Say Hello Wave Goodbye 

Terrific song by Marc Almond of Soft Cell -  which has been very well covered by David Gray in an acoustic version  as shown below. It’s a moot point whether there really are E chords at the end of each line of the verse (the bass seems to suggest it). The rhythm and timing are more difficult than the chords. A little gem if ever there was one.




[A]  [D] [E] x2
[A] Standing at the door of the [D] Pink Flamingo crying [A] in the rain, [D] [E]
[A] It was a kind of [D] so-so love and I’m [A] gonna make sure it doesn’t [D] happen again, [E]
[A] You and  I - it [D] had to be the [A] standing joke of the [D] year, [E]
[A] You were a runaround, [D] a lost and found and [A] not for me I [D] feel [E]

[D] Take your [F#m] hands off [C#m] me, [D] hey,[E]
[D] I don’t be[F#m] long to [C#m] you, you [D] see, [E]
[D] Take a [F#m] look in my [C#m] face, for the [D] last [E] time,
[D] I never knew you, [F#m] you never knew me,
[C#m] Say hello good[D]bye, [E]
[A] Say [D] hello and [E] wave good[A]bye[D] [E]

[A] We tried to make it work, [D] you in a cocktail skirt and [A] me in a suit but it [D] just wasn’t me, [E]
[A] You’re used to wearing less, [D] and now your life’s a mess, [A] so insecure you [D] see, [E]
[A] Well I put up with all the scenes, [D] this is one scene that’s [A] going to be played my [D] way [E]

[D] Take your [F#m] hands off [C#m] me, [D] hey,[E]
[D] I don’t be[F#m] long to [C#m] you, you [D] see, [E]
[D] Take a [F#m] look in my [C#m] face, for the [D] last [E]time,
[D] I never knew you, [F#m] you never knew me,
[C#m] Say hello good[D]bye, [E]
[A] Say [D] hello and [E] wave good[A]bye [D] [E]
[A] Say [D] hello and [E] wave good[A]bye [D] [E]

[A] Under the deep red light [D] I can see the make-up [A] sliding down, [D] [E]
[A] Well hey little girl you will [D]always make up so [A] take off that unbe[D]coming frown, [E]
[A] As for me, well [D]  I’ll find someone who’s [A] not going cheap in the sales, [D] [E]
[A] A nice little housewife who’ll [D] give me a steady life and [A] not keep going [D] off the rails. [E]

[D] Take your [F#m] hands off [C#m] me, [D] hey,[E]
[D] I don’t be[F#m] long to [C#m] you, you [D] see, [E]
[D] Take a [F#m] look in my [C#m] face, for the [D] last [E]time,
[D] I never knew you, [F#m] you never knew me,
[C#m] Say hello good[D]bye, [E]
[A] Say [D] hello and [E] wave good[A]bye [D] [E] – repeat to fade