The Last Farewell | Roger Whittaker Lyrics, Meaning & Videos

For you are beautiful, and I have loved you dearly I heard there's a wicked war a-blazingAnd the taste of war I know so very wellEven now I see the foreign flag a-raisingTheir guns on fire as we sail into HellI have no fear of death, it brings no sorrowBut how bitter will be this

The Last Farewell
Roger Whittaker Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴There's a ship lies rigged and ready in the harbor
Tomorrow for old England she sails
Far away from your land of endless sunshine
To my land full of rainy skies and gales
And I shall be aboard that ship tomorrow
Though my heart is full of tears at this farewell

For you are beautiful, and I have loved you dearly

More dearly than the spoken word can tell
For you are beautiful, and I have loved you dearly
More dearly than the spoken word can tell

I heard there's a wicked war a-blazing
And the taste of war I know so very well
Even now I see the foreign flag a-raising
Their guns on fire as we sail into Hell
I have no fear of death, it brings no sorrow
But how bitter will be this last farewell

For you are beautiful, and I have loved you dearly
More dearly than the spoken word can tell
For you are beautiful, and I have loved you dearly
More dearly than the spoken word can tell

Though death and darkness gather all about me
And my ship be torn apart upon the seas
I shall smell again the fragrance of these islands
In the heaving waves that brought me once to thee
And should I return home safe again to England
I shall watch the English mist roll through the dale

For you are beautiful, and I have loved you dearly
More dearly than the spoken word can tell

For you are beautiful, and I have loved you dearly
More dearly than the spoken word can tell


Overall Meaning

The Last Farewell by Roger Whittaker tells the story of a man who must leave his beloved, beautiful land of endless sunshine to return to his homeland of rainy skies and gales. He describes his emotion as he prepares to board the ship and how his heart is filled with tears as he says goodbye to his love. Although he knows of the wicked war that is raging in his homeland, he is not afraid of death or the bitterness that comes with the last farewell.


He speaks about his memories of his homeland and how even amidst the darkness of battle, he will remember the fragrance of his land and the waves that brought him to his love. He concludes with the hope of a safe return to his homeland, where he can watch the English mist roll through the dale.


The Last Farewell is a powerful ballad that speaks to themes of love, loss, and sacrifice. It resonates with soldiers, long-distance lovers, and anyone who has had to leave a part of themselves behind. The lyrics capture the heartache of leaving someone or something behind and the hope and determination of return.


Line by Line Meaning

There's a ship lies rigged and ready in the harbor
There is a ship that is all set to leave the harbor


Tomorrow for old England she sails
The ship is leaving for England tomorrow


Far away from your land of endless sunshine
England is far away from the singer's current land, which has endless sunshine


To my land full of rainy skies and gales
The artist's land has rainy skies and gales


And I shall be aboard that ship tomorrow
The artist is boarding the ship tomorrow


Though my heart is full of tears at this farewell
The singer is sad about leaving and saying goodbye


For you are beautiful, I have loved you dearly
The singer loves their current land and is sad about leaving it


More dearly than the spoken word can tell
The artist's love cannot be expressed in words


I've heard there's a wicked war a-blazing
The artist heard about a terrible war happening


And the taste of war I know so very well
The artist has experienced war in the past


Even now I see the foreign flag a-raising
The singer can imagine the enemy's flag being raised


Their guns on fire as we sail into hell
The enemy is firing at the artist's ship as they approach


I have no fear of death, it brings no sorrow
The singer is not afraid of dying


But how bitter will be this last farewell
The singer is sad about saying goodbye for the last time


Though death and darkness gather all about me
The singer knows that death and darkness may soon surround them


My ship be torn apart upon the seas
The artist's ship may be destroyed during the war


I shall smell again the fragrance of these islands
If the artist survives, they will return home and smell the familiar scent of their land


And the heaving waves that brought me once to thee
The singer remembers the waves that carried them to their home


And should I return home safe again to England
If the singer survives and returns to England


I shall watch the English mist roll through the dale
The artist looks forward to seeing the mist in the English valley


For you are beautiful, I have loved you dearly
The artist loves England and feels connected to it


More dearly than the spoken word can tell
The artist's love for England cannot be expressed in words


Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Roger Whittaker, Ronald Arthur Webster

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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