Farewell and Goodnight

What completes this already-great song and masterpiece of an album is the coda played on piano that fades out to end the album. If you haven't already noticed, it mimics the chord progression in Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (the opening track) but a couple steps higher...

I know, not much on song "meaning," but I am fascinated with how great albums begin and end. And this album is no exception, as the ending bit leaves you right where you began--albeit, with a feeling like you've just got off the world's largest emotional rollercoaster and it was the most exhilirating experience of your life.

such a beautiful song, such a simple meaning: MCIS is a concept album about the cycle of life and death... so if you listen to this song and the you listen to MCIS(song not the album) you will notice that this song ends with the same piano piece that Mellon Collie starts with.... if you dont get it yet ill clear it 4 ya, this song is about death and about the bittersweet taste of it, on one side you are sad cuz a loved person just died, but in the other hand you could be happy for that person cuz it means that its a new beginning for that person (in case you believe in God)...

SP's tribute to the Beatles last song on the White Album. Beautifully done. I can listen to this song over and over. D'arcy's voice is mesmerizing.

This song is about suicide. it refers to ending the pain of loneliness by committing suicide. The pain of his loneliness is evident when he refers to his heart being "frayed and empty" because "no one understands your love". He further describes his empty, lonely feelings by saying "the sun shines but I don't." He then says "a silver rain will wash away" which is him describing his solution to end the pain. The "silver rain" refers to a hail of bullets. By shooting himself he will end the pain. The verses that say "Goodnight, my love, to every hour in every day" are his way of saying goodbye to the one that he dreamed of being in love with. He's saying goodbye to all the hours they could have spent together that they won't now since he will be dead. When he says goodnight to "all that's pure that's in your heart" he's referring to his dream of a pure, innocent love that is now gone, destroyed by the cruel reality of loneliness and unfulfilled love. The other verses that say things such as "sleep tight" and "may your dreams be so happy" refer to his hope and belief that in death he will find the peace he has not found in life. The "sleep" he mentions is referring to death. When he says "may it hold you through the winter of a long night, and keep you from the loneliness of yourself" he's saying he hopes that death will end the pain of loneliness he's felt. This song is very very sad. It uses a beautiful lullaby like sound to evoke thoughts of innocence....his dream of a pure, innocent love. The sound and even the lyrics on the surface seem innocent but they are deceiving because beneath them you see his anguish and pain at being lonely and unloved which he intends to end by washing them away with a "silver rain" of bullets.

A beautiful lullaby to curl up and sleep to after your heart has been broken.

Billy is such a talented lyricist. I seriously believe that he is the best living lyricist. His music is also awesome. He knows how to tear on your heartstrings. This song is sooo good, it just grabs the listener, and doesn't let them go. I love this song

Billy sounds so bitter when he says, "And you can tell, it's just as well." All hope is lost so good-night to anything pure that's left in you...

I kinda always thought this song was about killing yerself..about leaving someone alone..about wanting them to be okay after yer gone...

I agree with Westsideduck. I can see that in this song. Not neccessarily killing yourself (but that also works), but maybe wanting someone else to be happy more than yourself, like loving someone so much that their happiness is all that matters.

I agree with everyone...