The band's first five albums sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and have sold 17 million albums total. After their success waned in the late 1980s, the band split up in 1989 and its members pursued other musical endeavours including group and solo efforts. Brad Gillis and Kelly Keagy teamed up with bassist Gary Moon and released an album without the other original band members in 1995, but the band soon re-united to release two new albums in the latter half of the decade.
Jack Blades (bass/vocals)
Brad Gillis (guitars)
Kelly Keagy (drums/vocals)
Joel Hoekstra (guitars)
Christian Cullen (keyboards)
Goodbye
Night Ranger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For another night's rest
And the wind sings
His same old song
And you on the edge
Never close, never far
Always there when I needed a friend
On this memory-go-round
Always up, always down
Spinning 'round and 'round and 'round
And all this could be
Just a dream so it seems
I was never much good at goodbye
There once was a time
Never far from my mind
On the beach, on the 4th of July
I remember the sand
How you held out your hand
And we touched for what seemed a lifetime
Now it's hard
Leaving all this behind me now
Like a schoolboy so lost
Never found until now
And all this could be
Just a dream so it seems
I was never much good at goodbye
Yet it's hard
Living life on this memory-go-round
Always up, always down
Turning 'round and 'round and 'round
And all this could be
Just a dream so it seems
I was never much good at goodbye
And all this could be
Just a dream so it seems
I was never much good at goodbye
Goodbye
The lyrics of Night Ranger's song Goodbye convey a sense of melancholy, longing, and introspection that arises when someone is about to part ways with a friend or a lover. The song opens as the sun sets, and the wind sings the same old song, perhaps symbolizing the monotonous routine of life. However, the singer's attention is focused on their companion who is always on the edge, never too close, never too far, and always there when needed.
The chorus of the song reflects the uneasy feeling of living life on a memory-go-round, where everything seems to be spinning around and around, always up and always down. The singer knows that this may all just be a dream, but it doesn't make saying goodbye any easier. Memories flood in from a nostalgic July 4th spent on the beach, when their companion held out their hand, and they touched for what seemed like a lifetime.
The last verse reveals that the singer is the one who is leaving, and it's hard for them to say goodbye to everything that is familiar to them. They feel lost, like a schoolboy who has never been found until now. The song concludes with the line "I was never much good at goodbye," implying that goodbyes are not something that comes easy to them.
Line by Line Meaning
As the sun hides his head
The day is ending
For another night's rest
The cycle of day and night continues
And the wind sings
The wind makes noise
His same old song
The wind always sounds the same
And you on the edge
You are on the edge of my life
Never close, never far
You're always there but not always present
Always there when I needed a friend
You have been a great friend to me
Yet it's hard living life
Life is difficult
On this memory-go-round
Constantly reliving memories
Always up, always down
Memories evoke different emotions
Spinning 'round and 'round and 'round
Memories play on a loop
And all this could be
Everything may not be real
Just a dream so it seems
It could all be a dream
I was never much good at goodbye
Saying goodbye is hard for me
There once was a time
In the past
Never far from my mind
Always on my mind
On the beach, on the 4th of July
On a specific day at the beach
I remember the sand
I recall the texture of the sand
How you held out your hand
You reached out to me
And we touched for what seemed a lifetime
Our moment felt eternal
Now it's hard
Currently, it's difficult
Leaving all this behind me now
Moving on from these memories
Like a schoolboy so lost
Feeling lost and unsure
Never found until now
I wasn't aware of my own feelings until now
Goodbye
Farewell
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: JACK MARTIN BLADES, JEFF WATSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Don Quixote
"Goodbye"
As the sun hides his head
For another night's rest
And the wind sings
His same old song
And you on the edge
Never close, never far
Always there when I needed a friend
But it's hard living life
On this memory-go-round
Always up, always down
Spinning 'round and 'round and 'round
All this could be
Just a dream so it seems
I was never much good at goodbye
There once was a time
Never far from my mind
On the beach, on the 4th of July
I remember the sand
How you held out your hand
And we touched for what seemed a lifetime
But it's hard
Leaving all this behind me now
Like a schoolboy so lost
Never found until now
And all this could be
Just a dream so it seems
I was never much good at goodbye
Yet it's hard
Living life on this memory-go-round
Always up, always down
Turning 'round and 'round and 'round
And all this could be
Just a dream so it seems
I was never much good at goodbye
And all this could be
Just a dream so it seems
I was never much good at goodbye
Goodbye
Kyra
“As the sun hides his head
For another night's rest
And the wind sings
His same old song
And you on the edge
Never close, never far
Always there when I needed a friend
But it's hard living life
On this memory-go-round
Always up, always down
Spinning 'round and 'round and 'round
All this could be
Just a dream so it seems
I was never much good at goodbye
There once was a time
Never far from my mind
On the beach, on the 4th of July
I remember the sand
How you held out your hand
And we touched for what seemed a lifetime
But it's hard
Leaving all this behind me now
Like a schoolboy so lost
Never found until now
And all this could be
Just a dream so it seems
I was never much good at goodbye
Yet it's hard
Living life on this memory-go-round
Always up, always down
Turning 'round and 'round and 'round
And all this could be
Just a dream so it seems
I was never much good at goodbye
And all this could be
Just a dream so it seems
I was never much good at goodbye
Goodbye”
traveller3211
My best friend passed away while I held him. He had four legs and a tail that never quit. This song came on the radio shortly after. I cried for days.
Angel Sutton
You'll see Your best friend AGAIN someday ~ He or She IS WAITING FOR YOU @ THE "RAINBOW * BRIDGE" !!!! 😁😭😍
Highway Star
So much talent in this band. We were blasting this every day back then.
Andrew Scotton
The love of a pet brings out the best in human beings. Losing them is the worst kind of pain, but worth it overall. My pal Otto is sitting next to me on my table as I write this. I think about pets I've lost and I can feel it welling up right now.
Fatemeh Sara Gaboardi Maleki Minoo
God bless you and your friend...
chad spence
They are more than just animals. FAMILY FOR LIFE. My deepest condolences friend.
Jeff Okriya
beautiful song. The arpeggios on the intro are enchanting. Takes me to the magical 80s when everything was so good in my life. I had the world in my hand and didn´t know it.
FALCON21301
I'm proud to say I listened to this in the AMC 8 parking lot with all my friends just hanging out on a Saturday night with the 80's! Life was so simple then!!
Be well all my fellow 80's kids!!
Jenny Erickson
My all time favorite band of the 80's as far as rock bands. I've seen them probably at least 6 times over the years. Awesome band awesome guys! I met Kelly Keagy the drummer and Brad Gillis the guitarist. Nice guys. I met them at the Mirage in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the 80's I sure miss those times
Fear Nobody and Trust No One
You too FALCON21301. 😎🤘