“Nobody Said Goodbye”
Written by Samantha Cugini (Sammi Lee)
Interview by American Songwriter
Samantha Cugini scored 1st place in the Session Five 2026 American Songwriter Lyric Contest for her song “Nobody Said Goodbye.” American Songwriter caught up with her to get the scoop on the inspiration behind her lyrics and other musings.
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What made you decide to enter the American Songwriter’s Lyric Contest?
I’ve always believed the words are the heart of a song, so I loved the idea of entering a contest where the lyric had to stand completely on its own. No production, no vocal performance; just the writing. American Songwriter is a publication I’ve respected for a long time, so putting my work in front of people who really value the craft of songwriting felt worth taking the chance.
How did you feel when you learned you won?
Completely overwhelmed, in the best possible way. I cried. I think I read the message several times before it actually registered. As a songwriter, you spend so much time alone with your work, wondering whether something that means something to you will mean anything to someone else. Having this song recognized once was incredible. Having it recognized twice still feels a little surreal.
What was the inspiration for your submission? Why did you want to write it?
I wanted to write about military sacrifice from the perspective of the people waiting at home. We hear so much about bravery and service, and rightfully so, but there’s another kind of sacrifice made by the families who say goodbye without knowing what that goodbye could possibly mean. I wanted to tell that side of the story in a very human way rather than trying to write a traditional patriotic song.
What’s the story behind “Nobody Said Goodbye”?
I found an old photograph of my dad taken at a Fourth of July party while he was home on leave from the Air Force during the Vietnam War. He was standing outside with one of his buddies, a neighbor, and I remember looking at it and trying to understand everything that photograph couldn’t tell me. Who was there? What were they thinking? Did anyone understand what it meant to have him home, or how quickly he’d be leaving again?
My dad survived the war, and I wasn’t born until years later, so “Nobody Said Goodbye” isn’t his literal story. The photograph became the doorway into an imagined one. I started thinking about all the families who had a photograph like that, but whose person never came home. From there, I wrote through the perspective of a daughter remembering the last ordinary Fourth of July she spent with her father, before anyone knew it would be their last. That’s where “Nobody Said Goodbye” came from. The idea that sometimes you don’t recognize a goodbye until long after it has already happened.
You won both the Session 5 lyric contest and the Red, White and Blue promotion with the same song. What was it about this song that you think resonated so widely?
I think the military story gives the song its setting, but not getting the chance to say goodbye is what makes it universal. Most people know what it feels like to wish they had one more conversation, one more ordinary day, or one more chance to say something they didn’t know they needed to say. I also tried not to tell the listener how they were supposed to feel. I just told the story. I think sometimes the quieter you are as a writer, the more room you leave for people to find their own lives inside a song.
Have you written music for this lyric? If so, how would you describe it?
Yes. I wanted the music to carry the same sense of reflection and nostalgia as the lyric. It starts with a quieter, almost intimate feel and gradually builds as the story becomes heavier. I tried to keep the arrangement emotional without making it overly dramatic, because the weight is already in the words. For me, the music needed to feel like looking back at an old photograph; warm at first, until you understand everything that picture represents.
How long have you been writing lyrics?
I’ve been writing for more than ten years, although there’s definitely a difference between when I started writing songs and when I really started understanding the craft of songwriting. The longer I do it, the more interested I become in what you can accomplish with fewer, better words. I don’t think you ever really finish learning how to write a great song.
Since 1984, American Songwriter’s Lyric Contest has helped aspiring songwriters get noticed and have fun. Enter the 2026 Lyric Contest today before the deadline:
What keeps you motivated as a songwriter?
Connection. There’s something incredible about taking a thought or feeling that existed only in your own head and turning it into something another person recognizes as their own. Some of my favorite responses to songs I’ve written have simply been, “That’s exactly how I felt, but I didn’t know how to say it.” That’s what keeps me writing.
Who are your all-time favorite songwriters, and why?
Carole King, Taylor Swift, Brandi Carlile, Lauryn Hill and RAYE are all huge influences for different reasons. Carole King has this incredible ability to make timeless songwriting feel conversational. Taylor Swift’s attention to detail and storytelling is remarkable. Brandi Carlile writes with such emotional honesty, Lauryn Hill has an incredible command of language and rhythm, and RAYE is fearless in the way she writes about complicated subjects. They’re very different writers, but none of them waste words, and I really admire that.
What’s next for you?
More writing, always. I released my album The Leaving Kind this summer, and I’m already writing toward whatever comes next. I want to keep growing as both a songwriter and an artist, but I’m also really interested in creating songs that can have lives beyond me; whether that’s another artist recording something I’ve written or opportunities in film and television. Winning this has given me even more motivation to keep seeing where the writing can take me.
What would you tell other songwriters who are considering entering the Lyric Contest?
Submit the song you believe in, not necessarily the song you think a contest wants. It’s really easy to second-guess yourself or convince yourself you’re not ready. I almost think being a songwriter means never feeling completely ready. You write it, rewrite it, eventually decide you’ve done everything you can for it, and then you have to let somebody else hear it. “Nobody Said Goodbye” reminded me that sometimes the song you simply trust enough to send is the one that finds its way to the right people.
Since 1984, American Songwriter’s Lyric Contest has helped aspiring songwriters get noticed and have fun. Enter the 2026 Lyric Contest today before the deadline:
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Photo by Jill Mullin
