Just Say Goodbye
Petula Clark Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Just say goodbye
And let me walk away
There's nothing more to say
When love like ours can die

Just say goodbye
Forget the life we knew
The memories of you
Will only make me cry

Just say goodbye
To leave me on my own
To face the world alone
Yet never knowing why

Just say goodbye
And though I don't know how
I couldn't hate you now
No matter how I tried

Just say goodbye
It's sad that you must go
You loved me once I know
This much I can't deny Oh, my love
My only love
Where did we go wrong
Oh, my love
My only love
How can I
Oh, how can I go on

Just say goodbye
It's sad that you must go
You loved me once I know
This much I can't deny

Just say goodbye
And please don't turn around
Another love you've found
Now, spread your wings and fly

Just say goodbye, yeah yeah
Just say goodbye




Just say goodbye, yeah
Just say goodbye

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Petula Clark's song Just Say Goodbye depict a person pleading with their significant other to end their relationship and walk away. The song highlights the pain and heartbreak that comes with the end of a love that was once strong and passionate. The singer in the song is fully aware that their love has reached its end and there is nothing left to be said or done. They request their significant other to forget the love they shared and move on with their life, leaving them to face the world alone. The singer expresses their sadness at the end of the relationship but admits that they cannot hate their significant other, no matter how hard they try.


The lyrics of Just Say Goodbye resonate with anyone who has experienced the pain of heartbreak and the end of a once-beautiful relationship. The song also serves as a reminder that love does not always last forever, and sometimes, the best thing is to let go and move forward. The song is a poignant reflection of the complexities of human relationships and emotions.


Line by Line Meaning

Just say goodbye
The singer is asking their lover to say goodbye and end their relationship.


And let me walk away
The singer is asking their lover to make it easy for them to leave.


There's nothing more to say
The singer feels that all has been said and done in the relationship.


When love like ours can die
The artist is acknowledging that their love has ended.


Forget the life we knew
The artist is asking their lover to forget their past life together.


The memories of you
The singer is referring to the memories of their lover.


Will only make me cry
The singer finds it painful to remember their lover.


To leave me on my own
The artist is asking their lover to abandon them.


To face the world alone
The artist is acknowledging that they will be alone after their lover leaves.


Yet never knowing why
The artist is not sure why their lover is leaving them.


And though I don't know how
The singer is unsure of how to deal with the situation.


I couldn't hate you now
The artist still has love and care for their lover.


No matter how I tried
The singer has tried to convince themselves to hate their lover, but they cannot.


It's sad that you must go
The singer feels sad that their lover has to leave them.


You loved me once I know
The singer is acknowledging that their lover has loved them once.


This much I can't deny
The artist cannot deny that their lover has loved them once.


Oh, my love
The artist is addressing their lover.


My only love
The singer is emphasizing that their lover is their one true love.


Where did we go wrong
The singer is questioning where their relationship went wrong.


How can I
The artist is wondering how they can go on without their lover.


Oh, how can I go on
The artist is emphasizing how difficult it will be for them to continue their life without their lover.


And please don't turn around
The artist is asking their lover not to look back at them as they leave.


Another love you've found
The singer believes that their lover has found someone else to love.


Now, spread your wings and fly
The artist is encouraging their lover to move on with their life.


Just say goodbye, yeah yeah
The repetition of the line encourages the lover to finally end their relationship.


Just say goodbye
The song ends with the plea to end their relationship.




Writer(s): Leroyer Pierre Charles Marcel Napoleon, Hatch Anthony Peter, Clark Petula Sally

Contributed by Zoe S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@wrongwaypete

Hail both to Pet Clark, who, astoundingly, wrote the music, and to the amazing writer-arranger-producer, Tony Hatch, the British Burt Bacharach. Love that middle-8 beginning with "Oh, my love..." Just classic and so well sung.

@alexbwins8567

A chiller for sure! Just say goodbyyyyye!

@darrenplumpton3551

PETULA CLARK is THE Greatest Female Vocalist Of ALL TIME.

@johnfranklin5277

I was 6 when this came out. We had the my love album. I liked almost all of the songs. But this one , even then, as now, stirred my soul, emotions, I used to put it on our old 1954 Zenith console and turn it up and lay my little self right in front of it and just love it. My mom would say, turn it down a little your going to ruin your ears!! And then smile at me for a moment, I think she knew, her son had an enormous love of music. She was right. Moms gone now, made it to 89 though. And, I still have that old Zenith and it still works good as ever, and I still occasionally pop that old LP on it and get transported back 56 years. And this song still gets to me. So happy Petula is still with us!

@gregoryx7755

The Blacklist tv series brought me here.

@petclark1

Thanks for posting this...the song hasn't been on YouTube since the jerks who own the rights to all her Ed Sullivan appearances yanked them. Never one to blow her own horn, when she finished singing this on The Hollywood Palace she hosted in the fall of '67, during the applause you can just make out her mouthing the words..."I wrote THAT song" to the audience. Kind of sweet.

@MichaelNekic

Brought here thanks to the blacklist season 10 trailer. What an incredible song!

@shannonnyhof1423

Same

@MPDLR

I loved Clark for years, this song and of course To Sir With Love. (Yes, I'm in my 40s going on 80s - always have been lol). But yes, the voice and song - with Reddington - it's really special.

@sandra46450

bella canzone, bellissima voce, in tutto il mondo non ci sono uguali, grazie petula per i momenti sereni che mi dai riascoltando tutte le tue canzoni.

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