Goodbye (She Quietly Says) – English Lyrics

• By: Frank Sinatra
• Album: Watertown

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the profound emotional depth of Frank Sinatra's "Goodbye (She Quietly Says)," a masterclass in understated storytelling. This song offers a unique opportunity to experience how language can convey immense sadness and resignation through subtle nuances, making it perfect for understanding the emotional power of English lyrics. Discover the quiet heartbreak in a narrative that encourages a deeper appreciation for the artistry of song.

Key Grammar Structures

• It's just another way of saying "I love you"

  ➔ Gerund after preposition

  ➔ The verb "saying" is in its gerund form (verb + -ing) and functions as a noun, acting as the object of the preposition "of". This structure is common after prepositions.

• A secret shared, that only we know

  ➔ Reduced relative clause (past participle as adjective) and defining relative clause

  ➔ "shared" is a past participle used as an adjective to modify "secret", effectively shortening the relative clause "a secret *that is* shared". The phrase "that only we know" is a defining relative clause providing essential information about the secret.

• A tear may fall, a heart may break

  ➔ Modal verb "may" for possibility

  ➔ The modal verb "may" is used here to express possibility or uncertainty about future events. It suggests that these actions *might* happen, but it's not a certainty.

• But in her eyes, a promise lies

  ➔ Inversion for emphasis (locative inversion)

  ➔ This sentence demonstrates locative inversion, where a prepositional phrase of place ("in her eyes") comes before the verb ("lies") and the subject ("a promise") for poetic effect and emphasis. The standard word order would be "But a promise lies in her eyes."

• Of future meetings, 'neath the skies

  ➔ Archaic preposition and noun phrase

  ➔ "'neath" is an archaic or poetic form of "beneath" or "under". "future meetings" is a noun phrase where "future" acts as an adjective modifying the noun "meetings".

• But in my soul, a fire burns

  ➔ Inversion for emphasis (locative inversion)

  ➔ Similar to "in her eyes, a promise lies", this is another example of locative inversion. The prepositional phrase "in my soul" precedes the verb "burns" and the subject "a fire" for emphasis. The standard order would be "But a fire burns in my soul."

• Though miles may keep us far apart

  ➔ Conjunction of concession ("Though") and phrasal verb

  ➔ The conjunction "Though" introduces a subordinate clause that expresses a contrast or concession. It means "despite the fact that". "keep us far apart" is a phrasal verb with an object, meaning to maintain distance between people.

• Until we meet, eternally

  ➔ Subordinate clause of time and adverb of manner

  ➔ "Until we meet" is a subordinate clause that specifies the time when an action or state will cease or an event will occur. "eternally" is an adverb of manner, describing *how* they will meet (or how long the state will last).