Jackson Browne has written about the ups and downs of romantic relationships as well as anyone. In doing so, he has dissected matters of the heart from every angle, providing stunning insight into how difficult it can be for two people to maintain a fulfilling romance. The closing song off his self-titled debut album in 1971, “My Opening Farewell”, pinpoints that moment in time when a relationship is about to collapse. Interestingly enough, Browne wanted to use the title of the song to kiss his career goodbye before it had hardly begun.
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“Farewell” and Hello
Jackson Browne showed incredible promise with the songs that he wrote in the 60s, many of which displayed a maturity well beyond his years. Considering several of these songs were recorded by established artists and that Browne was himself a talented musician and singer, it seemed he would glide to a successful solo career.
But Browne had a hard time getting his own recording prospects off the ground. At one point, he was staying in a hotel near recording studios owned by Elektra Records, with whom he was briefly signed. Hearing a train whistle outside his room, he began composing “My Opening Farewell”: “There’s a train every day/Leaving every way.”
When Elektra dropped him before he could release any music for them, he quickly became disillusioned with the recording industry. He wanted to use “My Opening Farewell” as a pointed title track to what he imagined would be his first and last album. After that, he’d leave music behind forever.
Fate intervened, however. Browne’s agent, David Geffen, decided to start his own label (Asylum). He signed Browne to a recording deal. Instead of being a message about his decision to get out of music, “My Opening Farewell” instead became one of the first of many Browne songs about the pitfalls of love.
Examining the Lyrics of “My Opening Farewell”
While the passing trains helped Browne get the idea for “My Opening Farewell”, his status in a struggling relationship at the time provided the theme. The images that flash by in the song are of two people together and yet alone. Browne’s narrator understands the end is near. He gives permission for his significant other to leave, if that’s her heart’s desire.
We begin with the woman standing before an open window, the promise of a new life slowly entering the picture: “She can almost feel the southern wind blow/Almost touches her restless day.” But she can’t quite commit to the move. “And still she spares me the word ‘goodbye,’” Browne sings.
She breaks down in tears, unable to communicate her sorrow. The narrator gallantly steps up: “So I’m offering these to her as if to be kind.” That’s when he lets her know about the train schedule and makes his sober assessment of the situation. “And you’ll soon be gone, that’s just as well,” he says. “This is my opening farewell.”
In the final verse, we find out that a child is somehow connected to the pair, meaning that the break will leave some collateral damage. A revelation dawns upon him about their incompatibility. “Suddenly, it’s so clear to me,” he says. “That I’d ask her to see what she may never see.”
“And now my kind words find their way back to me,” Browne sighs before the final refrain. This guy must now follow his own advice about life moving on in the wake of this fracture. “My Opening Farewell” could have served as a career kiss-off for Jackson Browne. Thankfully, it was only the beginning of the brilliance he has bestowed upon us ever since.
Photo by Ian Dickson/Shutterstock
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