The pair wrote nine musicals together and collaborated on a musical film, State Fair. As producers, they also brought Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun to the stage [1], leaving an indelible mark on American musical theater and a legacy of successes that has never been equaled. Their joint efforts continued over a twenty-year period, until Hammerstein's death in 1960.
So Long Farewell
Rodgers & Hammerstein Lyrics
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And the bells in the steeple too
And up in the nursery an absurd little bird
Is popping out to say "cuckoo"
Cuckoo, cuckoo
Regretfully they tell us Cuckoo, cuckoo
But firmly they compel us Cuckoo, cuckoo
Cuckoo!
. . . to you
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night
I hate to go and leave this pretty sight
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu
Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu
So long, farewell, au revoir, auf wiedersehen
I'd like to stay and taste my first champagne
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye
I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye -- Goodbye!
I′m glad to go, I cannot tell a lie
I flit, I float, I fleetly flee, I fly
The sun has gone to bed and so must I
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye!
The lyrics to Rodgers & Hammerstein's song "So Long Farewell" are a farewell message from children to their hosts at a party, and they express a mixture of sadness, reluctance, and excitement. The first stanza describes the various sounds that signal the end of the party - the clang of the clock, the bells in the steeple, and the cuckoo clock in the nursery. The children are being "compelled" to say goodbye, even as they regret it.
The second stanza consists of the repeated chorus, which bids farewell in several languages - German ("auf Wiedersehen"), French ("au revoir"), and English. The children express their reluctance to leave and their love for the "pretty sight" around them. They say goodbye to each other, and to their hosts and hostesses - "yieu and yieu and yieu." They would like to stay and taste their first champagne, but alas, they must go.
The third stanza reflects a sense of excitement and adventure, as the children ready themselves to leave. They are glad to go, although they flavor their departure with a sigh. They flit, they float, they fleetly flee, they fly. The sun has gone to bed, and so must they. Finally, they bid their hosts and hostesses one last goodbye, and the song ends.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a sad sort of clanging from the clock in the hall
The clock chimes a haunting melody
And the bells in the steeple too
The church bells add to the mournful tune
And up in the nursery an absurd little bird
A bird in the nursery sings a silly tune
Is popping out to say "cuckoo"
The bird vocalizes its own name
Cuckoo, cuckoo
The bird repeats its playful song
Regretfully they tell us Cuckoo, cuckoo
The bird's song sounds sad and melancholic
But firmly they compel us Cuckoo, cuckoo
The bird's song is insistent and resolute
To say goodbye...Cuckoo!
The bird's song is a farewell
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night
Goodbye, goodbye, see you later, have a good night
I hate to go and leave this pretty sight
I do not want to leave this beautiful place
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu
Goodbye, goodbye, see you later, bye-bye
Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu
Goodbye to all of you
So long, farewell, au revoir, auf wiedersehen
Goodbye, goodbye, until we meet again, see you later
I'd like to stay and taste my first champagne
I want to stay and enjoy this special moment with a celebratory drink
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, see you later, bye
I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye -- Goodbye!
I take a deep breath and say farewell
I'm glad to go, I cannot tell a lie
I am happy to leave but it is hard to admit
I flit, I float, I fleetly flee, I fly
I quickly move away, light on my feet
The sun has gone to bed and so must I
It is nighttime and I must leave too
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, see you later, bye-bye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Farewell, farewell, farewell
Goodbye!
Goodbye!
Writer(s): Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein
Contributed by Xavier M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.