Song Meaning
The lyrics paint a picture of a painful but hopeful separation. The narrator is saying goodbye, acknowledging the immediate loneliness ahead with "lonely tomorrows." Yet, the central promise is a future reunion, a certainty that "we'll love again." This refrain acts as a lifeline, a mantra against the present despair.
The core tension lies between the immediate heartbreak and the distant, almost abstract promise of future happiness. The narrator can't offer specifics – "I can't tell you now / Where or when" – making the waiting period feel vast and uncertain. The repetition of "And again, and again" emphasizes the longing for that future intimacy, a desperate desire to reclaim what's being lost.
The most striking image is the counting of "so many sunsets, till there's a sunset" that marks the end of this separation. It transforms the passage of time from a passive experience into an active, almost arduous task of endurance. The eventual arrival of the loved one is depicted as sudden and all-encompassing: "When all at once he'll be there," suggesting a dramatic, almost fated return.
This writing is effective because it captures the raw ache of parting while offering a powerful, albeit vague, solace. The contrast between the stark reality of "goodbye" and the soft, repeated promise of "love again" creates a poignant emotional landscape. It’s the sound of someone clinging to hope in the face of profound sadness.