James Blunt: Goodbye My Lover Meaning
Song Released: 2005
Goodbye My Lover Lyrics
Should I be feeling guilty or let the judges frown?
'Cause I saw the end before we'd begun,
Yes I saw you were blinded and I knew I had won.
So I took what's mine by eternal right.
Took your soul out...
-
1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:So many interpretations; everyone can see own experiences in it and comes to its own interpretation.
Here is my interpretation (and my story):
In short, for me it tells a story of two people and the beginning and the end of their relationship. It started by her, rather unexperienced, having a crush on him, him recognizing that they do not really fit but deciding to take advantage of the situation to have his fun, them eventually truly falling in love, her finally recognizing that they do not fit, breaking up and leaving him devastated:
“Did I disappoint you or let you down? Should I be feeling guilty or let the judges frown? 'Cause I saw the end before we'd begun, Yes I saw you were blinded and I knew I had won. So I took what's mine by eternal right. Took your soul out into the night.”
When I first saw you, I know you where an easy prey. You were blinded by your crush on me, you did not really know love and the pain of breaking up but I did and how to play it. We did not really fit and we wont make it long, but I took my eternal right of the strong and you for fun.
“It may be over but it won't stop there, I am here for you if you'd only care. You touched my heart you touched my soul. You changed my life and all my goals. And love is blind and that I knew when, My heart was blinded by you. I've kissed your lips and held your head. Shared your dreams and shared your bed. I know you well, I know your smell. I've been addicted to you.”
Now our relationship is over, but I still cannot let it go. We had been so close, but you do not care for me anymore.
“I am a dreamer but when I wake, You can't break my spirit - it's my dreams you take.”
I try to stay strong, but when I'm asleep, I am helpless.
“And as you move on, remember me, Remember us and all we used to be”
Although you have a new lover, please remember me and that we once were as happy as you are now again.
“I've seen you cry, I've seen you smile. I've watched you sleeping for a while. I'd be the father of your child. I'd spend a lifetime with you.”
I am the father of your child, and I once gave a promise to you to stick by you for the rest of my life, and I still believe I could have kept my promise.
”I know your fears and you know mine. We've had our doubts but now we're fine,”
In the end we had our quarrels and doubts about our relationship, but they are all over now and settled by its end.
“And I love you, I swear that's true. I cannot live without you. Goodbye my lover. Goodbye my friend. You have been the one. You have been the one for me.”
Good by my dear, we had fifteen years of laughter and tears, passion and routine, happiness and anger, love and hate. Life will go on, even if I can't see it now. Fare well. -
2TOP RATED
#2 top rated interpretation:I agree with the above interpretations about the man being married and having an affair.From a previous experience I believe it is a case of him marrying one of his first girlfriends when he was very young and unsure. He then later meets a girl and knows hes sure but knows that they cant be together cos hes married but very much wants to be with her as she has "touched his heart" and would be "the father of her child", perhaps his wife will not have his children and he desperately wants to share that experience with someone he loves and "took her soul out into the night" as he considered maybe being with her and it possibly working out so took the risk of hurting her because his feelings were so strong and because he is a "dreamer", thats how much he wanted this experience,that it could only happen in his dreams. He realises that there is too much at stake to lose in the event that it didnt work out, he would then no longer have his wife, someone he knows he doesnt have the passionate love for, loves her more as a friend, but he knows she will always be there. He was so close to taking the risk but in the end takes the easy way out of having the security of his friend who is already accepted by his family, the girl he loves wont be accepted for being the reason his marriage fails. She "takes his dreams" in the sense that he will constantly long for her and be the one he imagined having his child and if he sees her with someone else or having children that is the dream he imagined having with her. In time he "bears his soul" as he comes to terms with losing and hurting "the one" and will be "kneeling at her feet" perhaps when he tries to keep his marriage alive but it fails as it is different after he has felt the passionate love for someone else, he cant have that with his wife despite his efforts, and she herself is hurt by his infidelity but still takes him back and when he argues with her she brings up his infidelity again and throws it in his face. He says he'd be there for his love if she'd "only care". She cant care about his love cos he has hurt her and its too painful to keep caring, knowing he won't choose her, giving into those feelings will only cause her more agony.
He knew he had won because "love is blind", she still wanted to be with him even though he was married cos she loved him and he loved her and himself was bllinded and couldnt resist. He took what was his by "eternal right" in the sense that he felt like this relationship and being with her was his right cos he felt like she was his because of his intense love for her. Its "not over" cos he still misses her and "holds her hand when hes asleep". -
3TOP RATED
#3 top rated interpretation:If you listen to the words, he is talking about someone he fell in love with,he knew from the start is wasn't going to work out, but in his heart he thought it might just work out. Even thou he knew it wasn't going to he still fell head over heals for her. She's the one that stole his heart, and the one that broke his heart. I think that he finally realized that no matter how hard he wants it to work it never will so he is saying goodbye.
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There is a hidden place here and all around us thats sometimes called the Masquerade. If you are born into this secret community you know the language and customs. This song is about two competing candidates for a new leader but one is blind to the Masquerade due to being half breed and illegitimate. He initiaaly goes to meet the other to sum up the competition but realizes the half breed is totally blinded to the Masquerade. He knows he has already won the competition but falls for the competitor. There is a date when the new leader will be chosen and the judges do not like the outsider since they make blunder after blunder offending masquerade customs. Unlike normal elections, the loser must die winner takes soul. In the end the half breed wakes up and is angry from the denial and soul stealing thats why he says he still cares.
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The song is a guy saying goodbye to his lover. Sorry for what happened to the previous interpretation. By reading the lyrics, one will know the interpretation.
