Say Goodbye
The Theory of a Deadman Lyrics


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She said "Don't leave this up to me to say that I don't love you anyway"
Just leave it up to me to say goodbye
Because these good times will never last
Keep a handle on the wheel and a foot on the gas
We thought it would last forever
I wish you'd just remember

No
Will anything change your mind?
(She said)
A one way ticket was a pretty good sign
(And I said)
Well how can you leave it all?
(And she said)
There ain't much to leave behind
Just say goodbye
So say goodbye
Say goodbye
So say goodbye
Just say goodbye
So say goodbye
Say goodbye

Next time I'll take it slow
And as for you I'll never know
At least next time I'll try to understand
So please don't leave this up to me to say that you don't love me anyway
I'll just leave it up to you to say goodbye
'Cause these good times will never last
Keep a handle on the wheel and a foot on the gas
We thought it would last forever
In case you don't remember

No
Will anything change your mind?
(She said)
A one way ticket was a pretty good sign
(And I said)
Well how can you leave it all?
(And she said)
There ain't much to leave behind
Just say goodbye
So say goodbye
Say goodbye
So say goodbye
Just say goodbye
So say goodbye
Say goodbye

Just say goodbye
Just say goodbye
Just say goodbye

Well, these good times will never last
Keep a handle on the wheel and your foot on the gas
We thought it would last forever
In case you can't remember

No
Will anything change your mind?
(She said)
A one way ticket was a pretty good sign
(And I said)
No
(And she said)
No
(And I said)
No
(And she said)
No

Just say goodbye
So say goodbye
Say goodbye
So say goodbye
Just say goodbye




So say goodbye
Say goodbye

Overall Meaning

The Theory of a Deadman's song Say Goodbye is about the end of a relationship where one partner decides to leave, leaving the other to deal with the aftermath. The lyrics show the struggle of the person not leaving, who is trying to come to terms with what is happening. The lines "don't leave this up to me to say that I don't love you anyway" and "please don't leave this up to me to say that you don't love me anyway" suggest that the person staying is still in love but is being forced to say goodbye. The lines "keep a handle on the wheel and a foot on the gas" and "next time I'll take it slow" suggest that the person not leaving regrets not doing enough to hold onto the relationship and is now determined to do better in future. The repetition of the phrase "just say goodbye" at the end of the song emphasizes the finality of the situation and the pain of saying goodbye.


Overall, Say Goodbye is a poignant and emotional song that captures the pain and loss of a relationship ending. It deals with themes of love, regret, and the difficulty of saying goodbye. The lyrics are well-crafted, with simple but effective language that conveys the emotions of the characters.


Line by Line Meaning

She said "Don't leave this up to me to say that I don't love you anyway"
She asks him to leave the decision of saying goodbye to her on her own, thereby confessing that she doesn't love him anymore.


Just leave it up to me to say goodbye
The person wants the responsibility of ending the relationship by bidding farewell


Because these good times will never last
The person believes that this period of happiness will eventually come to an end.


Keep a handle on the wheel and a foot on the gas
The person advises to hold on to the steering wheel and keep moving forward instead of looking back on the past.


We thought it would last forever
Both parties were under the impression that they were meant to be together for the rest of their lives.


I wish you'd just remember
The person wants their partner to recall the good memories they shared and reconsider leaving.


Will anything change your mind?
The person is trying to decide if there's any hope in salvaging the relationship, wondering if their partner's mind can be changed.


A one way ticket was a pretty good sign
The one-way plane ticket may suggest that the partner is leaving for good.


Well how can you leave it all?
The person questions how their partner can leave behind everything they've built together.


There ain't much to leave behind
The partner doesn't believe there's much left in the relationship to hold onto.


So say goodbye
The singer implores the partner to just say goodbye and move on.


Next time I'll take it slow
The person takes responsibility for what has gone wrong and vows to go more slowly in future relationships.


And as for you I'll never know
The person realizes they will never know what could've been different or what caused the relationship's demise.


At least next time I'll try to understand
The individual promises to make a conscientious effort to comprehend things better the next time around.


Please don't leave this up to me to say that you don't love me anyway
The person asks their partner to break up with them instead of making them the one who has to do it.


'Cause these good times will never last
The person reiterates that the happy times won't last forever.


Just say goodbye
The singer once again asks their partner to just say goodbye and end things.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David John Matthews

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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