I Love You Goodbye

Because I had a lover from The middle of Cajun country, Evangeline Parish, I understand and love this song. The only reason I know what Opelousas is (a town in central LA) is because I asked her once while we were driving from Lafayette to her hometown. She said, its pronounced 'OPP- a loosis.' Not "Oh pa looses" as in the song. But I would never Hold that against Mr. Dolby, because I too have been under a Cajun moon with someone I loved very much, and will never forget it. Thank you for this beautiful prose.

I have to wonder if this was based on real events, although it seems pretty unlikely. Was Dolby (or some other English man he knew) stopped in the heart of Cajun country for some reason? We may never know.

I don't think this a particularly crytic song, but it reads like poetry. It tells the story of someone being corrupted by a lover and deciding to leave them before getting too deep into the criminal life. I love the fiddle, how it brings out the cajun flavour of the song to match the lyrics. And I love the details in the lyrics, too. Like, "The County Sherrif had a Hairlip" and "like the time we stole a Datsun". Not just a stolen car, a stolen Datsun.

I'm reminded of my first love.

Which . . . was a very unusual affair . . . we were only four, best friends in the whole world, and a pair of misfits the both of us, but I think somebody treated him inappropriately at home and, not understanding the nature of things, I answered the question, "What does he do during nap time?" and I never saw him again.

I think without him I'd only ever like girls.

Anyway, if I'd heard this song much later in life instead of overhearing my parents play it and later coming to understand it better as a child it will only ever remind me of the unusual affair described in the post above.

That sentence doesn't make sense: if I had heard it later in life I'd have been reminded of other things, but since I only heard it early on I was reminded of earlier events and forever associate the song with those events

I have to wonder if this was based on real events, although it seems pretty unlikely. Was Dolby (or some other English man he knew) stopped in the heart of Cajun country for some reason? We may never know.

This is one of my most favorite songs, and I've been listening to it since Astronauts and Heretics was released BUT I only just recently realized there's a bit of a geographic problem with this song. He writes/sings that they drove all night to the Everglades, but the Everglades are in southern Florida, not Louisiana, and the entire song is supposed to take place in Louisiana. Perhaps Dolby got it wrong on accident thinking that the Everglades might have been a feature in LA, or maybe that in the US we use that term to mean swamp? I wish I could find out the answer!