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

Under The BridgeRed Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Under The Bridge [Video]

I never want to feel like I did that day, and I never want to go back under the downtown bridge.

Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge” is a tearful song that expresses a farewell to my former self.

It offers a glimpse into Anthony’s life shaped by a harrowing upbringing.

Candle In The WindElton John

Candle In The Wind (Live In Australia)

Goodbye, Norma Jean.

From a young man seated in row 22.

Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind” is a farewell song that candidly expresses his admiration for Marilyn Monroe.

Sometimes parting with one’s idol can tear the heart apart and transform that pain into a sentimental song like this.

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.

Last GoodbyeJeff Buckley

Jeff Buckley – Last Goodbye (Official Video)

You can tell that the love between the two is dying.

Jeff Buckley’s “Last Goodbye” is also a masterpiece that poignantly depicts a breakup between a man and a woman.

The lyrics—worrying, “Will your face start appearing every time I dream?”—are full of lines that any man who has gone through a breakup can’t help but nod along to.

Leave Me in the DarkAlexander Stewart

Alexander Stewart – Leave Me in the Dark (Official Music Video)

“Leave Me in the Dark,” sung by Alexander Stewart, is another must-check-out track.

This slow ballad centers on heartbreak and portrays a woman laying bare her feelings for a man who has left her.

A distinctive aspect is the somewhat hazy situation where she doesn’t understand why he walked away.

Try listening as you overlay that unresolved frustration with the loneliness of the breakup.

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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.

Under Cover of DarknessThe Strokes

The Strokes – Under Cover of Darkness (Official Video)

Don’t go over there; I’ve been waiting for you all this time.

The Strokes’ ‘Under Cover of Darkness’ became a long-awaited track for fans marking the band’s return from their hiatus.

They recaptured their original band sound and deliver lyrics with a decadent theme.

Farewell, my friends and armies.