Western songs about saying “goodbye” — perfect for bereavement or a departed lover

HurtChristina Aguilera

Christina Aguilera – Hurt (Official Video)

Christina Aguilera is an American R&B singer whose powerful vocals made her popular from the 1990s through the 2000s.

She can do it all, from dance music to ballads.

Among her songs, one I especially recommend is Hurt.

Released in 2006, this track portrays a woman’s bittersweet feelings as she looks back on memories with a former lover and finds herself longing for him.

Its abstract lyrics also make it relatable for those who have experienced bereavement.

Let it beThe Beatles

The Beatles – Let It Be

The Beatles’ classic “Let It Be.” It’s such a famous song that it even appears in Japanese school textbooks, but in fact, it was released a month after the Beatles had effectively broken up.

Although they split due to differences in direction, their final song, “Let It Be,” can still be called a masterpiece.

With strong religious overtones, this work features abstract lyrics that depict a state of mind when facing some kind of parting.

Personally, I suspect it portrays how one might feel when approaching death.

One Day Goodbye Will Be FarewellMorrissey

Morrissey – One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell

When you become dependent on what you love, what follows is frightening.

Morrissey’s “One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell,” with its philosophical content, was one of the songs that won overwhelming support from the beatnik-affected youth of the time.

I may be able to love you now, but I might not be able to love you tomorrow.

It became the spokesperson for such precarious youths.

SAYONARAMary MacGregor

Mary MacGregor “Sayonara” (Farewell to Galaxy Express 999)

This is the ending theme of the film Farewell to Space Battleship Galaxy Express 999, created by American singer Mary MacGregor, who topped the U.

S.

charts in 1976 with her smash hit Torn Between Two Lovers.

For this animated film released in August 1981, she wrote both the lyrics and the music, resulting in a roughly five-and-a-half-minute ballad featuring an impressive, grand orchestration by the Los Angeles Symphony.

The lyrics, which sing of the sorrow of parting and the hope that follows, are carried by her delicate and emotionally rich vocals, and together with the movie’s final scene, they leave a deep impression on the audience.

Showcasing the power of music to transcend borders, this masterpiece is recommended not only for anime fans but also for lovers of Western pop.

Sad VacationJohnny Thunders

Johnny Thunders – Sad Vacation 1984

Sorry I can’t say anything more; it turned into a sad vacation.

Johnny Thunders’ “Sad Vacation” is known as a farewell song to Sid Vicious.

Though Johnny Thunders is known as an evangelist of punk, this song is mostly performed solo with just voice and guitar, and its melancholic melody has made it a beloved piece.

San TropezPink Floyd

San Tropez

Dreams and hopes that slipped from my love.

Pink Floyd’s “San Tropez” is a complex song whose philosophical and cerebral lyrics allow for multiple interpretations.

Although it’s a relatively little-known tune included on the album Meddle, its introspective world is highly captivating.

Exit MusicRadiohead

Radiohead Exit Music live (high audio quality)

It’s so cold here; we smile, and wrapped in an unending peace that will never fade, we finally become one.

Radiohead’s Exit Music, which portrays Romeo and Juliet—who could only be joined in death—has become one of the most highly regarded songs among Thom Yorke’s lyrics.