Bad Religion – Honest Goodbye

Now get up and give in
I'll crack your knuckles again
Supplicate and survive this transubstantiation
And get so mean - I wanna know what it means

[Chorus:]
(Did you laugh?) You know I did
(Did you cry?) I couldn't get it right
(Did you live?) Always on the edge
(Did you lie?) Causing such a fright
(Did you love?) Oh, to be forgiven
(Did you try?) But it wouldn't be right
God it feels like an honest goodbye

That sick brass boy day dreamin'
Cry baby convict demon
Hands so clean, a sympathetic, cold-blooded, killing machine
How did you get so mean? I want to know what it means

[Chorus]


Lyrics submitted by MatZ

"Honest Goodbye" as written by Brett Gurewitz Greg Graffin

Lyrics © MOTHERSHIP MUSIC PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Honest Goodbye song meanings
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10 Comments

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  • 0
    General Commentsecond song released from \'New Maps of Hell\'. woot.
    underthegun897on May 03, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentDefinitely. According to Brett, this song was based on the book, In Cold Blood.
    Blackbird_1565on May 12, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentTrue it is wrote about "In Cold Blood".

    If you notice each verse is different the first paragraph is clearly about Hickock, as for the second being about Smith. The chorus seems to be the interrogation, when they say it feels like an honest goodbye, they admitted being the Killers, but they did not want to die lairs.

    Smith's paragraph makes him seem like he is a victim of society brushing him off and picking at him, most of us can relate to such things. As for Hickock the interrogator makes him seems like a 100% violent and angry human being, which was most likely not true considering is bringing he was intelligent. He could have been something if society had given him a chance, same with Smith.
    ihoodzon May 17, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentWell personally I think that a lot of people are products of our society, it's not a healthy thing. I mean if a kid is ostracized since a child, and is always picked on, he will loose compassion.
    ihoodzon July 27, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Commentihoodz is right, I'm not religious but in almost all cases a serial killer is changed forever by traumatic childhood experiences. If you've watched the american tv-series Dexter you'll know what I'm talking about. I know it's fiction, but it has a point and supressed memories are not unheard of.
    bubbson August 11, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Commenthow did you get so mean?

    best line in the song
    soul_doubton September 13, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentWhen I found out it was about the In Cold Blood book I laughed my ass off, I related it sooooo much to this terrible experience I had and I always thought I felt like me and Bret were going through the same thing, it kinda killed me inside cause this is one of my favorites
    Harrisonkleboldon September 27, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentMy favorite off the New Maps album. I just LOVE how Greg sings the " Oh to be forgiven but that wouldn't be right. " line. Best part of the song though is the second verse, obviously about Smith from In Cold Blood.
    sage_of_lighton November 10, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment"(Did you lie?) Causing such a fright"...that's the only line that confuses me. Not a fan of the band or the song, but I'd like to know about that line.
    IllToast2Thaton January 13, 2013   Link
  • -2
    General CommentSerial killers, cannot and will not become a part of society. They are fucked up in the head since they were born, they all have tendencies to dislike one of the family members, to the point that the first people they usually kill is their mom, torture animals as a little kid. They just aren't compassionate.
    WahidRocks510on July 07, 2007   Link

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