Shannon Noll (born 16 September 1975) is an Australian singer-songwriter. N… Read Full Bio ↴Shannon Noll (born 16 September 1975) is an Australian singer-songwriter. Noll first came to prominence as runner-up of the first series of Australian Idol (2003) which led to him being signed to Sony BMG, since Idol he has had more success than any other Idol contestant to date. He has gone on to release two number one, multi-platinum albums, That's What I'm Talking About and Lift and numerous top five singles. Including 3 number 1 debuts and an additional 7 single releases reaching the top 10. Noll's style of music is melodic pop-rock, heavily influenced by the likes of Bryan Adams.

Early life and pre-Idol

Noll was born in the Australian town of Orange, New South Wales and grew up in the small town of Condobolin in central western New South Wales. He is the third and youngest of three children to parents Sharon and Neil Noll and along with brothers Damian and Adam, spent the entire of their childhood and teenage years living on the family farm which ran sheep and cattle and grew cereal crops. During his school years, Noll enjoyed drama classes and performed in a number of school productions. Noll has since expressed a desire to continue his acting work.

During his adult years, Noll began working on other farms and properties shearing sheep amongst other tasks. It was during this time Noll and his brothers formed the band called "Cypress" (named for the fact that they rehearsed in a timber mill), of which Shannon provided vocals and played guitar. The band played numerous small gigs around the Australian outback, playing in country pubs gaining a solid live reputation. Although the majority of songs performed by the band were cover versions of popular songs, the group enjoyed writing original music and would often perform these originals as part of their set.

Noll's father, Neil, was tragically killed during a farming accident in 2001, which led to Shannon and his brothers to take over the running of the family farm. Following the death and two years of extreme drought, the brothers sold the farm and settled in Condobolin with their mother. Shannon often cites the death of his father as a major inspiration in his musical career, and has penned a song on his latest album Lift titled "Now I Run" in memorium of his late father.

Noll and his now wife, Rochelle Ogsten began their relationship in 1997 welcoming the arrival of sons Cody in 2001 and Blake in 2002. The pair wed in October 2004 and daughter Sienna arrived in 2006.

Before We Say Goodbye
Shannon Noll Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sometimes your heart
It feels so far away
Sometimes our lives are night and day
It always seems there's something out there better
Who knows?

[Chorus]
Before we say goodbye

Take a breath and think about it
You're the one who makes me feel
Ten stories high
I'll survive and stay alive and
Take a look down deep inside
Before we say goodbye

Sometimes my world
I feel it sweep away
I hear your name and I feel safe
Sometimes we dream of another life we're missing
But who knows?

[Chorus]

Before we say goodbye
Take a breath and think about it
You're the one who makes me feel
Ten stories high
I'll survive and stay alive and

But I need to know why
Before we say goodbye

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Shannon Noll’s “Before We Say Goodbye” talk about the moments when one’s heart feels distant and disconnected, when there seems to be something better out there than what we have. The song is about a relationship that might be on the brink of ending, where the two individuals involved are questioning if it’s the right thing to do. The lyrics suggest that before letting go, they need to take a breath and think about their decision, to look deep inside and try to understand exactly what’s going wrong.

The chorus stresses on this idea, and urges the individuals to think about how they feel, how they make each other feel, and their capacity to stay alive and survive together. Shannon Noll's emotive tone and heartfelt lyrics make this song an emotionally-charged ballad that resonates with anyone who has been in a relationship that's struggling. It's a heartwarming invitation that emphasizes the importance of not giving up too soon, of reflection and deep introspection, and the possibility of reconciliation.

Overall, “Before We Say Goodbye” is a beautifully crafted song that emphasizes the importance of holding on to what matters, and not giving up too soon when it comes to relationships.

Line by Line Meaning

Sometimes your heart
At certain times, your emotions may become unrecognizable

It feels so far away
You may feel distant from your emotions at times

Sometimes our lives are night and day
Our lives are sometimes completely opposite from one another

It always seems there's something out there better
There is always an elusive desire for something better in life

Who knows?
It is impossible to predict the future

Before we say goodbye
Prior to parting ways

Take a breath and think about it
Pause and reflect on the situation

You're the one who makes me feel
You are the person who elevates my emotions

Ten stories high
Feelings of immense happiness and excitement

I'll survive and stay alive and
I will endure and live on

Take a look down deep inside
Analyze your innermost thoughts and feelings