never can say goodbye
Rosetta Hightower Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I never can say goodbye, no, no, no, no, now
Never can say goodbye

Even though the pain and heartache
Seem to follow me wherever I go
Though I try and try to hide my feelings
They always seem to show,
Then you try to say you're leaving me
And I always have to say no
Tell me why is it so

That I never can say goodbye, no, no, no, no, now
Never can say goodbye

Every time I think I've had enough
And start heading for the door
There's a very strange vibration
Piercing me right through the core
It says, turn around, you fool
You know you love him more and more
Tell me why is it so

Don't wanna let you go
I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh ooh baby (don't wanna let you go girl)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no
Ooh, oh I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh ooh ooh (don't wanna let you go girl)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no, ooh

Never can say goodbye, no, no, no, no, now
Never can say goodbye

I keep thinking that our problems
Soon are all gonna work out
But there's that same unhappy feeling
There's that anguish, there's that doubt
It's the same old dizzy hangup
Can't do with you or without
Tell me why is it so
Don't wanna let you go

I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh ooh baby (hey baby)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no
Ooh, oh I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh oh (hey baby)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no, ooh
I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh ooh baby (hey baby)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no




Ooh, oh I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh oh (hey baby)

Overall Meaning

The song "Never Can Say Goodbye" by Rosetta Hightower is about the struggle of letting go of a past love even when the relationship has ended. The lyrics convey the difficulty of moving on, as the pain and heartache of the relationship continue to linger. Despite the singer's attempts to hide their true feelings, they cannot escape the pull of their emotions, especially when faced with the prospect of their former partner leaving for good.


The chorus repeats "Never can say goodbye," emphasizing the theme of clinging onto the past despite the attempts to move forward. The song suggests that the singer doesn't want to let go of their former relationship, even though they know it's not healthy for them. The lyrics highlight the paradoxical situation that arises when the heart conflicts with the mind or the reality of the situation, and the singer's sense of longing for the past overrides the rational decision of moving on.


The song's mournful tone is enhanced by Hightower's soulful performance, and the catchy melody of the refrain adds to its timeless appeal. It has been covered by various artists and has become a classic in the genre of soul music, resonating with audiences across generations.


Line by Line Meaning

I never can say goodbye, no, no, no, no, now
I find it difficult to end our relationship, even though I know it's probably for the best.


Even though the pain and heartache Seem to follow me wherever I go Though I try and try to hide my feelings They always seem to show,
I can't seem to escape the emotional turmoil of our relationship, and my attempts to conceal my emotions are unsuccessful.


Then you try to say you're leaving me And I always have to say no Tell me why is it so That I never can say goodbye, no, no, no, no, now Never can say goodbye
When you suggest that we should break up, I always resist, and I don't know why I can't bring myself to say goodbye.


Every time I think I've had enough And start heading for the door There's a very strange vibration Piercing me right through the core It says, turn around, you fool You know you love him more and more Tell me why is it so
Even when I've had enough and am ready to leave, something inside me makes me turn back, reminding me that I still love you deeply and can't bear to say goodbye.


Don't wanna let you go I never can say goodbye girl Ooh ooh baby (don't wanna let you go girl) I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no Ooh, oh I never can say goodbye girl Ooh ooh ooh (don't wanna let you go girl) I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no, ooh
I don't want to lose you, and I can't bring myself to say farewell to our relationship, no matter how much I try.


I keep thinking that our problems Soon are all gonna work out But there's that same unhappy feeling There's that anguish, there's that doubt It's the same old dizzy hangup Can't do with you or without Tell me why is it so Don't wanna let you go
I keep hoping that our issues will resolve themselves, but I'm constantly plagued by negative feelings and doubts about our relationship. I'm stuck in a cycle of indecision and can't bear to let go of you.


I never can say goodbye girl Ooh ooh baby (hey baby) I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no Ooh, oh I never can say goodbye girl Ooh oh (hey baby) I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no, ooh I never can say goodbye girl Ooh ooh baby (hey baby) I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no Ooh, oh I never can say goodbye girl Ooh oh (hey baby)
I can't bring myself to say a final goodbye to you, no matter how much I try, and I fear that these feelings will never change.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Clifton Davis

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

Alan Fryett

Love All the songs by ROSSETA HIGHTOWER and the Orlons

Micaï. Claude.

Rosetta Hightower ++++++

frankie hunter

All songs, except, the first two were Motown originals. But the musical backing is not from the Funk Brothers. Is she an American singer and for which label she recorded for?

pedro

@Moutton Noir She had a minor hit on the toast label pretty red balloon

Moutton Noir

Rosetta Hightower was the lead singer of Philly girl group "The Orlons" who recorded for Cameo Parkway and had a number of hits on the Billboard charts including "Don't Hang Up " & "Wah - Tutsi". She moved to the UK in the late 60's and become one of the top UK session singers. This album of Motown covers was recorded in the early 70's for a budget record label and sold cheaply in stores. These cheap albums of covers such as the "Top of the Pops" series (no relation to the BBC TV series) were very popular back in the day and were a lot cheaper to buy than the "real deal". They were regarded as 3rd rate "knock off's" by serious record collectors/fans of the original artists who would NEVER have them in their record collection!