Origin of ‘goodbye’ comes from jolly/jovial old England

“Goodbye” – or a shortened version thereof – is a word we use daily to end a telephone conversation or to say “farewell, so long.”

Interestingly, the word “goodbye” is a contraction of sorts for a phrase that originated in England, “God be with ye.”

 

It was first written in correspondence by essayist, poet and scholar Gabriel Harvey in 1573.

 Harvey was born in 1545, in Saffron Walden, Essex, England, the eldest son of a master ropemaker. He was educated at Christ’s College, part of the University of Cambridge (shown below), and attained a law degree from the University of Oxford.

 

A talented wordsmith, Harvey has been credited with the coining or first use of several words that have settled into the English vocabulary, including “jovial,” “conscious,” “extensively,” “idiom,” “notoriety” and “rascality.”

The popular hymn “God Be with You till We Meet Again,” was written by Dr. Jeremiah Eames Rankin, who was born in 1828 in Thornton, N.H.

 

He graduated from Middlebury (Vt.) College and completed religious studies at Andover (Mass.) Theological Seminary in 1854. He was awarded a doctorate degree from Middlebury 1869 and became pastor of First Congregational Church in Washington, D.C.

Rankin was in his early 50s when he wrote the lyrics in 1880 to a hymn with the full knowledge of the etymology of “goodbye,” modernizing “God be with ye” to “God be with you.”

Dr. Rankin sent the lyrics to two musicians with an invitation to compose the music. Dr. Rankin selected the melody submitted by William Gould Tomer, a native of Warren County, N.J., who was serving as the music director of Grace Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., at the time.

 

“God Be with You…” became widely used in the evangelical campaigns conducted throughout North America and Europe by Dwight L. Moody (left) and his music director Ira D. Sankey.

Within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “God Be with You…” is the standard closing number during performances of the (Mormon) Tabernacle Choir and acts as a benediction to many of the General Conferences of the Church.

 

There are a ton of secular “goodbye songs” to keep us occupied for a spell.

“So Long, Farewell” is a catchy tune from “The Sound of Music” (1959), composed by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. 

It was performed by the von Trapp children during a formal party at the von Trapp household, serving as a polite, yet playful way to excuse themselves for bedtime. Each...from youngest to the oldest...sang a brief solo and then climbed the stairs.

 

“Happy Trails,” a country tune that became the theme song for both the radio and television versions of “The Roy Rogers Show,” starring Roy Rogers, the singing cowboy, and his wife, Dale Evans.

 

“Happy Trails” was originally written in 1951 by Foy Willing for the movie, “Spoilers of the Plains,” starring Roy Rogers with Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage. 

Subsequently, the first three notes of Willing’s song and the title were used by Dale Evans in her version of “Happy Trails,” released in 1962.

In the pop-folk music genre, perhaps the premier “goodbye song” is “Leaving on a Jet Plane” (1966), written and performed by John Denver. Its original title was “Babe I Hate to Go.”

 

He made several copies and gave them out as Christmas presents that year. Denver’s then-producer Milt Okun convinced him to change the title, renaming the record as “Leaving on a Jet Plane” in 1967.

In 1969, the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary covered the song, and the trio’s version hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, their most successful single.

 

We’ll load up the jukebox for another round.