Goodnight Travel Well
The Killers Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

The unknown distance to the great beyond
Stares back at my grieving frame
To cast my shadow by the holy sun
My spirit moans with a sacred pain
And it's quiet now
The universe is standing still

[Chorus]
There's nothing I can say
There's nothing we can do now
There's nothing I can say
There's nothing we can do now

And all that stands between the souls release
This temporary flesh and bone
We know that it's over now
I feel my faded mind begin to roam

Every time you fall
And every time you try
Every foolish dream
And every compromise
Every word you spoke
And everything you said
Everything you left me, rambles in my head

[Chorus]

Up above the world so high

And everything you loved
And every time you try
Everybody's watching
Everybody cry

Stay, don't leave me
The stars can't for your sign
Don't signal now

[Chorus]

Goodnight, travel well
Goodnight, travel well





And there's nothing I can say
There's nothing I can do now

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Killers' song Goodnight Travel Well speak about unspoken grief and loss, and the acceptance of the inevitable passage of time. The first verse sets a mournful tone with its description of staring into the unknown distance of death, which causes the singer's spirit to 'moan with a sacred pain.' The chorus emphasizes the sense of helplessness and despair, with the repetition of 'there's nothing I can say...there's nothing we can do now.'


The second verse describes the ephemeral nature of life, and how it is limited by our physical bodies, which will eventually succumb to death. The singer feels his mind start to drift into a state of confusion as he reflects on all that has been lost. The bridge of the song brings more emotional weight, with its clear memories of fallen dreams and words left unsaid.


The final verse is slightly more hopeful in its imagery, with its reference to the stars above, but the sense of loss and loneliness remains, with the singer pleading to stay above all else. The song ends with a gentle farewell, a wish for safe travels, and the acknowledgment that ultimately, there is nothing any of us can do to avoid the final journey we must all take.


Line by Line Meaning

The unknown distance to the great beyond
I am unsure of what lies after death


Stares back at my grieving frame
This thought is haunting me as I mourn


To cast my shadow by the holy sun
I want to leave a lasting impact on the world


My spirit moans with a sacred pain
My soul is filled with a spiritual agony


And it's quiet now
There is a sense of peace in the present moment


The universe is standing still
The world seems to halt while I contemplate death


There's nothing I can say
Words cannot change the finality of death


There's nothing we can do now
All we can do is accept the inevitable


And all that stands between the souls release
The only thing holding us back from the afterlife is our physical body


This temporary flesh and bone
Our bodies are only temporary vessels for our souls


We know that it's over now
We must accept that life has come to an end


I feel my faded mind begin to roam
My thoughts are wandering as I approach the end of my life


Every time you fall
Every time you experience failure


And every time you try
Every time you attempt to achieve a goal


Every foolish dream
Every unrealistic aspiration


And every compromise
Every time you settle for less than you deserve


Every word you spoke
Every conversation you had


And everything you said
Every message you conveyed


Everything you left me, rambles in my head
I am left to contemplate all the memories I have of you


Up above the world so high
Looking up at the sky


And everything you loved
Everything that brought you joy


And every time you try
Every time you push yourself


Everybody's watching
Everyone is observing us in life and in death


Everybody cry
Everyone will grieve our passing in their own way


Stay, don't leave me
I am pleading for companionship in the face of death


The stars can't for your sign
The stars cannot predict the future and if we will meet again


Don't signal now
Do not indicate that it is time to depart


Goodnight, travel well
I wish a peaceful journey to the afterlife


And there's nothing I can say
There are no more words, only acceptance


There's nothing I can do now
All that remains is for the journey to begin




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRANDON FLOWERS, DAVE BRENT KEUNING, MARK AUGUST STOERMER, RONNIE JR. VANNUCCI

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

Patty Theiss


on Mr. Brightside

Ed sharron

More Versions