Old Man
Farewell's Echo: Unveiling Life's Goodbye in Art Garfunkel's 'Old Man'
Lyrics
Everyone has gone away,
Expresses a sense of abandonment and loneliness as everyone has departed.
Can you hear me? Can you hear me?
Pleading for acknowledgment and connection, questioning if the old man can hear.
No one cared enough to stay,
Highlighting that no one cared enough to remain, indicating a lack of emotional support.
Can you hear me?
Reiterates the plea for recognition and connection.
You must remember me, old man,
Addressing the old man directly, urging him to remember the speaker.
I know that you can if you try,
Asserts the belief that the old man can remember with effort.
So just open up your eyes, old man,
Encouraging the old man to open his eyes metaphorically, possibly to the reality of the situation.
Look who's come to say, "Good-bye."
Announcing the speaker's presence and the intention to bid farewell.
The sun has left the sky, old man,
Describes a somber atmosphere with the departure of the sun and birds.
The birds have flown away,
Emphasizes the emptiness and lack of comfort in the old man's surroundings.
And no one came to cry old man,
Indicating that no one came to mourn or empathize with the old man.
Good-bye, Old Man, good-bye.
Repeats the farewell, reinforcing the finality of the departure.
You want to stay, I know you do,
Recognizes the old man's desire to stay but suggests it's futile to resist the inevitable.
But it ain't no use to try,
Asserts the inevitability of departure, emphasizing the speaker's enduring presence.
'Cause I'll be here, and I'm just like you.
Draws a parallel between the speaker and the old man, possibly in shared experiences or feelings.
Good-bye, old man, good-bye.
Reiterates the farewell, acknowledging the difficulty but emphasizing its necessity.
Won't be no God to comfort you,
Conveys a sense of spiritual or emotional desolation, suggesting a lack of divine comfort.
You taught me not to believe that lie.
Recalls a lesson from the old man, rejecting the notion of divine comfort or intervention.
You don't need anybody,
Declares the old man's independence and self-sufficiency.
Nobody needs you,
Emphasizes a reciprocal lack of need between the old man and others.
Don't cry, old man, don't cry.
Advises the old man not to cry, possibly acknowledging the difficulty of the situation.
Everybody dies.
Concludes with a universal truth about mortality, implying acceptance of the inevitable.
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