Goodnight Irene
Love's Struggles and Riverside Dreams: Goodnight Irene's Melodic Tale
Lyrics
Well Irene, goodnight Irene, Irene goodnight
Expressing farewell to Irene, wishing her a good night.
Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene
Repetition of bidding Irene goodnight.
I'll see you in my dreams
Expressing the hope of seeing Irene in the dream world.
Last Saturday I got married
Narrating the speaker's recent marriage on the previous Saturday.
Me and the wife settled down
Describing the settling down of the speaker and his wife.
Now me and my wife we are parted
Revealing the separation between the speaker and his wife.
I think I'll go out on the town
Contemplating going out on the town after the separation.
'Cause sometimes I live in the country
Reflecting on living in both the country and town.
Sometimes I live in the town
Expressing the speaker's internal conflict and restlessness.
Sometimes I take that great notion to jump in the river and drown
Conveying a moment of despair, contemplating a drastic decision.
Irene goodnight Irene, Irene goodnight
Repeating the farewell to Irene.
Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene
Reiterating the bid of goodnight to Irene.
I'll see you in my dreams
Repeating the hope of meeting Irene in dreams.
I love Irene, God knows I do
Declaring the speaker's love for Irene.
I'll love her 'till the seas run dry
Expressing the depth of the speaker's love for Irene.
If Irene should ever turn me down
Conveying a willingness to resort to extreme measures if rejected by Irene.
I'd take morphine and die
Expressing the severity of the speaker's emotional response.
Irene goodnight Irene, Irene goodnight
Repeating the farewell to Irene.
Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene
Reiterating the bid of goodnight to Irene.
I'll see you in my dreams
Repeating the hope of meeting Irene in dreams.
Stop rambling, stop gambling
Advising to stop certain behaviors like rambling and gambling.
Stop staying out all night
Further advising to refrain from staying out all night.
Go home to your wife and your baby
Encouraging the listener to return home to family.
And stay by your fireside bright
Advocating for domesticity and staying by the fireside.
So Irene goodnight Irene, Irene goodnight
Repeating the farewell to Irene.
Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene
Reiterating the bid of goodnight to Irene.
I'll see you in my dreams
Repeating the hope of meeting Irene in dreams.
Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene
Final bid of goodnight to Irene.
I'll see you in my dreams
Repeating the hope of meeting Irene in dreams as a closing statement.
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