A Playlist for Saying Goodbye

There’s a reason they sell pre-printed greeting cards. When it comes to expressing real, heartfelt emotion, some of us aren’t so great with the putting things into words. Better to let the poets at Hallmark express our sentiments with more alacrity than we could ever manage. And the same goes for songs.

There’s a pop song for every emotion, which means there is a potential playlist for every occasion. For some reason, I awoke today thinking about how hard it can be to say goodbye — even when you are happy to see the person who is leaving go. Humans are complex creatures, and lots of us find change unerringly difficult, even when we know said change is for the best. So when change comes in the form of bidding farewell to someone who has loomed large in our lives, we may find it hard to put our emotional reactions into words (especially without swearing).

Songs, on the other hand…there is definitely a playlist for that.

“Leaving on a Jet Plane” by Peter, Paul, and Mary

“There’s so many times I’ve let you down / So many times I’ve played around.”

“Hit the Road, Jack” by Ray Charles

“You ain’t got no money / You just ain’t no good.”

“Closing Time” by Semisonic

“You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here.”

“Bye Bye Bye” by N’Sync

“I wanna see you out that door / Baby bye bye bye (bye bye).”

“So Long, Farewell” by Rogers & Hammerstein

“And up in the nursery an absurd little bird / Is popping out to say ‘cuckoo.’”

“Goodbye to You” by Patty Smyth

“These last few weeks of holding on / The days are dull, the nights are long / Guess it’s better to say / Goodbye to you.”

“Goodbye to You” by Michelle Branch

“It feels like I’m starting all over again / The last three years were just pretend.”

“Get Off My Cloud” by The Rolling Stones

“Just ‘cause you feel so good, do you have / To drive me out of my head?”

“Walk on By” by Dionne Warwick

“Just let me grieve / In private ‘cause each time I see you / I break down and cry.”

“Thank U, Next” by Ariana Grande

“Thank u, next.”

“Never Quite Free” by The Mountain Goats

“And you’ll sleep better when you think / You’ve stepped back from the brink.”

“These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” by Nancy Sinatra

“You keep lyin’ when you oughta be truthin’ / And you keep losing when you oughta not bet / You keep samin’ when you oughta be a’changin’ / Now what’s right is right but you ain’t been right yet.”

“We Are Never, Ever Getting Back Together” by Taylor Swift

“We are never, ever, ever getting back together / Like, ever.”

“Dead to Me” by Melanie Martinez

“I need to kill you / To silence all the sweet little things you said / I really want to kill you / Wipe you off the face of my earth.”

“Walk Away” by Kelly Clarkson

“I want a man by my side / Not a boy who runs and hides.”

“Go Away” by Weezer

“Go away / Go away / Go away / Go away / Go away / Go away / Go away / Go away / Don’t come back here anymore / Go away.”

“Megalomania” by Black Sabbath

“Why don’t you just get out of my life, yeah? / Why don’t you just get out of my life now?”

“There’s No Home For You Here” by The White Stripes

“I’m only waiting for the proper time to tell you / That it’s impossible to get along with you.”

“Get Out” by Chvrches

“Get out, get out / Get out, get out / get get, get out of here.”

“Fuck You” by Lily Allen

“Fuck you (Fuck you), fuck you very, very much / ‘Cause we hate what you do / And we hate your whole crew / So, please don’t stay in touch.”