Say Goodbye to The Little Girl

Nick Cave and the bad seeds

O say goodbye to the little girl tree
 O you know that I must say goodbye
 To the little girl tree
 This wall I built around you
 Is made out of stone-lies
 O little girl the truth would be
 An axe in thee
 O father look to your daughter
 Brick of grief and stricken morter
 With this ring
 This silver hoop of wire
 I bind your maiden mainstem
 Just to keep you as a child

O say goodbye to the little girl tree
 O you know that I must say goodbye
 To my little girl tree
 How fast your candy bones
 Reached out for me
 I must say goodbye to your brittle bones



Crying out for me
 O you know that I must say goodbye
 O goodbye
 Even though you will betray me
 The very minute that I leave

O say goodbye to the little girl tree
 O Lord you know that I must say goodbye
 To that little girl tree
 I rise up her girl-child lumps and slipping knots
 Into her laden boughs
 And amongst her roping limbs
 Like a swollen neck vein branching
 Into smaller lesser veins
 That must all just sing and say goodbye
 And let her blossom veils fly
 Her velvet gown
 Down down down
 Down down down
 Down down down and goodbye
 For you know that I must say goodbye

To a rhythm softly tortured
 Of a motion back and forth
 Thats a rhythm sweetly tortured
 O that's the rhythm of the orchard
 And you know that I must say goodbye
 To that little girl tree
 O goodbye
 Yes goodbye
 For you know that I must die
 Down down down
 Down down down
 Down down down and goodbye
 For you know that I must die
 Yes you know that I must die
 O-o you know that I must die