Forbert signed a recording contract with Nemperor in 1978, and they released his debut album, Alive on Arrival, that same year. His song "Romeo's Tune", although "dedicated to the memory of Florence Ballard" on the sleeve of Forbert's second album Jackrabbit Slim (released in 1979), is not about Supremes singer Ballard who died in 1976. "Forbert admits that Ballard became a timely connection for "Romeo's Tune", written about a girl from Meridian. "That seemed like such bad news to me and such sad news. She wasn't really taken care of by the music business, which is not a new story". At around this time critics hailed Forbert as "The new Bob Dylan" because of a similar vocal timbre and thoughtful songwriting. The front cover of Jackrabbit Slim encourages such comparisons with its simplicity: a black and white photo of Steve Forbert playing a well-worn Martin acoustic guitar with a capo on it, his shirt tinted green. The record was recorded in Nashville and produced by John Simon who had worked with The Band.
After many successful years, Forbert sought out new inspiration and found it when he relocated to Nashville in 1985. Forbert's tribute to Jimmie Rodgers, Any Old Time, was nominated for a 2004 Grammy in the best traditional folk category. In 2006, he was inducted into the Mississippi Music Hall of Fame.
Recent albums include Strange Names & New Sensations (2007), The Place And The Time (2009), and Over With You (2012).
www.steveforbert.com
Say Goodbye to Little Jo
Steve Forbert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just turn her loose now let her go
And she???ll be leaving while the sun goes down
She doesn???t love ya anymore
Sometimes it???s worth it to talk
Some wounds are easy to heal
Sometimes it???s all in your mind
Gold turning back into night
This time you can???t make her stay
Don???t try to block her in pain
Or don???t try to stand in her way
Just say goodbye to little Jo
Just turn her loose now let her go
And she???ll be leaving while the sun goes down
She doesn???t love ya anymore
She tried to take ya somewhere
Somewhere you needed to be
Ya howl and ya curse at the gate
Til she tried to give you the key
You got no right to her love
You with your bloody hot brain
Aw, don???t try to suck her back in
No one could make her remain
Just say goodbye to little Jo
Just turn her loose now let her go
She???ll be leaving ya while the sun goes down
She doesn???t love you anymore
Say goodbye she???s gonna let it all unwind
Say goodbye she???ll la-la-leave it all behind
She???s meant to be gone let her leave without fighting
Rollin away down the line
You???ve shown so much of your hate
She???s seen so much of your greed
She???s taken shit for so long, yes, yes
That you ain???t got nothin she needs
You don???t deserve her no how
Go fading back into fate
Go sit ya down where ya were
Don???t grab and beg it???s too late
Just say goodbye to little Jo
Just turn her loose man, let her go
She???ll be leaving while the sun goes down
She doesn???t love you anymore
She doesn???t love ya anymore
She doesn???t love ya anymore
She doesn???t love you anymore
The song "Say Goodbye to Little Jo" by Steve Forbert is a melancholic ballad about a woman named Jo who has finally decided to leave her lover. The lyrics highlight that sometimes it is better to accept the situation and let go instead of holding on to something that has been lost. The chorus of the song repeats "Just say goodbye to little Jo, Just turn her loose now let her go" emphasizing that the relationship is over, and the woman Jo is leaving.
The second verse suggests that sometimes talking things out can help resolve a situation. However, this time, the wound is too deep, and the pain is real, making it challenging to fix the relationship. The sun setting in the lyrics symbolizes the end of the relationship, and the mention of gold turning back into night implies that something which was once valuable is now fading away into darkness.
The last verse highlights the regret of the singer and his realization that he doesn't deserve Jo's love. The lyrics suggest that the man's hate and greed have pushed the woman away, and now she has nothing left for him. The tone of the song is somber, and the lyrics emphasize that sometimes we must learn to let go despite how hard it may be.
Line by Line Meaning
Just say goodbye to little Jo
Accept that it's time to say farewell to little Jo
Just turn her loose now let her go
Stop trying to control her and let her go free
And she'll be leaving while the sun goes down
She'll be leaving soon and her departure will be permanent
She doesn't love ya anymore
She no longer has feelings of love towards you
Sometimes it's worth it to talk
Communication can be beneficial in some situations
Some wounds are easy to heal
Some problems can be easily resolved
Sometimes it's all in your mind
Some issues may only exist within your thoughts
Uh, but this time it's big and it's real
This particular problem is significant and not imagined
Gold turning back into night
Once-precious things can lose their value and disappear
This time you can't make her stay
You cannot force her to stay this time
Don't try to block her in pain
Don't try to make her feel guilty or trapped
Or don't try to stand in her way
Don't try to obstruct her leaving
She tried to take ya somewhere
She attempted to lead you down a certain path
Somewhere you needed to be
Where you needed to go in life
Ya howl and ya curse at the gate
You complain and vent your frustration when you feel trapped
Til she tried to give you the key
Until she showed you the way to unlock your potential
You got no right to her love
You have no claim to her love
You with your bloody hot brain
You with your passionate and irrational thoughts
Aw, don't try to suck her back in
Don't try to persuade her to stay against her will
No one could make her remain
It is ultimately up to her whether she stays or not
Say goodbye she's gonna let it all unwind
Say goodbye as she lets go of everything and moves on
Say goodbye she'll la-la-leave it all behind
Say goodbye as she leaves everything in the past and moves on
She's meant to be gone let her leave without fighting
It's her destiny to leave, so let her go without resistance
Rollin away down the line
Moving on with her life
You've shown so much of your hate
You've revealed your negative emotions towards her
She's seen so much of your greed
She's observed your selfish behavior
She's taken shit for so long, yes, yes
She's endured mistreatment for a significant amount of time
That you ain't got nothin she needs
She no longer has a need for you or your negative actions
You don't deserve her no how
Your behavior does not warrant her presence
Go fading back into fate
Retreat into the unknown future
Go sit ya down where ya were
Return to where you originally were
Don't grab and beg it's too late
Don't try to hold on to her or plead with her, it's too late
She doesn't love ya anymore
She has ceased to have feelings of love towards you
She doesn't love you anymore
She no longer has feelings of love towards you
She doesn't love ya anymore
She has discontinued having feelings of love towards you
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: STEVE FORBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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