Peter Bjorn and John were formed in Stockholm, Sweden in 1999. Made up of m… Read Full Bio ↴Peter Bjorn and John were formed in Stockholm, Sweden in 1999. Made up of members Peter Morén on vocals, guitar, and harmonica; Björn Yttling on vocals, bass, and keyboards; and John Eriksson on drums, percussion, and vocals. The band has released six albums: "Peter Bjorn and John" (2002), "Falling Out" (2004), "Writer's Block" (2006), "Seaside Rock" (2008), "Living Thing" (2009) and "Gimme Some" (2011). The band is influenced by the sounds of classic '60s baroque pop, power pop, and new wave

The band gained recognition in the United Kingdom and United States during 2006 and 2007 due to the success of their single "Young Folks", whilst staying virtually unknown in their homeland, Sweden.

A Long Goodbye
Peter Bjorn and John Lyrics

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It's hard to be cruel to someone kind
And I still haven't made up my mind about you
It's just that I have no more to say
Keep lining up empty phrases
As an excuse for breathing

A long goodbye
It's all confusion and lies

Why can't we make it short
A long goodbye
It's all manners and style
Maybe we'll never say goodbye

Communication's breaking down
You turn away so I can't hear you
Memories melting to a stain
Who's gonna tell our story?
Gone in the flashback ashes

A long goodbye
It's all confusion and lies
Why can't we make it short
A long goodbye
It's all manners and style
Maybe we'll always stay

We plan our anniversary
I play the game of happiness and harmony
And honesty has no part in it
Funny how you don't seem to notice it

A long goodbye
It's all confusion and lies
Why can't we make it short and sweet

It's all manners & style
Maybe we'll never say goodbye

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Peter Bjorn and John's "A Long Goodbye" explore the complexity of relationships that have run their course but have not yet ended. The singer seems to be conflicted over their feelings towards their partner, acknowledging their kindness while struggling to find reasons to remain together. The repetition of "long goodbye" implies that despite their difficulties, the singer is reluctant to let go of their relationship completely.

The lyrics also touch on the breakdown of communication and the erosion of shared memories between the couple. Lines such as "memories melting to a stain" and "gone in the flashback ashes" suggest a shared past that is fading away. Despite this, the singer still expresses a desire to hold onto the relationship, though it is unclear whether they truly believe it can continue.

Overall, "A Long Goodbye" is a poignant reflection on the confusion and uncertainty of relationships that have passed their prime but have not yet faded away entirely.

Line by Line Meaning

It's hard to be cruel to someone kind
It's difficult to mistreat or harm someone who is gentle and amiable.

And I still haven't made up my mind about you
I am still unsure about my feelings towards you and what I want from this relationship.

It's just that I have no more to say
I have exhausted my thoughts and words about this situation.

Keep lining up empty phrases
You keep repeating meaningless words and phrases as a way of continuing the conversation.

As an excuse for breathing
You use words to fill up the silence and create the illusion of conversation, but it's just a way to avoid silence.

A long goodbye
The process of ending our relationship is taking a long time and is emotionally draining.

It's all confusion and lies
Our communication has become muddled and there is a lack of truthfulness between us.

Why can't we make it short
Why can't we just cut our losses and end this relationship quickly and painlessly?

It's all manners and style
Our interactions have become formal and superficial, with an emphasis on appearances rather than substance.

Maybe we'll never say goodbye
Perhaps we will continue to linger in this relationship without ever actually ending it.

Communication's breaking down
Our ability to talk and understand each other is deteriorating.

You turn away so I can't hear you
You are deliberately avoiding conversation or trying to hide your thoughts and feelings from me.

Memories melting to a stain
Our shared memories are losing their significance and are becoming merely a blemish on our relationship.

Who's gonna tell our story?
Who will remember or know the truth about our relationship once it is over?

Gone in the flashback ashes
Our past is becoming a distant memory, with nothing left but the fading embers of what once was.

We plan our anniversary
We go through the motions of celebrating our relationship milestones, but without true emotional investment.

I play the game of happiness and harmony
I pretend to be happy and content in our relationship, even though I am not.

And honesty has no part in it
We are not truthful with each other and are avoiding the real issues that are causing our relationship to fail.

Funny how you don't seem to notice it
It's amusing that you are oblivious to the fact that our relationship is failing and that we are not being honest with each other.

Why can't we make it short and sweet
Why can't we just have a brief and positive ending to our relationship, without dragging it out and causing unnecessary pain and confusion?

Maybe we'll never say goodbye
Perhaps we will never truly end our relationship, and will continue to exist in this uncertain and uncomfortable state indefinitely.

Writer(s): Peter Moren, Peter Agren, Bjorn Yttling, John Eriksson, Paul Epworth, Patrik Berger

Contributed by Riley M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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