Be Good or Be Gone

beautiful song, the lyrics when sung by fionn take on a real and human significance. i believe the song is a first person narrative of the singer telling the story of his lover/friend (unclear what the relationship is exactly) between him and rose, who was apparently a young girl with a bright future, but sort of fizzled out at some point and became average. in the first verse he tells us of her beginning, and even remarks on the particular day, like its important. basically, she had everything going for her. the second verse shows her talent and success, and how impressed he was with her. third verse is when her career didnt quite make it and now him and her are just sort of average people. him "reading" to her suggests he's sort of her protector. him suggesting she sell her things implies her bright start has ended. the last verse is the singer showing us how he feels his life has been sort of swallowed and shadowed by hers, failed though it was. like all he really is now is a storyteller of her life, an aerial view. also this verse gives the feeling rose has passed on and hes left alone now and feeling alone and empty. the chorus, repeating be good or be gone, is a sort of mocking background message. its a motto of success, which rose failed to live up to. gives the song a sad undervibe. well thats my 2 cents=P

I think that this song is about a woman who has died. and he is writing her obituary. "I read to you on saturdays" could mean that he is reading her a book or a passage that she liked and then when he says "sell all your things, at the end of the drive." hes selling the things she left behind. and then when he says he has become an aerial view that is because she is looking at him from above. thats just what i think. =]

ive got some problems with the spelling of lots of words in this, but whatever. this is such a good song, but i honestly dont know what its about. an old woman who was an actress who he now reads to and takes care of? iiiiiii dont know.

i think it's just...this has-been child actress, and all she has left is this story of her life...and the only person around to tell it to is the singer. i get the idea that the phrase "be good or be gone" is the motto of the woman, her life was good, she wants the world to know. the second verse, "the range is staggering movement and timing, frame by frame it did unfold" is talking about a film? an old film that she was in, the movement/sound are staggered coz it's so old. and...kind of comparing the film to the woman is what i got from it. i really like fionn regan's guitar. sweet.

I think that the direction of the 'be good or be gone' changes after every verse. Like, the first time we hear it, she's a child actress, being told by producers and agents to 'be good or be gone', because she won't make it if she's not good enough. The second verse, as luey_baby mentioned, is probably a reference to a film, so Rose would be mid-career by now, and striving for perfection. If it's not good, she doesn't want to hear of it. Next, she's selling all her things, probably moving to a city to make a name for herself. Her old stuff isn't good enough for her anymore, so, again, 'Be good or be gone'. The last verse puzzles me. The 'aerial view' implies that she's now looking down on everyone that she used to know in Bray. Maybe it's the inspiration that came to our singer-songwriter from the story of Rose, and since he's trying to make it, and she has supposedly made it, he thinks that by emulating her, he too can achieve greatness? So, in effect, he's telling himself to be good or be gone. Loff this song!!!!!!!!

Beautiful song, from a very talented man. I think the last line "I have become a arial view of a coastal town that you once knew" is about loosing a friend or lover who now looks back on the memories of being with him, and that he is insignificant now to them now. "An arial view" implying that you only look at Fionn as a memory, because you do now actually walk round the town, don't experience being with him.

I agree with Luey_baby and tedster, I think its an obituary for an old woman who was a child actress, and be good or be gone was her personal philosophy.

I agree with Luey_baby and tedster, I think its an obituary for an old woman who was a child actress, and be good or be gone was her personal philosophy.

"the last verse is the singer showing us how he feels his life has been sort of swallowed and shadowed by hers, failed though it was. like all he really is now is a storyteller of her life, an aerial view. also this verse gives the feeling rose has passed on and hes left alone now and feeling alone and empty." nitai, i agree about that. i wasnt sure how but i did get the feeling he was something not as meaningful or significant to rose, perhaps he has become a symbol of her old life, just because when he is around, she gets to retell and remember her past? i dont agree about the lover idea though, i see rose as a much older lady who has possibly passed away.

It's a suicide note. Read it again with that in mind. Rose, perhaps the author's daughter, was born. His range of emotions staggered him, floored him, as if he were watching a film frame-by-frame. Whomever he has sent this letter to, he's left no money for, he's advising them to sell everything. He'll no longer read to this person, the museum, or experience of their relationship, is "closed", or ended. An aerial view of a town once known: he's ascending to a higher place but can still be remembered in a familiar setting. The chorus is a rejoinder to live a good life. He's decided to kill himslef but first he sent this letter to someone, or left it for them. Maybe even for Rose. What do you think?