Parting songs

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: GUEST,PHJim
Date: 02 Oct 25 - 03:23 PM

BYE BYE from John Hartford's Morning Bugle LP

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 01 Oct 25 - 03:23 AM

Jim James, UK blues/ folk singer/ musician/ songwriter wrote a wonderful piece called "( The Time for ) The Going Home Song" . It's even been recorded in Polish! Jim, unfortunately, died September 2025.

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Sep 25 - 04:32 AM

A very old song; from before c590BC (or BCE - Before Church of England as it's called these days). It commemorates the departure of the great Athenian lawmaker after he proclaimed the city's first code of laws, it's said so that he couldn't be persuaded to repeal them.

Solon, it's been good to know ya...

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: GUEST,Sean O'Shea
Date: 30 Sep 25 - 02:09 AM

So pass the cup around, brave lads,
If you've to steal or borrow.
For perhaps we may not meet again tomorrow.

The last verse of my favourite traditional parting song FOR PERHAPS WE MAY NOT MEET AGAIN TOMORROW.

Chorus;For perhaps we may not, for perhaps we may not,
For perhaps we may not meet again tomorrow.

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: GUEST,Tom Patterson
Date: 29 Sep 25 - 06:50 AM

"Keep You In Peace" by Sarah Morgan.

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: GUEST,johnmc
Date: 29 Sep 25 - 06:02 AM

"Until we meet again" by Dougie Maclean.

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: GUEST,saulgoldie
Date: 26 Sep 25 - 07:32 AM

Just realized that I have a few adds.

"Sing Me a Song" done by The Mill Run Dulcimer Band
"Damn the Man That Dares to Let My Farewell Party Die" John Denver
"While I'm Here" Phil Ochs
"Leaving on a Jet Plane." sung by Peter, Paul, and Mary
"Last Thing On My Mind" Tom Paxton
"Early Morning Rain" Gordon Lightfoot.

Coupla these may be a bit of a stretch. But they have been sung at various events I have been at over the years.

Thanks to all for the others. I had to go back and listen to "Last Call." And "I Hold Your Hand in Mine" is a great reminder.


Saul

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 26 Sep 25 - 06:13 AM

Quite awhile back I participated in a monthly Bluegrass jam and we'd finish up with with a pair of young ladies singing Hazel Dicken's Won't you Come and Sing For Me? and everyone would join in on the chorus, even the banjo players.

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 26 Sep 25 - 05:47 AM

https://youtu.be/3xz9z6Qfm90?si=hAMfs_PqtkWUqWFx    Recorded about a year before my major stroke.

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 26 Sep 25 - 05:33 AM

I often sung 'The Parting Glass' at end of evening.

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: GerryM
Date: 25 Sep 25 - 08:24 PM

The mentions of "Goodnight, Irene" have triggered flashbacks to junior high school dances where the teacher in charge always played that for the last dance.

I find that "I Hold Your Hand in Mine" gets people moving toward the exits quite reliably.

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: GUEST,PHJim
Date: 25 Sep 25 - 03:27 PM

- TILL WE MEET AGAIN - Richard A. Whiting & Raymond B. Egan 1918
- WE'LL MEET AGAIN - Ross Parker & Hughie Charles 1939
- HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU - Dale Evans 1951
- THE PARTING GLASS - P.D.
- RESTLESS FAREWELL - Bob Dylan's alteration of PARTING GLASS
- I BID YOU GOODNIGHT - P.D.
- GOODNIGHT IRENE (or IRENE GOODNIGHT) - Huddie Ledbetter 1933
- THE BONNIE BANKS OF LOCH LOMOND - P.D.

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: GUEST,Jack Campin
Date: 25 Sep 25 - 11:12 AM

"Happy we've been a' thegither", Scots song from the Borders made popular by Willie Scott.

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: GUEST,Geoff Keyes
Date: 24 Sep 25 - 08:53 PM

How about Last Call by Dave Van Ronk

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: Elmore
Date: 21 Nov 14 - 11:22 PM

"River" by Bill Staines is his parting song, followed these days by "And I Bid You Goodnight", his encore. Both are excellent parting songs.

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: topical tom
Date: 21 Nov 14 - 05:55 PM

My favourite of this genre is "The Parting Glass", I believe a scottish song? Very moving.

