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
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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what a great line.
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
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.
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.
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."
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.