphony" suggests a beautiful and poetic world that once existed between the two lovers. The singer admits that they cannot pretend that the relationship never happened, highlighting the intensity of the connection they once shared. They find it hard to believe that they were once so deeply intertwined, but now they have to face the painful process of saying goodbye.

Ultimately, the lyrics suggest that the singer hopes their words will eventually be remembered by their former partner, and that they will realize that the hardest word for them to utter was "goodbye." The song encapsulates the difficulty of letting go of a love that was once cherished and the lingering hope that somehow, someday, the love may be reconciled.

Line by Line Meaning

I have my answer, you are never coming back
I now understand that you will never return to me

I'll never see you again
I will never have the opportunity to see you in the future

I can't believe I held you in the palm of my hand
It is difficult for me to accept that I once had you close to me

And let you slip from my fingers, well
I regret allowing you to escape my grasp

How do you say goodbye to love
How does one bid farewell to a deep affection

When it's the love of a lifetime
Especially when it is the most significant love one has experienced

Just how am I supposed to say
In what manner should I express

Goodbye, my love
Farewell, my beloved

Every red-eyed dove and every sunflower symphony
All I can perceive and hear are reminders of you

You're all I see, all I hear
You dominate my visual and auditory senses

I can't pretend you never happened to me
I cannot deny that you were once a part of my life