So Long Farewell
Motion City Soundtrack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Made your Jesus and Mary ch-ch-chain
She was loaded and knocked out on the marble tiles again
I put an angel to sl-sl-sleep
major feelings of feelings went cr-cr-creep
I was watching her kung-fu through the darkness and the dreams
she's the saddest music in the world tonight
She had a fever burn-burn-burn
Holy watering eyeballs churn-churn-churn
She was violently comatose - the best part of the day
Several hours went by-by-by
She crawled out from the blankets and sigh-sigh-sighed
She clambered into purgatory once the sun went down
I wanted to help so badly
But my help just prolonged her descent
She's the saddest music in the world tonight
So long, farewell
May I see you when it's over
Good night, good luck
I hope it all works in your favor
So long, old friend
Take my words and think them over
So long, farewell
You're the saddest music in my world tonight
The lyrics to Motion City Soundtrack's "So Long Farewell" seem to describe a person in a state of intense emotional distress – possibly caused by addiction or mental illness – and the singer's compulsion to try and help them, even though he knows it won't ultimately make a difference. The opening two lines, "I heard an angel sing hey-hey-hey, made your Jesus and Mary ch-ch-chain," suggest that the person in question is using drugs, and the reference to "Jesus and Mary" could imply that they're taking some kind of religious substance. The line "She was loaded and knocked out on the marble tiles again" reinforces this idea, as does the reference in the second verse to her "fever burn-burn-burning" and "holy watering eyeballs churn-churn-churning."
Despite the singer's obvious concern for this person, he also seems to have a sense of helplessness and frustration. He describes himself as putting the angel to "sl-sl-sleep," but adds that "major feelings of feelings went cr-cr-creep." This could suggest that he is struggling with his own emotions around the situation, or that he's aware that his attempts to help will ultimately be futile. He also wonders why the woman in question is "so fragile" and never smiles, which could suggest a deeper emotional pain or trauma. The repeated refrain of "You're the saddest music in my world tonight" reinforces this sense of melancholy and emotional exhaustion.
Overall, "So Long Farewell" is a powerful and haunting depiction of the complexities of addiction and mental illness, and the difficulties faced by those trying to support loved ones who are struggling with these issues.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard an angel sing hey-hey-hey
I heard a girl sing with a high-pitched voice.
Made your Jesus and Mary ch-ch-chain
She was wearing rosary beads around her neck.
She was loaded and knocked out on the marble tiles again
She was drunk and passed out on the floor.
I put an angel to sl-sl-sleep
I helped her fall asleep.
Major feelings of feelings went cr-cr-creep
Mixed emotions started to take hold.
I was watching her kung-fu through the darkness and the dreams
I observed her movements while she was sleeping.
I wonder why she's so fragile and I wonder why she never smiles
I'm curious about her emotional state and why she doesn't seem happy.
She had a fever burn-burn-burn
She had a high fever.
Holy watering eyeballs churn-churn-churn
She was crying.
She was violently comatose - the best part of the day
She was unconscious and lost in her own world.
Several hours went by-by-by
Several hours passed.
She crawled out from the blankets and sigh-sigh-sighed
She slowly got out of bed and let out a sigh.
She clambered into purgatory once the sun went down
She became depressed or entered a difficult situation when the day was over.
I wanted to help so badly
I wanted to assist her in any way possible.
But my help just prolonged her descent
But my help only made things worse for her.
So long, farewell
Goodbye.
May I see you when it's over
I hope to see you when things are better.
Good night, good luck
Have a good night and I hope everything goes well for you.
So long, old friend
Goodbye, my old friend.
Take my words and think them over
Consider the advice I have given you.
You're the saddest music in my world tonight
You are the source of my sadness tonight.
Contributed by Jordan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kent Woerner
Always forget about this song and get so happy when I randomly remember it. Motion city forever
Nhitori
Hey the reason this song was a deluxe track is probably because a common practice in the music industry is to hold a particular tone throughout an album; My Dinosaur Life has a more upbeat feel, sort of this sarcastically joyful sadness and high-speed falling apart, so the song wouldn't have fit in quite right as a main track
jgrinns
Such an awesome song, wish it was on the album
Ryan Horlen
This song came out shortly before my grandma, who I was very close to, passed away. This song really helped me get through a very tough time in my life. I figure that's what artists like this are for.
nylaxo
I have to agree with the conversation. The last line just kills me everytime. Just a great band at bringing across emotion and irony. I can not wait to see them in glasgow :D
GamingNDrinks
dang this hit me with the feels
DJguitarplayer
AAAH THE FEELS
Arianne Fathil
I love MCS so much it's unreal. ♥
Jenna Kendell
😥im going to miss them.
Lewis Parker
Yeah, if you've paid that, you have the right to download some stuff =P And they're my absolute favourite band too! They're pretty much ALL I listen to now. Their music is just perfect - any song can enhance any emotion I have, and Justin writes how I think ^_^ You're so lucky, btw, I have to wait until MARCH to see them XD Plus I have to travel long-distance still XP But it's so, SOOOOOOO worth it =D Oh, and also, have you seen the new clothes in their store? EPIC.