Singing Goodbye

Subject: Singing Goodbye
From: Bo W.
Date: 03 Jul 99 - 01:23 AM

Hi folks! I am a pastor who loves to use guitar and folk music (Weavers, Dylan, Paxton, and many others) to reflect on and glance off of the themes in my sermons. In a couple of weeks I will be leaving 2 faith communities that I have been very close to. I'm looking for a song that would be a gentle and thought-provoking way to say "goodbye" (say, the opposite side of the cynical scale from "Don't Think Twice" would be good). Somewhere there is a Bill Staines song called "The Years That Come to Pass" but I can't find the recording of it anywhere, let alone lyrics and music. Any suggestions?

Thanks, Bo

Subject: RE: Singing Goodbye
From: DonMeixner
Date: 03 Jul 99 - 01:30 AM

Hello Bo'

I like Hearth and Fire by Gordon Bok. But Sweet Song of Yesterday is great as well. Tom Paxton's Outward Bound is a great love song but love work well as parting songs too. Phil Ochs When I'm Gone and Changes are great and Circle Game is a winner as well.

Too many choices.

Don

Subject: RE: Singing Goodbye
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Jul 99 - 05:25 AM

Hi, Bo -
How 'bout the "preacher" verse of Woody Guthrie's SO LONG IT'S BEEN GOOD TO KNOW YUH?

The telephone rang. It jumped off the wall,
That was the preacher, a-makin' his call.
He said, "Kind friends, this may the end
You have your last chance at salvation from sin!"

Well, the churches was jammed and the churches was packed,
But that dusty old dust storm it blew so black
That the preacher could not read a word of his text,
So he folded his specs, took up a collection, (Sayin'...)

A couple I'm partial to are All the Good People and IT'S A PLEASURE TO KNOW YOU (click here). For "Pleasure," change the 'we'll share' to 'we've shared.' If you put @parting in the search box on this page, you'll search our database for songs in the "parting" category, and you'll come up with lots.
Noel Paul Stookey did a wonderful rendition of the "Irish Blessing" (may the roads rise to meet you...), but it requires a pretty good vocal range. I can e-mail you a recording if you have RealPlayer G2. When I was in the seminary, our choir did a setting of the blessing from Numbers 6:24, but I never quite got the tune right myself.

May the Lord bless you and keep you;
May the Lord make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Singing Goodbye
From: The Shambles
Date: 03 Jul 99 - 07:43 AM

Food for thought here PARTING SONGS

Subject: RE: Singing Goodbye
From: Jeri
Date: 03 Jul 99 - 07:57 AM

But does anyone know where he can find the Bill Staines song he's looking for?

Subject: RE: Singing Goodbye
From: Tiger
Date: 03 Jul 99 - 08:26 AM

This is from the Folk Music Index.

Years That Come to Pass - Daring, Mason / Stahl, Jeanie
Staines, Bill; with Guy Van Duser.
Old Wood and Winter Wine, Mineral River MRR-1003,1004, LP (1977), cut# 11

Subject: RE: Singing Goodbye
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Jul 99 - 12:49 PM

Click Here to hear a clip of Jeanie Stahl's recording of "The Years That Come to Pass." What a pretty song! I'll transcribe the lyrics and post them within the hour. The album is Stahl's Mysteries, on the Daring Records label (distributed by Rounder). It's a terrific album.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: ADD: The Years That Come to Pass
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Jul 99 - 01:10 PM

The Years That Come To Pass
Jeanie Stahl and Mason Daring
©Daring Music/ASCAP
(first recorded by Bill Staines)

[Chorus]
Goodbye, we'll meet again
In the years that come to pass
Goodbye, farewell, a dream that never ends
Still lives in the love that we had.

Oh, the miles that may come between us again
The lovers that we might find
Can never cast a shadow on the memory of you
I'd never leave that memory behind.
[Chorus]

If our lives should chance to cross once again
This time, with no strings attached
Well, life is like the river that races to the sea
There's never time nor tide to turn it back.

Goodbye. Goodbye.

If you hear of a lady who sings
Of someone both tender and true
Remember that the lady remembers her love
Know that the lover was you.
[Chorus]

JRO

^^ Bo, if you have RealPlayer G2, I can e-mail you a recording. Just click on my name and send me an e-mail.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Singing Goodbye
From: John Nolan
Date: 03 Jul 99 - 04:24 PM

The Makem Boys sing a version of a Goodnight/River Jordan song they got from Bill Staines (who happens to live in the next town to them.) Another great version of that same Goodnight song with lines like: "A's for the Ark that wonderful boat," was done by the Incredible String Band...if this rings a bell with anybody, who wrote the original? And could you maybe post the words, please? It's also a good song, I think, for a good-bye evening in a church.

Subject: RE: Singing Goodbye
From: Bo W.
Date: 04 Jul 99 - 11:35 PM

Thanks and blessings to you all for the help. Lots of good leads here - thanks again!!

Bo