Just A Song Before I Go

This song says EXACTLY what it means. Take it for what it is, there is no hidden meaning whatsoever.

As I wrote to Groon, I think “traveling twice the speed of sound” is referring to the Concorde, launched in 1976 (song was written in 1977). It traveled approximately 1350 miles per hour; the speed of sound is 659 mph at an altitude of 50,000 feet, which is the height the Concorde flew.

Actually, this song is a bit of a joke. Graham had 5 minutes before he had to leave for the airport and someone bet him he couldn’t write a decent song in that time. So he penned this tune took his winnings and took off.

no this song is simple it means to slow down and take your time in lfie and love that rushing into love will get you burned

bradburyesqu is right. I think it was the cab driver who bet him the fare for the song.

It's means if a relationship developes too fast it ends in badly.

yeah, making friends fast.. or liking a girl that you just meet... way easy to get burned.

While on the surface the lyrics are simple enough as to need no explanation, on another level, I've always thought that maybe "Travelling twice the speed of sound, it's easy to get burned" might be Graham alluding to cocaine. It was 1977...by then everyone around Crosby saw that his coke use was spiraling out of control. I'd assume that Graham had his own experiences with it too. Then "and when we opened up the door, I had to be alone" part could be wanting to be alone when actually "doing" the drug, maybe to hide it. Also, the "when the shows were over" and "driving me to the airport" lyrics seem to imply a kind of "rock star" or "jet set" lifestyle which goes hand in hand with cocaine (especially in the '70s).

This tune is about the affairs the band has while on the road. “to whom it may concern” = for those of you who cheat on your spouse. “traveling twice the speed of sound” represents the intensity of the affair. “the shows” are the affairs. And if you participate in this behavior “its easy to get burned” They use the pronoun “we” up until “I had to be alone” this drives home the idea that when you get back to your spouse you need to have left the other woman physically and mentally. The next verses simply describe the departure. She finally looked at me in love” because up until now its just been a fling but when its time to go the pain and love sets in. “and she was gone” emphasizes that he will not see her again — she was just a one night stand. “a lesson to be learned” sounds like one of the band members got busted by their spouse.

it was indeed written in a short time for a bet with his low level drugs dealer, you can see him say it in interview on YouTube. So no time for very complicated meanings. I think it’s about an affair he has while on tour. Not lots of affairs as he says he ‘held her for so long’ , he sounds sad, and he was going home. He had to be seen to be alone when the doors of the plane opened at his destination, obviously because he was married. So the affair lost out to the marriage. But interesting that he says that travelling at twice the speed of sound makes it easy to get burned. He is the one doing the travelling so the inference is that he got burned and was sad to leave the lady who was in love with him.

This song is about the self-centered hippie lifestyle 60s and 70s used to live.

Musicians back then openly lived double-lives. They built a career to provide a traditional life for their spouse to maintain appearances, but at the same time desired the free sex, free drugs and free dwelling space to crash in offered to them willingly on the rock by star-crazed groupies.

Hey if the chick was easy enough to stone or even cheaper, a truly devoted fan of the artist and art, she might even do they laundry and get the suitcase packed for nothing.

Key line(s) 'when the shows were over, we had to get back home....' This does NOT represent a wife or girlfriend or even mommy helping him pack and go. What it says is he IS on the road and the last concert date is over, now to depart the road and head home.

"When we opened up the door, I had to be alone." This was the star explaining how he and the band chick got back to her spread, but as soon as they opened the door, he told her he had to be alone. Why? To use drugs? No. To call home (wife)? Yes.

While he was alone making arrangements to be picked up AFTER his flight home, the band chick was busy finishing his jockey shorts and packing his suitcase.

Wives expected their husbands to love them. To be committed to them. Instead, the rock stars all took advantage of young gullible girls while on the road. Fairuza Balk played the character Sapphire in the movie "Almost Famous" for an example.

Who can forget Kate Hudson playing the character of Penny Lane in the same motion picture?

Remember when the band thought they were going to die in a plane crash? Everyone was confessing their misdeeds to each other?

To understand THIS song reflect on the line from the character William Miller after they "insulted" Penny Lane?

""That groupie"? She was a Band-Aid! All she did was love your band. And you used her, all of you! You used her and threw her away! She almost died last night while you were with Bob Dylan. You guys, you're always talking about the fans, the fans, the fans; she was your biggest fan, and you threw her away! And if you can't see that, that's your biggest problem."

"She finally looked at me in love"....the rock star can relax, she won't blow his cover.