A Long Goodbye – English Lyrics

• By: Brandi Carlile
• Album: Returning To Myself

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the reflective narrative of Brandi Carlile's "A Long Goodbye." As an English track, it offers rich vocabulary around introspection and personal growth, using vivid imagery about travel and life's detours to convey its profound message about being found after being lost.

[English]

Did you hear the one about the girl

Who'd never seen a cactus tree?

In her mind, she traveled around the world

But never saw a plane 'til 17

While knuckling the armrest only bound for Idaho

Hoping for the best, but you don't know what you don't know

That it only takes a window seat

To see the world was underwater too

And I only had to lose my way to be found by you

To be found by you

He went out the window on a New Year's Day

And shattered his body on a downtown street

Yeah, we're all just a broken heart away

From making a promise that we're forced to keep

Doing 90 in a 45 on Ambien and Jack

The spinning wheel makes a ticking sound

And sometimes it lands on black

Some kids make it home at night

And some kids never do

I almost had to lose my mind to be found by you

To be found by you

There's a picture of you on your grandma's wall

You and your hair are straight and light

It's just an awkward moment that's locked in time

But I can see Elijah in your eyes

What I wouldn't give to hold you in those days and still

What if we had broke up over Jagged Little Pill?

We don't curse the broken miles of age

That it takes to see this through

Yeah, I probably had to lose those years to be found by you

I know I had to lose my way to be found by you

In a moment, everything could change

Anything can change

Let it go

Keep it light

Let it snow

Let the wind blow all night

It's only life after all

It's a blink of an eye

It's a long goodbye

It's a long goodbye

It's a long

Goodbye

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
girl /ɡɜːrl/ A1	noun - a female child or young woman
cactus /ˈkæk.təs/ A2	noun - a type of plant that usually has thick, fleshy stem and spines
travel /ˈtræv.əl/ B1	verb - to go from one place to another, especially over a long distance
plane /pleɪn/ A2	noun - a powered flying vehicle with fixed wings
window /ˈwɪn.doʊ/ A1	noun - an opening in a wall or vehicle that allows light and air in
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - the organ that pumps blood in the body
promise /ˈprɒm.ɪs/ B1	noun - a declaration that one will do or not do something
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ A2	verb - to make or become different
life /laɪf/ A2	noun - the existence of living things
goodbye /ɡʊdˈbaɪ/ A1	noun - words used to express farewell

Key Grammar Structures

• Did you hear the one about the girl

  ➔ Inversion and indirect question

  ➔ The sentence begins with an auxiliary verb ('Did') followed by the subject ('you'). The phrase 'the one about the girl' creates an indirect question.

• Who'd never seen a cactus tree?

  ➔ Past perfect continuous and relative clause.

  ➔ The contraction "'d" stands for "had," indicating the past perfect. The relative clause "who'd never seen a cactus tree" modifies 'the girl'.

• But never saw a plane 'til 17

  ➔ Adverb placement, time conjunction 'til (until)

  ➔ The adverb 'never' is placed before the verb 'saw'. 'Til' is a shortened version of 'until'.

• While knuckling the armrest only bound for Idaho

  ➔ Present participle clause of time/manner, prepositional phrase 'bound for'

  ➔ 'Knuckling' is a present participle functioning as an adverbial clause. 'Bound for' indicates a destination.

• Doing 90 in a 45 on Ambien and Jack

  ➔ Gerund, prepositional phrases.

  ➔ 'Doing' functions as a gerund here, describing the action. Prepositional phrases like 'in a 45' and 'on Ambien and Jack' provide additional information.

• The spinning wheel makes a ticking sound

  ➔ Subject-verb agreement

  ➔ The singular subject 'wheel' agrees with the singular verb 'makes'.

• And sometimes it lands on black

  ➔ Subject-verb agreement and adverb of frequency

  ➔ The singular subject 'it' agrees with the singular verb 'lands'. 'Sometimes' is an adverb of frequency modifying the verb.

• What I wouldn't give to hold you in those days and still

  ➔ Conditional structure (would + infinitive) and adverb 'still'

  ➔ 'Wouldn't give' is a conditional construction. 'Still' functions as an adverb, indicating continuation.

• Yeah, I probably had to lose those years to be found by you

  ➔ Modal verb 'had to', infinitive of purpose, passive voice ('to be found')

  ➔ 'Had to' expresses necessity. 'To be found' is an infinitive of purpose. The passive voice is used.