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Goodnight, Dear John

1. At the end of the day
There's nothing more to be said
I shut off the lights and go to bed
Goodnight, dear John.

2. No more letters to send
For the address has changed
I whisper to the stars out of range
Goodnight, dear John.

I spent my life digging my own grave
You fell in and left me standing in the rain
Farewell to war and all that pain.

3. In the morning I'll marvel
How things change yet stay the same
I smile when I call your name
Goodnight, dear John.
Goodnight, dear John.

© April 2007 Vondelle L. Hebert, revised September 2012

This one is another take on the proverbial "Dear John" letter. Sure would be interesting to know if there was one actual letter which inspired the saying. Maybe I'll try to Google it once I am done here.

Hi Brian,

Yes, it would be interesting to read if there is an original letter that inspired the saying.

With this, I was interested in expressing the thought that he is the one doing the leaving because he was killed.

Thanks for stopping in.

[quote=Vondelle]Goodnight, Dear Joh

I spent my life digging my own grave
You fell in and left me standing in the rain
Farewell to war and all that pain.

These lines are vague as to who is speaking or who is to blame.

Love the whole concept though. Also like you're minimalist yet personal approach.

Pam

Hi Pam,

Thanks for letting me know that those lines were vague and made you wonder who was speaking or who is to blame. My intention with the bridge was that this is where she expresses anger because he has died. Musically, I do this, but I think the first two lines of the bridge may be distracting. How is this to correct that?

"You said farewell to war and all that pain
The telegram they sent left me standing in the rain"

As I was thinking about changing this, it struck me that I have covered all the stages of grief here except maybe bargaining.

Again, thanks for the feedback.

Vondelle

Vondelle, Yes the new lines are clearer.

This is a powerful, emotion filled song. So glad to hear you're following it thru.

Pam

Short, sad and sweet. This could be quite good with the right musical arrangement. The only line I have trouble with (and it's a very small thing) is: "For the address has changed". Up to that point, and throughout, your lyric has a very real and conversational feel. Just my opinion, but I would drop the "for" at the beginning of the line. If you are trying to create a moment that sounds genuine, I'm not sure how many people would actually speak that way. Over all, for a short piece, I think you struck a nerve and a sentiment that is very relatable. Best of luck.

Tom

Hi Tom,

Finally taking a break to spend some time here. Thanks for the feedback.

Vondelle