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: GUEST,John from Kemsing
Date: 21 Nov 14 - 09:19 AM

Here` a beautiful "parting song". The words and music of John Wallace.

https://soundcloud.com/johnhhills/epilogue

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: Joe_F
Date: 20 Nov 14 - 08:28 PM

Meetings of the Boston Area Chantey and Maritime Singers always end with A Seaman's Hymn by A. L. Lloyd.

Will Ye No Come Back Again is (I understand) a popular parting song among Scottish singers.

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 20 Nov 14 - 06:20 PM

Barley Mow is a great finisher, especially if sufficient ale has been quaffed

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: Vixen
Date: 20 Nov 14 - 12:37 PM

Goodnight Irene...
Happy Trails To You...
One I call Drink Up and Go Home--"Don't tell me your troubles / got enough of my own / be thankful you're livin' / drink up and go home"

Just a few I've heard lately...

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 20 Nov 14 - 04:20 AM

Dave Webber's Parting Song.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 20 Nov 14 - 03:40 AM

For me there's two 1) The Farewell Shanty and 2) Bide a while by Tom Yates

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: GUEST,mollymal
Date: 20 Nov 14 - 03:40 AM

thanks. This is great.and ta for titbits about mountain thyme.Ilove parting glass as long as it's not turned into a hymn.Cyril Tawney's song looks promising.

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 20 Nov 14 - 03:13 AM

The traditional Irish song ' The Parting Glass ' is top of my list.

Dave H

Subject: ADD: Parting Friends (Sacred Harp)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Nov 14 - 02:05 AM

One of the nicest Sacred Harp parting songs is this:

PARTING FRIENDS

Farewell, my friends, I'm bound for Canaan,
I'm trav'ling through the wilderness;
Your company has been delightful,
You, who doth leave my mind distressed.*
I go away, behind to leave you,
Perhaps never to meet again,
But if we never have the pleasure,
I hope we'll meet on Canaan's land.

(*alt: You do not leave my mind distressed)

267 in the 1991 Sacred Harp book

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIWR5nEXMUI

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: Leadfingers
Date: 19 Nov 14 - 07:11 PM

Show me the Way to Go Home Straight , then 'posh' (Indicate the way etc) , then Gibberish ( Go me the way to show home etc)

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: Dennis the Elder
Date: 19 Nov 14 - 07:04 PM

Parting glass, I like George Donaldsons version

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 19 Nov 14 - 06:40 PM

A certain (no longer current) morris side would end their Sunday night sessions with a singularly depressing rendering of 'On a Monday Morning':

ON A MONDAY MORNING
(Cyril Tawny)

Too soon to be out of me bed,
Too soon to be back to this bus queue caper,
Fumbling for change for me picture paper,
On a Monday morning.

Oh, where has the weekend gone?
Oh, where are the wine and the beer I tasted?
Gone the same way as the pay I wasted,
On a Monday morning.

If only the birds were booze,
If only the sun was a party giver,
If I could just give someone else me liver,
On a Monday morning.

My lover she lies asleep,
My lover is warm, and her heart is mellow,
I'd give the whole world just to share her pillow,
On a Monday morning.

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: RobbieWilson
Date: 19 Nov 14 - 06:08 PM

It's because when he got back to Ireland from Glasgow Jimmy McPeake couldn't remember the words to Braes O' Balquidder and made up some of his own

Incidentally here is a link   old thread( one of many)

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 19 Nov 14 - 05:48 PM

It's just a good song that seems to have become a standard for rounding off an evening/festival. Plenty of audience participation/harmonies etc. Will you go with us to the mountains to pluck the heather?

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: GUEST,mollymal
Date: 19 Nov 14 - 05:43 PM

ta for those.Wild mountain thyme is very popular as a last song but I often wonder why because it doesn't really seem to be about leaving   our going home. Come to think of it Ive never really understood why the chorus keeps asking her if she"ll go?!

Subject: RE: Parting songs
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 19 Nov 14 - 05:17 PM

Various 'Rolling Home' songs. 'Wild Mountain Thyme', 'Now is the Hour'. 'Merrily we roll along/Goodnight Ladies'. I seem to remember there is a thread somewhere that covers this.

Subject: Parting songs
From: GUEST,mollymal
Date: 19 Nov 14 - 05:10 PM

Apologies if this thread already exists but I couldn't find it if it does.
What are your favourite songs for rounding off a good session - obvious ones included because they're not obvoous to all ?