Goodbye Stranger
Supertramp Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

It was an early morning yesterday
I was up before the dawn
And I really have enjoyed my stay
But I must be moving on

Like a king without a castle
Like a queen without a throne
I'm an early morning lover
And I must be moving on

Now I believe in what you say
Is the undisputed truth
But I have to have things my own way
To keep me in my youth

Like a ship without an anchor
Like a slave without a chain
Just the thought of those sweet ladies
Sends a shiver through my veins

And I will go on shining
Shining like brand new
I'll never look behind me
My troubles will be few

Goodbye stranger it's been nice
Hope you find your paradise
Tried to see your point of view
Hope your dreams will all come true

Goodbye Mary, goodbye Jane
Will we ever meet again
Feel no sorrow, feel no shame
Come tomorrow, feel no pain

Sweet devotion (Goodbye, Mary)
It's not for me (Goodbye, Jane)
Just give me motion (Will we ever)
To set me free (Meet again?)
In the land and the ocean (Feel no sorrow)
Far away (Feel no shame)
It's the life I've chosen (Come tomorrow)
Every day (Feel no pain)
So goodbye, Mary (Goodbye, Mary)
Goodbye, Jane (Goodbye, Jane)
Will we ever (Will we ever)
Meet again? (Meet again?)

Now some they do and some they don't
And some you just can't tell
And some they will and some they won't
With some it's just as well

You can laugh at my behaviour
And that'll never bother me
Say the devil is my saviour
But I don't pay no heed

And I will go on shining
Shining like brand new
I'll never look behind me
My troubles will be few

Goodbye, stranger, it's been nice
Hope you find your paradise
Tried to see your point of view
Hope your dreams will all come true

Goodbye, Mary, goodbye, Jane
Will we ever meet again?
Feel no sorrow, feel no shame
Come tomorrow, feel no pain

Sweet devotion (Goodbye, Mary)
It's not for me (Goodbye, Jane)
Just give me motion (Will we ever)
To set me free (Meet again?)
In the land and the ocean (Feel no sorrow)
Far away (Feel no shame)
It's the life I've chosen (Come tomorrow)
Every day (Feel no pain)

So now I'm leaving (Goodbye, Mary)
Got to go (Goodbye, Jane)
Hit the road (Will we ever)
I'll say it once again (Meet again?)
Oh, yes, I'm leaving (Feel so sorrow)
Got to go (Feel no shame)
Got to go (Come tomorrow)
I'm sorry, I must dash (Feel no pain)

So goodbye, Mary (Goodbye, Mary)
Goodbye, Jane (Goodbye, Jane)
Will we ever (Will we ever)
Meet again? (Meet again?)





Oh, I'm leaving
I've got to go

Overall Meaning

"Goodbye Stranger" by Supertramp is a song about moving on and not looking back. The lyrics express a desire for freedom and a reluctance to be tied down. The singer compares himself to a king without a castle and a queen without a throne, expressing a sense of being out of place and searching for a place to call home. He acknowledges that he believes in the truth of what the other person is saying, but that he needs to have things his own way to feel youthful and free. The mention of "sweet ladies" suggests that he is drawn to the idea of romance and adventure.


The chorus of "Goodbye Stranger" repeats the phrase "goodbye stranger, it's been nice" and expresses a sense of closure and a hope that the other person's dreams will come true. The verse about Mary and Jane suggests that these may be romantic partners who the singer is leaving behind, but it's unclear whether he hopes to see them again in the future.


Overall, "Goodbye Stranger" is a bittersweet song about the difficulty of saying goodbye and the desire for freedom and adventure. It's a relatable anthem for anyone who's ever felt the urge to break free and start fresh.


Line by Line Meaning

It was an early morning yesterday
The singer woke up early yesterday morning


I was up before the dawn
The singer woke up before the sun came up


And I really have enjoyed my stay
The singer had a good time while staying in the current place


But I must be moving on
The singer needs to leave now


Like a king without a castle
The singer feels like he is lost without a place to belong


Like a queen without a throne
The singer feels like he is missing something essential to his identity


I'm an early morning lover
The singer enjoys waking up early


And I must be moving on
The singer needs to keep moving forward with his life


Now I believe in what you say
The singer agrees with what someone else is saying


Is the undisputed truth
The singer believes that the other person is telling the truth


But I have to have things my own way
The singer needs to have control over his own life


To keep me in my youth
The singer wants to feel young and free


Like a ship without an anchor
The singer feels ungrounded and directionless


Like a slave without a chain
The singer feels free, but also lost or abandoned


Just the thought of those sweet ladies
The singer is thinking about women he finds attractive


Sends a shiver through my veins
The thought of these women excites him


And I will go on shining
The singer will continue to be successful and happy


Shining like brand new
The singer will continue to feel new and fresh


I'll never look behind me
The singer will not dwell on the past


My troubles will be few
The singer will not have many problems in the future


Goodbye stranger it's been nice
The singer is saying goodbye to someone he just met, but had a good time with


Hope you find your paradise
The singer wishes the other person will find happiness


Tried to see your point of view
The singer made an effort to understand the other person's perspective


Hope your dreams will all come true
The singer wishes the other person's dreams to come true


Goodbye Mary, goodbye Jane
The singer says goodbye to two women he met


Will we ever meet again
The singer wonders if he will cross paths with these women again


Feel no sorrow, feel no shame
The singer urges the women not to feel bad about parting ways


Come tomorrow, feel no pain
The singer hopes they will all be happy in the future and not be hurt by their separation


Sweet devotion (Goodbye, Mary)
The singer is devoted to Mary


It's not for me (Goodbye, Jane)
The singer is not interested romantically in Jane


Just give me motion (Will we ever)
The singer wants to keep moving forward, looking for new adventures


To set me free (Meet again?)
The singer wants the chance to experience new things and be free


In the land and the ocean (Feel no sorrow)
The singer is traveling through different places and does not want to feel sad


Far away (Feel no shame)
The singer is far from home and does not want to feel embarrassed or ashamed


It's the life I've chosen (Come tomorrow)
The singer is happy with his choices and is looking forward to the future


Every day (Feel no pain)
The singer wants to live a life without pain or sadness


Now some they do and some they don't
Some people make choices and others don't


And some you just can't tell
There are some things that are impossible to predict


And some they will and some they won't
Some people make choices easily and others struggle with decisions


With some it's just as well
It is often okay if some people make different choices in life


You can laugh at my behaviour
The singer knows that people may judge him for his actions


And that'll never bother me
The singer is confident in his choices and does not care what others think of him


Say the devil is my saviour
People may call the singer names or judge him harshly


But I don't pay no heed
The singer does not listen to these negative comments


Oh, yes, I'm leaving
The singer is leaving


Got to go (Goodbye, Mary)
The singer needs to leave quickly


Hit the road (Goodbye, Jane)
The singer needs to move on with his journey


I'll say it once again (Will we ever)
The singer is repeating himself about wondering if he will see these women again


Got to go (Feel so sorrow)
The singer feels sad about leaving


Got to go (Feel no shame)
The singer needs to leave without feeling embarrassed or ashamed about his decisions


I'm sorry, I must dash (Come tomorrow)
The singer apologizes for leaving and needs to leave soon




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Richard Davies, Roger Hodgson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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