No offense for the previous interpretation, but it was wrong to have an affair with him. I bet his wife became controlling because she knew he was seeing you. Isn't it destroying a marriage? A relationship? Oh well just reading the twenty meanings out of 319 meanings at songmeanings, shows me the truth that people nowadays are prone to cheating, lying, and unfaithfullness. What a life of deception.
Didn't listen and watch to this song -
The song is a guy saying goodbye to his lover. Sorry for what happened to the previous interpretation. By reading the lyrics, one will know the interpretation.
Didn't listen to this song -
This really hit home. I had a childhood sweetheart I met up with many years later. He was married. We had an affair and I loved him so much. When I realized he couldnt or wouldnt leave his controlling wife I left. We continued to stay very close friends and I still loved him. He developed cancer and he told his daughter this song was for me. He arranged to have it played at his funeral. Although he never could spill his feelings it was at that time I knew we would always be together. Still love you Marty!
Until we meet again -
Sounds to me like a narcissist singing about one of his victims...
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I know you your smell your taste. And now left hollow. I never knew I could fall in love. But I would rather be hurt by the truth than a lie. I do believe in if you get hurt weather in loving someone or death your heart hurts or is it your soul that hurts bc to me loving someone and death are the same love out lives death bc if that person is dead and your niot and do you still love them? Yes bc love and death a tied together. I knew I was in love with you. Your taste I can still smell you. My Love. This song says to me. Know matter what I will always love you. Kelloggirene@yahoo.com thank you
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I know you your smell your taste. And now left hollow. I never knew I could fall in love. But I would rather be hurt by the truth than a lie. I do believe in if you get hurt weather in loving someone or death your heart hurts or is it your soul that hurts bc to me loving someone and death are the same love out lives death bc if that person is dead and your niot and do you still love them? Yes bc love and death a tied together. I knew I was in love with you. Your taste I can still smell you. My Love. This song says to me. Know matter what I will always love you.
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r.m. drake says it well, "tragedies will always be found in the things we love and if we are not willing to see the beauty in losing something that means the world to us then imagine how terrible it will be to live for them. we must always welcome the end of all things. for sometimes, knowing nothing lasts forever, is the only way we can learn to fall in love with all the moments and all the people that are meant to take our breath away."
Almost like the meaning of a "gypsy soul", someone who possesses a Gypsy soul is a person always in need of change and/or adventure, seeking the next best thing in any life situation, they can be very passionate and often inspired by different ideas, attitudes and experiences. Their sense of identity isn't always sure of what they want out of life but they are determined to find it over and over again. -
A deep song written for us to interpret as we each see fit. That is why it is so good. I am a dreamer and it is all I have left.I still have those dreams and I will always know that smell. We attach our loss and emotions through our personal experience.
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I had a very awful experience dat really puts me in these shoes. I fell inlove with this guy who promised me the stars and the moon, but people would always tell me he had a wife but for some reason he never admitted it, all i knew is that he had a child. After nine months of dating his wife came to me asking if i was his lover, i inocently told him we had been dating but i honestly didn't know he was committed since he had all his attentions on me. After i found out the truth i left him, and even to today he has been looking for me but i am not willing to take such a monster back
To me this song is talking about a guy that as same as the guy i dated played with a girl and maybe loved her but you know it will never work!!!
:-)
God bless you -
He loved her. He still does. But he had to let her go because he had a wife and children. And the impossibleness of the situation became too painful. It's her that's in his dreams. She's the one, only he's strong and walks away. And letting her go left him hollow, an empty shell because his heart belonged to her but he couldn't have her.
I know this story all too well. For I am she. And it left me hollow too. Goodbye my lover. Goodbye my friend. Til we meet in the next life. I will always love you Sab!
Fiji -
Nah...its about a deluded psychotic looser of a bloke whos female friend feels sorry for. Hes not happy shes with this other guy and with/has the other guys child. He decides if he cant have her after all the tears etc he has seen her through then noone can. So he kills her! All because when consoling her one night and plying her with alcohol he manages to have whats been in his dreams...her!! Posibly even as twisted as verging on mates-rape. Cynic? Moi? Ha!...
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I think his long time female soul mate got pregnant and dumped by another bloke. James is declaring he will step in..love her..be father etc... Then driving off into the sunset to live the happy ever after dream, he has a car accident and she dies.(should i be feeling guilty? He dosnt know because he has caused himself to loose his true love). His getting on knee referes to when they will next meet...when he will propose...when he dies.
Or maybe he was helping her escape the abusive real father of her child and was speeding in car causing the accident and her death. Again...should he feel guilty? He was saving her and planned to save her forever and live the dream.
Either way.. Very sad and moving. But im sure its way deeper than a split relationship with or without an affair!! -
I saw him on tv once and he explained that he was in love/engaged once and she got sick and died. This is a true story song... he actually lost his love. He was also a soldier in the British army saw a lot of death in places he went. He's led a very interesting and deep life unlike that of most any singer/songwriters.
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This song Exactly like a relationship I had. 'did I disappoint you or let you down... Should I be feeling guilty or let the judges frown, I saw the end before we'd begun... Yes I knew u were the blinded etc. I met a guy who unbeknown to me was living a double life. He knew we were never gonna work from the start and knew I was blind not knowing whT was going on. But he fell for me, z I was his bestfriend and soul mate etc. As he was living a Double life everyone found out... Hence let the judges frown. When I found out it was awful he was a mess i was absolutely devstated. we said our goodbyes and he told me he loved me and one day he would find me and have children with me one day. The part that says 'one day be kneeling and father of child' really used to get to me in the song. Incidentally he did find me after everything we r happy and been together five years now.
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