Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
Peggy Mann Lyrics


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From Seven Lively Arts
Every time we say goodbye I die a little.
Every time we say goodbye I wonder why a little,
Why the gods above me, who must be in the know,
Think so little of me they allow me to go.
When you're near there's such a joy of spring about it.
I can hear a lark somewhere begin to sing about it.
there's no love song finer,
But how strange the change from major to minor
Every time we say goodbye.




Every single time we say goodbye
From: Lynncw@aol.com

Overall Meaning

In Peggy Mann's song, "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye," the singer expresses a recurring pain and confusion every time they have to part ways with their loved one. They start by saying that every time they part, they feel like a part of them dies. This suggests that the person they're parting with is such an important part of their life that it feels like they're losing a part of themselves, too. The singer then wonders why they always have to say goodbye and why fate seems to be working against them. They feel like the gods above them must not care about their happiness, as they keep allowing them to leave each other.


Despite the sadness and pain of saying goodbye, the singer acknowledges the joy they feel when they're with their loved one. The joy is so potent that it's like the arrival of spring, and they can hear a lark singing in the distance. The singer also says that there's no love song that's finer than the one they share with their loved one. However, every time they say goodbye, there's a stark shift in their mood, and the song changes from a major key to a minor key. This change highlights the emotional shift, and it's almost as if the singers' heart is breaking every time they part.


The song's lyrics suggest a deep love that seems to transcend the physical realm, and the pain of separation is felt deeply by both parties. It's a bittersweet song that captures the complexity and intensity of love.


Line by Line Meaning

Every time we say goodbye I die a little.
Every time we have to part, even for a short time, I feel a deep sense of sadness and emptiness that affects me deeply.


Every time we say goodbye I wonder why a little,
Every time we have to part, I question why fate has brought us to this point and why we cannot stay together.


Why the gods above me, who must be in the know,
I wonder why the gods, who seem to know everything, do not see fit to let us stay together and keep us apart each time.


Think so little of me they allow me to go.
I feel that the gods do not value me enough to let me stay with the person that I love, and instead allow us to separate again and again.


When you're near there's such a joy of spring about it.
Whenever I am near the person I love, I feel a renewed sense of joy and happiness, like the arrival of springtime after a long winter.


I can hear a lark somewhere begin to sing about it.
I can hear the sounds of nature around us responding to our love and happiness, like a lark that begins to sing in the distance.


There's no love song finer,
There is no other love song that captures the beauty and intensity of the love that I feel for the person who is leaving.


But how strange the change from major to minor
It is strange how quickly the mood changes from major to minor, from joy to sadness, every time we have to part ways.


Every time we say goodbye.
Each time we have to say goodbye to each other, it feels like a deep loss and it is hard to bear.


Every single time we say goodbye
Every time we have to part ways, even if it is just for a short time, it feels like a great loss and it is difficult to deal with.




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Yuji Miura

How beautiful sound remastered from 78rpm. Very congrats!

Opaula Morgan

A beautiful arrangement by Benny Goodman and beautiful singing by Peggy Mann.

Tejas Ambhore

One of the early recordings. Beautiful 😊

Sorcha McCarrey

really wonderful version! love the simple unadorned vocal treatment

Trombonology Erstwhile

This number stands out as one of Porter's most beautifully crafted of the '40s -- which is saying a lot. I've always had a tough time choosing a favorite treatment, but I've narrowed it down to this one and another on which two of the participants here are also present, Teddy Wilson and Red Norvo, and that version would be the Teddy Wilson Quintet recording for Musicraft, on which Maxine Sullivan provides the vocal chorus. Here we have Peggy Mann, a lady who, while not flashy or extraordinary, was a fine and tasteful singer with an attractive tone. Before her measly one session with Goodman, she worked with the Larry Clinton and Teddy Powell orchestras. In 1947, she succeeded Joan Edwards on the Your Hit Parade radio show. Goodman, who we know frequently tinkered with his band personnel, replaced Peggy with Jane Harvey, whom I consider to be not nearly as good as her predecessor. She made it through four sessions; her replacement, Kay Penton, two and Penton's successor, Dottie Reid (whose work I've always enjoyed), again a lousy one session. Finally, Liza Morrow came along and participated in several recording dates with the Goodman orchestra in the '45-'46 period. On "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye," despite the small group format, we find a fair amount of structure to the performance, in the way in which Norvo, in particular, and Wilson support Goodman's opening melody statement, but it's an attractive effect. Peggy's vocal is straight forward and meaningful and free of irritating histrionics. Benny's fluttering obbligato intensifies the mood of tension that permeates the song, culminating with Porter's brilliant "There's no love song finer/But how strange the change from major to minor" and the accompanying harmonic shift.

Susan

Every time we say goodbye,
I die a little,
Every time we say goodbye,
I wonder why a little,
Why the Gods above me,
who must be in the know.
Think so little of me,
they allow you to go.

When you're near,
there's such an air of spring about it,
I can hear a lark somewhere,
begin to sing about it,
There's no love song finer,
but how strange the change
from major to minor
Every time we say goodbye.

When you're near,
there's such an air of spring about it,
I can hear a lark somewhere,
begin to sing about it,
There's no love song finer,
but how strange the change
from major to minor
Every time we say goodbye.

Opaula Morgan

This is a great song. About fifteen years ago I was walking in Georgetown, in Washington, D. C. And heard this song being played, and bought the cassette the same day, it has many other Benny Goodman songs on it, including "We'll be Close As Pages in a Booki."

Miguel Osvaldo Flores Dominguez

Nice arrengement by Benny Goodman, nice vocals, nice song!

Kekuahiwi

Splendid vibes. Pretty sure it must be Lionel Hampton

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