Every Time You Say Goodbye

The speaker describes the pain of someone repeatedly leaving or saying goodbye. At first, the sadness is expressed through tears and a plea for the other person to notice it. As the song develops, the speaker seems to recognize that the relationship may already be ending: the other person’s words reveal more than they openly say, and the speaker feels that love has gone.

Rain is the central image: the falling drops resemble the speaker’s tears, connecting the weather outside with grief inside. The cold wind that “stings and bites” suggests emotional hurt, while words “like arrows” make the pain feel sharp and direct. A restless feeling at the door and a shadow near the garden gate give unease a physical presence, as though worry is waiting just outside.

The repeated goodbye could mean a temporary departure, but the lines about love going away suggest a more lasting separation. “Reading between the lines” means noticing an unstated message in someone’s words or behavior. The speaker sounds convinced that the relationship is over, yet the repeated appeal to the other person hints at lingering hope—or simply a desire to be understood. The lyrics leave that tension unresolved.