Say Hello Wave Goodbye

So, I actually think this song is about a man who has fallen in love with another man.

"Standing at the door of the Pink Flamingo crying in the rain" I've seen a lot of Pink Flamingo's in my day, but never one that wasn't a gay bar...

"And I'm going to make sure it doesn't happen again You and I had to be the standing joke of the year"

He could be saying that he's terrified of what people think of him and he doesn't want to admit that he's gay.

"Under the deep red lights I can see the makeup sliding down Well hey little girl you will always make up So take off that unbecoming frown As for me, well, I'll find someone who's not going cheap in the sales A nice little housewife who'll give me the steady life And not keep going off the rails"

I get the impression that he met his lover (who dressed in drag) at a gay bar. He can't admit to himself that he is gay, and that is why he is lashing out so vengefully at his partner, calling him cheap and overly dramatic. In the last lines of this verse he claims that he is going to find "a nice little housewife" because he wants a life that people will perceive as normal more than he wants to be true to himself.

"Take a look in my face for the last time I never knew you, you never knew me Say hello, goodbye Say hello and wave goodbye"

The author is renouncing any connection to the love which he sees as forbidden. It's not enough to end the relationship, he wants to hurt his partner, he wants to erase any trace of the feelings that he can't come to grips with. It's sad really...

Just my interpretation, but take into account that Marc Almond, the lead singer of Soft Cell is gay.

Ok so, my interpretation of this is that it's a song about a man breaking up with who a woman, who is a stripper. It's also possible that the verses are sung from the man's perspective, and the chorus from the womans.

Here's my logic: . The first verse mostly describes how the relationship could never be "real" due to the work. The Pink Flamingo is the club she works at (and oddly, from a bit of googling, a strip club in the Sims games?).

The chorus hints more at the job: "Take your hands off me, heyyy". This is what makes me believe that the chorus is potentially from the woman's perspective.

Verse two goes into how they tried to have a normal relationship, perhaps go to dinner etc, but it didn't really work. "You're used to wearing less and now your lifes a mess" - More hints at the possibility of her being a stripper. Also, the 'scenes' being the drama that comes with that line of work.

Going onto the third verse, I believe the "deep red lights" are referring to the red lighting often found in strip clubs and the makeup - well, that speaks for itself. "I'll find someone who's not going cheap in the sales" meaning that he wants someone that can't just easily be paid for.

As someone else said, it could quite easily be a song about a man in a relationship with a prostitute rather than a stripper, but the references to the club and the fact she's used to wearing less make me believe it's about a stripper instead.

Sorry if this was hard to follow, I'm very sleepy - but that's my interpretation. Make from it what you will!

great song. one of my favorites by him. (even though he didn't write the lyrics) where are the van morrison lyric parts to this song at the end?!

I dont really like the lyrings, but without reading them they're not immediately understandable anyway. I really like the sound of it, the say hello, wave goodbye parts and how it's 9some minutes.

"You were the owner of the lost and found" should be "You were a runaround, a lost and found". "Take them off in my face" should be "Take a look in my face". "This is one scene that started to replace my world" should be "This is one scene that's going to repave my way" (at least I think it says "repave"). "who's not gonna cheapen sale" sounds more like "who's not going cheap for sale".

This is a cover of a song by Soft Cell.

The lyrics at the end sound like:

Say goodbye Say goodbye

We were born for the wind Who are we to understand We were born before the wind Say goodbye

In the rain hail sleet and snow Say goodbye Get on the train, train, train Say goodbye Say goodbye Say goodbye Say goodbye In the wind and the rain my darling Say goodbye In the wind and the rain my darling

The line "We were born before the wind" is from Van Morrison, "Into the Mystic."

The perfect ending (or second-last song) to White Ladder, and one of its 3 best songs.

these lyrics are WAY off. someone should find a new set

These are the lyrics I found, and modified to the version I own.

<><><><><><><>

Standing at the door of the Pink Flamingo crying in the rain It was a kind of so-so love And I'm going to make sure it doesn't happen again You and I had to be the standing joke of the year You were a run around, a lost and found And not for me, I fear

Take your hands off me, hey I don't belong to you, you see Take a look at my face for the last time I never knew you, you never knew me Say hello, goodbye Say hello and wave goodbye

We tried to make it work, you in a cocktail skirt And me in a suit, but it just wasn't me You're used to wearing less, and now you're life's a mess So insecure, you see Well I've put up with all the scenes And this is one scene that's going to be played my way

Take your hands off me, please I don't belong to you, you see And take a look at my face for the last time I never knew you, you never knew me Say hello, goodbye Say hello and wave goodbye Say hello and wave goodbye

Under the deep red lights I can see the makeup sliding down Well hey little girl you will always make up So take off that unbecoming frown As for me, well, I'll find someone who's not going cheap in the sales A nice little housewife who'll give me the steady life And not keep going off the rails

Take your hands off me, please I don't belong to you, you see Take a look at my face for the last time I never knew you, you never knew me Say hello, goodbye Say hello and wave goodbye Say hello and wave goodbye Say hello and wave goodbye Wave goodbye Say hello and wave goodbye Say hello, wave goodbye Goodbye Say goodbye Say goodbye

We were born before the wind Who are we to understand We were born before the wind Say goodbye Through the rain, hail, sleet, and snow Say goodbye Get on the train Say goodbye Say goodbye Say goodbye Say goodbye In the wind and the rain, now, darling Say goodbye In the wind and the rain, now, darling

i love this song because it has such empathy to it and feel that everyone can relate 2 it in sum way. I mean its obv. about breaking up wiv sum1..but its obv. that hes over her and wants 2 find sum one he can settle down wiv "A nice little housewife who'll give me the steady life"

I love this song. It is such a sad but uplifting song. It always makes me feel a little better, but worse. I love his voice. It is soothing. I'm listening to it right now! It's having to leave someone, like a little fling, but actually feeling something strong for them, and you know that it won't work. But how hard is it to break up with someone you really love? That is how it is in this song, well that is what i get from it. it is just a great song!

Well just from reading the lyrics... it sounds like the persona is in love with a prostitute..

"someone who's not going cheap in the sales"

"Under the deep red lights" - a reference to the red-light district perhaps?

"We tried to make it work...You're used to wearing less" - perhaps she tried to go clean to make things work out with the persona - but ultimately failed.

Actually, the more I read it, the more it looks that way. I guess it could just be a metaphor for being in love with someone, but it just doesn't ultimately work out because you're too different from one another.

Kind of like that fatal-flaw that seems to split relationships apart.

If you think about it like that.. then the song is quite sad, as the persona ultimately gives up on his love.. and settles for the "steady life"

Just my interpretation.