Here Comes Goodbye
Encyclopedia
"Here Comes Goodbye" is the title of a song written by American Idol
season 6 finalist Chris Sligh
and Clint Lagerberg. It was recorded by the country pop
group Rascal Flatts
, who released it in January 2009 as their twenty-third single, and the first from their sixth album, Unstoppable
. This song debuted at #29 on the Billboard
Hot Country Songs
charts dated for February 7, 2009 and became their tenth Number One on the chart dated April 25, 2009.
, a finalist on the sixth season of the talent competition American Idol
, along with Clint Lagerberg. The song is a power ballad beginning with piano
accompaniment. The lyric explains the male narrator's realization that his lover is about to leave him. A string section
and electric guitar
accompaniment backs the song from the second verse onward, and an electric guitar solo precedes the bridge.
. The video features a family visiting a graveyard of a lost father. The man is accompanied by a small boy, waiting to take him to heaven, who is revealed to be the daughter's son, whose grave is side by side with her father's. Throughout the video, the band's members are shown singing the song in a snowy backdrop. The video was voted #38 on GAC's Top 50 Videos of the Year list.
, which had a long gravel driveway. Sligh then decided to take the line and make it into a song where "something's coming, and it's not good." The opening piano melody came from a melody that Sligh played when Lagerberg was checking on Sligh's daughter, and decided to use it because they thought that it would capture the listener's attention.
' vocals as "atypically restrained" and "richer and considerably less whiney than usual" in the first verse, but said that, as the song progressed, his delivery became "hilarious in its urgency." Blake Boldt of Country Universe gave it a C rating. Boldt also thought that LeVox "gracefully handle[d]" the first verse but "tumbl[ed] into operatic tendencies toward the end." He also considered it a "copycat" of the band's 2006 single "What Hurts the Most
".
Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave a more favorable review. Although he referred to the song's structure as a "well-worn power ballad path", he considered LeVox' performance "nuanced" and overall thought that the song was "better than anything on the trio's previous album, Still Feels Good
."
In 2010, the song was nominated for a Grammy Award
for "Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals."
Aaron Kelly
covered the song in the top 24 round of the ninth season of American Idol
.
Hot Country Songs
charts dated for February 7, 2009 and reached number 1 on the chart dated April 25, 2009. To claim the top spot, "Here Comes Goodbye" jumped 6-1, the biggest climb to Number One since Taylor Swift
sent "Our Song
" 6-1 on the chart dated December 22, 2007. "Here Comes Goodbye" is also the group's tenth Number One.
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
season 6 finalist Chris Sligh
Chris Sligh
Charles Christopher Sligh is an American singer; songwriter and producer who was a finalist on the sixth season of American Idol, finishing in tenth place.-Early years:...
and Clint Lagerberg. It was recorded by the country pop
Country pop
Country pop, with roots in both the countrypolitan sound and in soft rock, is a subgenre of country music that first emerged in the 1970s. Although the term first referred to country music songs and artists that crossed over to Top 40 radio, country pop acts are now more likely to cross over to...
group Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts is an American country music band that originated in Columbus, Ohio, United States of America. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney...
, who released it in January 2009 as their twenty-third single, and the first from their sixth album, Unstoppable
Unstoppable (Rascal Flatts album)
Unstoppable is the sixth studio album by the American country pop group Rascal Flatts. The album was released on April 7, 2009, via Lyric Street Records, under the production of Dann Huff and the group...
. This song debuted at #29 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
charts dated for February 7, 2009 and became their tenth Number One on the chart dated April 25, 2009.
Content
"Here Comes Goodbye" was written by Chris SlighChris Sligh
Charles Christopher Sligh is an American singer; songwriter and producer who was a finalist on the sixth season of American Idol, finishing in tenth place.-Early years:...
, a finalist on the sixth season of the talent competition American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, along with Clint Lagerberg. The song is a power ballad beginning with piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
accompaniment. The lyric explains the male narrator's realization that his lover is about to leave him. A string section
String section
The string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
and electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
accompaniment backs the song from the second verse onward, and an electric guitar solo precedes the bridge.
