Here are more ‘goodbye songs’ to take for a spin

Surely, there are thousands of contemporary “goodbye songs” that invoke emotions of sadness and grief, running the full spectrum from teenage romance breakups to the tragic loss of a loved one.

One all-time favorite “goodbye song” that topped the hit parade more than 100 years ago was “Toot, Toot, Tootsie (Goo’ Bye!)” from 1922. 

The tune, first recorded by Al Jolson with Frank Crumit & His Orchestra, debuted in the Broadway musical “Bombo.” Tootsie’s songwriters included Gus Kahn, Ernie Erdman, Danny Russo, Ted Fio Rito and Robert A. King.

“See You Later, Alligator” came along in 1955, written by singer-songwriter Bobby Charles (shown above) and first recorded by Roy Hall (“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On”) (shown below).

 

However, the version of the song performed by Bill Haley & His Comets (“Rock Around the Clock”) was a chartbuster in 1956.

 

At some point, an adaptation of “See You Later, Alligator” became a standard rhyming song for American preschoolers.

 

It goes like this:

See you later alligator, after a while crocodile.

Blow a kiss jellyfish, give a hug ladybug.

See you soon, big baboon,

Out the door, dinosaur,

Take care, polar bear,

Wave goodbye, butterfly.

(A copyright on the sheet music was issued in 2020 to Megan Desmarais of teachpreschoolmusic.com in Tulsa, Okla.)

Interestingly, singer-songwriter Paul Simon said he was teaching his own son, Harper, how to make rhymes, in 1975, when the lyrics for “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” popped into his head.

Here’s a bit of it:

There must be 50 ways to leave your lover:

You just slip out the back, Jack

Make a new plan, Stan

You don’t need to be coy, Roy

Hop on the bus, Gus

You don’t need to discuss much

Just drop off the key, Lee

And get yourself free.

The 1960s may have been rock’n’roll music’s “golden era” for “goodbye songs,” starting off with “Hit the Road Jack” in 1960, written and recorded by rhythm and blues singer Percy Mayfield.

The song rocketed up the charts, though, in 1961, when it was covered by Ray Charles and Margie Hendrix, who was a member of the Raelettes, an all-girl vocal group.

 

A few other top “goodbye” songs from the 1960s that bring back memories are:

“I Fall to Pieces” (1961) by Patsy Cline, written by Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard.

 

“Sealed with a Kiss” (1962) by Brian Hyland, written by Peter Udell and Gary Geld. (The original recording was released by the Four Voices in 1960.)

 

“The End of the World” (1962) by Skeeter Davis , written by Arthur Kent and Sylvia Dee.

 

“It’s My Party” (1963) by Lesley Gore, written by Herb Weiner, John Gluck Jr., Wally Gold and Seymour Gottlieb.

 

“Hello Heartache, Goodbye Love” (1963) by Little Peggy March, written by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore and George David Weiss.

 

“Dead Man’s Curve” (1964) by Jan & Dean, written by Brian Wilson, Jan Berry, Roger Christian and Artie Kornfeld.

 

“The Tracks of My Tears” (1965) by the Miracles, written by group members Smokey Robinson, Pete Moore and Marv Tarplin. (Rolling Stone magazine ranked the Miracles’ original recording as “The Greatest Motown Song of All Time.”)

 

“See You in September” (1966) by The Happenings, written by Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards. (It was first recorded by The Tempos in 1959.)

 

“(I Know) I’m Losing You” (1966) by The Temptations, written by Cornelius Grant, Eddie Holland and Norman Whitfield.

 

(Other notable versions of the song were performed by Rare Earth in 1970 and Rod Stewart in 1971.)

Let the countdown continue….