This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
You and I were friends from outer space
Afraid to let go
The only two who understood this place
And as far as we know
We were way before our time
As bold as we were blind
Just another perfect mistake
Another bridge to take
On the way of letting go,
This ain't goodbye
It is just the way love goes
But when the words aren't warm enough,
To keep away the cold, oh no
This ain't good bye
It's not where our story ends
But I know you can't be mine,
Not the way you always been
As long as we've got time
Then this ain't goodbye
Oh no, this ain't goodbye
We were stars up in the sunlit sky
No one else could see
Neither of else ever thought to ever ask why
It wasn't meant to be
Maybe we were way too high
To ever understand
Baby we were victims of all, all the foolish plans
We began to divide
But this ain't goodbye
This is just the way love goes
But where's the woman now to keep way the cold, oh no
This ain't goodbye
It's not where our story ends
But I know you cant be mine
Just like the way you've always been
As long as we got time,
This ain't good bye,
Oh no, this ain't good bye,
Oh oh, oh no this ain't goodbye
No na na, na na na
Na na na na na na na
Na na na this ain't goodbye
You and I were friends from outer space
Afraid to let go
The only two who understood this place
And as far as we know
This ain't goodbye
Oh no this ain't goodbye
This ain't goodbye
Oh no this ain't goodbye
This ain't goodbye
It's just the way love goes
But when the words aren't warm enought, to keep away the cold, oh no,
This ain't goodbye
This isn't where the story ends
But I know you can't be mine
Like the way you've always been
Oh no, don't say it
No na na, na na na
Na na na na na na na
Na na na don't say good bye
Afraid to let go
The only two who understood this place
And as far as we know
We were way before our time
As bold as we were blind
Just another perfect mistake
Another bridge to take
On the way of letting go,
This ain't goodbye
It is just the way love goes
But when the words aren't warm enough,
To keep away the cold, oh no
This ain't good bye
It's not where our story ends
But I know you can't be mine,
Not the way you always been
As long as we've got time
Then this ain't goodbye
Oh no, this ain't goodbye
We were stars up in the sunlit sky
No one else could see
Neither of else ever thought to ever ask why
It wasn't meant to be
Maybe we were way too high
To ever understand
Baby we were victims of all, all the foolish plans
We began to divide
But this ain't goodbye
This is just the way love goes
But where's the woman now to keep way the cold, oh no
This ain't goodbye
It's not where our story ends
But I know you cant be mine
Just like the way you've always been
As long as we got time,
This ain't good bye,
Oh no, this ain't good bye,
Oh oh, oh no this ain't goodbye
No na na, na na na
Na na na na na na na
Na na na this ain't goodbye
You and I were friends from outer space
Afraid to let go
The only two who understood this place
And as far as we know
This ain't goodbye
Oh no this ain't goodbye
This ain't goodbye
Oh no this ain't goodbye
This ain't goodbye
It's just the way love goes
But when the words aren't warm enought, to keep away the cold, oh no,
This ain't goodbye
This isn't where the story ends
But I know you can't be mine
Like the way you've always been
Oh no, don't say it
No na na, na na na
Na na na na na na na
Na na na don't say good bye
Lyrics submitted by silentmuffin
This Ain't Goodbye Lyrics as written by Ryan Tedder Pat Monahan
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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To me, the song is about two people who are very much in love, soul mates even, but their love was destined to fail from the start due to circumstances beyond their control. It could be racial differences, age difference, something that places their love outside of society's norm and something they know they won't be able to overcome. "As bold as we were blind" and "Just another perfect mistake, another bridge to take on the way to letting go"... they knew going in that they wouldn't be together forever, not as lovers, but they ignored common sense and let their hearts lead them. "When words aren't warm enough to keep away the cold"... they've finally reached the point where their differences are too much to bear and as much as it hurts, it's time to end what they have together. They're not saying goodbye, though, not completely; they love each other too much for that. But they love each other enough to know when it's time to move on. "As long as we've got time this ain't goodbye"... as long as they're on this earth, they'll always hold a special place in each others' heart, so they're really not saying goodbye.
I'm in this exact situation now. I knew from the beginning it would hurt like hell when we had to end it, and sadly I was right, but oh... the ride along the way. I'll never forget.
Nailed it.<br /> Me too.<br /> Perfect.