Goodbye Never Felt So Bad

Album: single release only (2023)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Here, James Bay sings about the pain of saying goodbye to a loved one. He is trying to be strong and not cry, but can't help feeling sad. He will miss the person he's saying farewell to and doesn't want to let them go.

    "'Goodbye Never Felt So Bad' is a song about how crazy it can feel to say goodbye," said Bay. "There's rarely ever anything good about it. I say goodbye to the people I love constantly; it comes with the territory of my work. I'm always traveling. It's an amazing job but everything in life has its upsides and downsides."
  • James Bay co-wrote "Goodbye Never Felt So Bad" with British songwriter Phil Plested (Little Mix's "Touch," Lewis Capaldi's "Before You Go," James Bay's "Everybody Needs Someone"). He co-produced it with American producer and multi-instrumentalist Gabe Simon (Lana Del Rey's "Blue Banisters," Noah Kahan's "Dial Drunk," James Bay's "Give Me The Reason").
  • Bay recorded the song with his tour band. Simon "pushed me to new heights and created a very wonderful vibe in the studio," said Bay. "Believe it or not for the first time ever I took the brilliant band that I tour with straight into the studio to record with me as well."

    The musicians are:

    Katie Dove Dixon: keyboard
    Tom Peel: bass
    Luke Bullard: guitar
    Don Hep: drums
  • James Bay released the guitar ballad as a single on August 11, 2023. He originally tested the waters by playing the song for his fans at his live shows over the 2023 summer. It went down so well, he decided to make it available for them.

    "I just wanted to share new music for the thrill of it," he said. "You can't ask an audience to like something, but every time my fans put their hands in the air, clapped along and by the last chorus they were singing the words."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds

Jim McCarty of The YardbirdsSongwriter Interviews

The Yardbirds drummer explains how they created their sound and talks about working with their famous guitarists.

Loudon Wainwright III

Loudon Wainwright IIISongwriter Interviews

"Dead Skunk" became a stinker for Loudon when he felt pressure to make another hit - his latest songs deal with mortality, his son Rufus, and picking up poop.

Keith Reid of Procol Harum

Keith Reid of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

As Procol Harum's lyricist, Keith wrote the words to "A Whiter Shade Of Pale." We delve into that song and find out how you can form a band when you don't sing or play an instrument.

Eagles Lyrics Quiz

Eagles Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

Lots of life lessons in these Eagles lyrics - can you match them to the correct song?

Chad Channing (Nirvana, Before Cars)

Chad Channing (Nirvana, Before Cars)Songwriter Interviews

Chad tells tales from his time as drummer for Nirvana, and talks about his group Before Cars.

Dean Friedman - "Ariel"

Dean Friedman - "Ariel"They're Playing My Song

Dean's saga began with "Ariel," a song about falling in love with a Jewish girl from New Jersey.