Music video
The music video was directed by Shaun SilvaShaun Silva
Shaun Silva is a music video director who works primarily in the country music field. He has directed a number of music videos for many country music artists, including many of Kenny Chesney's music videos. His other clients include: Jack Ingram, Sugarland, Luke Bryan, Brooks & Dunn, and Rascal...
. The video features a family visiting a graveyard of a lost father. The man is accompanied by a small boy, waiting to take him to heaven, who is revealed to be the daughter's son, whose grave is side by side with her father's. Throughout the video, the band's members are shown singing the song in a snowy backdrop. The video was voted #38 on GAC's Top 50 Videos of the Year list.
History
Lagerberg came up with the opening line "I can hear the truck tires coming up the gravel road" after thinking about his childhood home in MaineMaine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, which had a long gravel driveway. Sligh then decided to take the line and make it into a song where "something's coming, and it's not good." The opening piano melody came from a melody that Sligh played when Lagerberg was checking on Sligh's daughter, and decided to use it because they thought that it would capture the listener's attention.
Reception
The song has received mixed reviews from music critics. Jim Malec of The 9513 gave it a "thumbs down" rating. His review criticized it for having an overly dramatic production in contrast to its underdeveloped lyrics, which he thought made the song sound awkward. He referred to lead singer Gary LeVoxGary LeVox
Gary LeVox is the lead vocalist of American country trio Rascal Flatts. His stage name literally means "The Voice", a name he lifted from the studio-console label for his lead-vocal track....
' vocals as "atypically restrained" and "richer and considerably less whiney than usual" in the first verse, but said that, as the song progressed, his delivery became "hilarious in its urgency." Blake Boldt of Country Universe gave it a C rating. Boldt also thought that LeVox "gracefully handle[d]" the first verse but "tumbl[ed] into operatic tendencies toward the end." He also considered it a "copycat" of the band's 2006 single "What Hurts the Most
What Hurts the Most
"What Hurts the Most" is the title of a song written by American songwriter Jeffrey Steele and English songwriter Steve Robson. Initially recorded by country music artist Mark Wills in 2003 on his album And the Crowd Goes Wild, it was covered by Bellefire a year later...
".
Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave a more favorable review. Although he referred to the song's structure as a "well-worn power ballad path", he considered LeVox' performance "nuanced" and overall thought that the song was "better than anything on the trio's previous album, Still Feels Good
Still Feels Good
-Rascal Flatts:*Jay DeMarcus – bass guitar on all tracks, piano on "Better Now", background vocals on all tracks*Gary LeVox – lead vocals*Joe Don Rooney – electric and acoustic guitars, background vocals-Additional musicians:*Bruce Bouton – steel guitar...
."
In 2010, the song was nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for "Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals."
Aaron Kelly
Aaron Kelly (singer)
Aaron Wayne Kelly is an American singer from Sonestown, Pennsylvania who finished fifth on the ninth season of American Idol. Prior to Idol, Kelly was a finalist on America's Most Talented Kid at age 11.-Early life:...
covered the song in the top 24 round of the ninth season of American Idol
American Idol (season 9)
The ninth season of American Idol premiered on January 12, 2010 and concluded on May 26, 2010 on Fox. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi all returned as judges, and Ellen DeGeneres permanently replaced Paula Abdul as the fourth judge. Idol Gives Back also returned for the season and was...
.
Chart performance
Rascal Flatts released "Here Comes Goodbye" to radio on January 20, 2009. It is the group's twenty-third single release overall, and the lead-off single to their sixth studio album, Unstoppable. The song debuted at number 29 on the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
charts dated for February 7, 2009 and reached number 1 on the chart dated April 25, 2009. To claim the top spot, "Here Comes Goodbye" jumped 6-1, the biggest climb to Number One since Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
sent "Our Song
Our Song (song)
"Our Song" is a country music song performed by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song was written by Swift and produced by Nathan Chapman. It was released on August 22, 2007 by Big Machine Records as the third single from Swift's eponymous debut album, Taylor Swift...
" 6-1 on the chart dated December 22, 2007. "Here Comes Goodbye" is also the group's tenth Number One.
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
23 |