Songtext Say goodbye to the little girl tree Nick Cave

Say goodbye to the little girl tree

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 mainstream
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.
That's 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.