Bobby's driving through the city tonight
Through the lights
In a hot new rent a car
He joins the lover in his heavy machine
It's a scene down on Sunset Boulevard

Say goodbye to Hollywood
Say goodbye, my baby
Say goodbye to Hollywood
Say goodbye, my baby

Johnny's taking care of things for awhile
And his style is so right for troubadours
They got him sitting with his back to the door
Now he won't be my fast gun anymore

Say goodbye to Hollywood
Say goodbye, my baby
Say goodbye to Hollywood
Say goodbye, my baby

Moving on is a chance that you take every time
You try to stay together
Say a word out of line and you find
That the friends you had are gone
Forever, forever
So many faces in and out of my life
Some will last, some will just be now and then
Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes
I'm afraid it's time for goodbye again

Say goodbye to Hollywood
Say goodbye, my baby
Say goodbye to Hollywood
Say goodbye, my baby

Moving on is a chance that you take every time
You try to stay together
Say a word out of line and you find
That the friends you had are gone
Forever, forever
So many faces in and out of my life
Some will last, some will just be now and then
Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes
I'm afraid it's time for goodbye again

Say goodbye to Hollywood
Say goodbye, my baby
Say goodbye to Hollywood
Say goodbye, my baby

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Lyrics submitted by kevin

Say Goodbye to Hollywood Lyrics as written by Billy Joel

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Say Goodbye To Hollywood song meanings

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7 Comments

+1
General Comment
"life is a series of hellos and goodbyes; i'm afraid it's time for goodbye again.." what a great line.

"life is a series of hellos and goodbyes; i'm afraid it's time for goodbye again.." what a great line.

Reason:

luckye225on August 06, 2002 Link
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@luckye225 That entire verse is really quite remarkable.
Moving on is a chance that you take every time
You try to stay together
Say a word out of line and you find
That the friends you had are gone
Forever, forever
So many faces in and out of my life
Some will last, some will just be now and then
Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes
I'm afraid it's time for goodbye again

JSNYCon March 26, 2016
+1
General Comment
The song is indeed about Billy's loathing of Hollywood and its fake people - Bobby, driving down Sunset Boulevarde just to be seen in his hot new car, which he doesn't own, just rents... and Johnny, the agent for "troubadours" (like Billy himself) who's now got his back to the door because he owes so many favours to unsavoury people... all the phonies, in other words. And then "life is a series of hellos and goodbyes, I'm afraid it's time for goodbye again" - he's off home to NY. And lucky for us, too, or we wouldn't have The Stranger, 52nd Street, The Nylon Curtain... or any of his other masterpieces.

The song is indeed about Billy's loathing of Hollywood and its fake people - Bobby, driving down Sunset Boulevarde just to be seen in his hot new car, which he doesn't own, just rents... and Johnny, the agent for "troubadours" (like Billy himself) who's now got his back to the door because he owes so many favours to unsavoury people... all the phonies, in other words. And then "life is a series of hellos and goodbyes, I'm afraid it's time for goodbye again" - he's off home to NY. And lucky for us, too, or we wouldn't have The Stranger, 52nd Street, The Nylon Curtain... or any of his other masterpieces.

Reason:

neiledwardon September 12, 2008 Link
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I believe that the Billy Joel's time in Los Angeles coincided with the time John Lennon (famously) spent there - separated from Yoko Ono. He frequented at times, The Troubadour, on Sunset - famously being kicked out, for drunkenly heckling Tommy Smothers. The flowers sent the following day to the Troubadour by John Lennon and Harry Nilsson were accompanied by a letter of apology that reads like it's from another time entirely. It goes well with what Tom Smothers had to say on stage immediately after the incident. Brilliant and self-effacing.
National Lampoon's editor, Tony Hendra (Spinal Tap's manager) adds some color to that time period, based on an interview of John Lennon by Rolling Stone. In a song entitled, "Genius Is Pain", he summarizes - and dramatizes a lot of Lennon's angst.
The first time I heard it, I thought it WAS John Lennon and damn near went into shock.
As for, "Say Goodbye To Hollywood"? Brilliant.

eepapapeeon July 12, 2013
+1
General Comment
This song is an absolute gem, and the reason why I joined this site - just to comment on how brilliant it is! This along with Captain Jack are in my opinion the two greatest songs that you can possibly hear live, although that may be a bit biased! Nevertheless, a treasure of a song and the lyric "So many faces in and out of my life some will last, some will just be now and then. Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes I'm afraid it's time for goodbye again" is one to remember and pays true even today!

This song is an absolute gem, and the reason why I joined this site - just to comment on how brilliant it is! This along with Captain Jack are in my opinion the two greatest songs that you can possibly hear live, although that may be a bit biased! Nevertheless, a treasure of a song and the lyric "So many faces in and out of my life some will last, some will just be now and then. Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes I'm afraid it's time for goodbye again" is one to remember and pays true even today!

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LifelessPotatoon March 23, 2014 Link
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0
General Comment
He wasn't eager to leave, but he was eager to go back home. Something we've all felt at one time or another.

He wasn't eager to leave, but he was eager to go back home. Something we've all felt at one time or another.

Reason:

suckmykisson April 08, 2003 Link
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@suckmykiss
0
General Comment
Great song.

Great song.

Reason:

oNeMore_LASTchanceon March 05, 2006 Link
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0
General Comment
(condensed from Allmusic.com) After Joel's first album, Cold Spring Harbor, he moved to L.A. in an attempt to be part of the then-growing singer-songwriter scene; he took on a steady job as a lounge pianist (whence "Piano Man" came), but after a limited success and growing frustration with the city and the music biz, he had had enough. He decided to "say goodbye to Hollywood" and move back to New York--notice that the Turnstiles cover is of the infamous subways of NYC, and the album features a song called "New York State of Mind."

(condensed from Allmusic.com) After Joel's first album, Cold Spring Harbor, he moved to L.A. in an attempt to be part of the then-growing singer-songwriter scene; he took on a steady job as a lounge pianist (whence "Piano Man" came), but after a limited success and growing frustration with the city and the music biz, he had had enough. He decided to "say goodbye to Hollywood" and move back to New York--notice that the Turnstiles cover is of the infamous subways of NYC, and the album features a song called "New York State of Mind."

Reason:

bugoffon July 19, 2007 Link
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0
General Comment
What an amazing song. I can identify with the concept of living somewhere where all the people around me are fake, and all my relationships are shallow... "So many faces in and out of my life..." The best part of this song has to be "Say a word out of line and you'll find that the friends you have are gone... forever." It speaks the truth to the typical PC American society where everyone is offended by everything and people are afraid to truly speak their mind. But I can see this being specifically prevalent in Hollywood. The characters who he brings into the story (Bobby and Johnny) with their shallow relationships (Bobby only cares about being seen in his "rental car", and Johnny has ruffled too many feathers) really bring home the message of this song.

What an amazing song. I can identify with the concept of living somewhere where all the people around me are fake, and all my relationships are shallow... "So many faces in and out of my life..." The best part of this song has to be "Say a word out of line and you'll find that the friends you have are gone... forever." It speaks the truth to the typical PC American society where everyone is offended by everything and people are afraid to truly speak their mind. But I can see this being specifically prevalent in Hollywood. The characters who he brings into the story (Bobby and Johnny) with their shallow relationships (Bobby only cares about being seen in his "rental car", and Johnny has ruffled too many feathers) really bring home the message of this song.

Reason:

MelodyPowerson March 23, 2016 Link
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Say Goodbye To Hollywood

Billy Joel

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