After many complications, Juliet’s suicide leaves her lying dead in the tomb. Romeo lays his eyes on Juliet for the last time as he recites a monologue in which he asks for forgiveness and remembers his star-crossed lover. For these reasons, “Goodbye” by Greg Laswell would be a great song to play as Romeo delivers his last words. In the song, the singer says, “Forgive me while I lay here but I have nowhere else to be” and “I figure when I leave this time, it’s for keeps”. Similarly in the play, Romeo lies with Juliet in the last moments of his life and says, “here I remain” (5.3.108). It is evident that a main component in the lover’s relationship was how they could not stand to be without each other, which the lines in the song clearly display. “I figure when I leave this time, it’s for keeps” also relates to how Romeo’s exile out of Verona was his first separation from Juliet and how their death will be their second. Romeo continues his monologue by proclaiming, “O, here will I set up my everlasting rest” (5.3.110) just before his last intimate moment with Juliet. His parting kiss is his way of saying "goodbye", as the song continuously says. “Thus with a kiss I die” (5.3.120). Likewise, the song’s title and lyrics discuss goodbyes that are caused by the loss of hope. Therefore, “Goodbye” by Greg Laswell clearly expresses Romeo and Juliet’s last moment together and how they both ended their lives with the knowledge that they could not live without the other.
Lyrics:
It was really nice to meet you, goodbye
It's high time I quit wondering why
'Cause I have lost all that I can from my side
And when you think of me again, no
I tried, I tried, goodbye
Forgive me while I lay here
But I have nowhere else to be
I figure when I leave this time, it's for keeps
And when I say, 'Good Morning' next
I'll lie, I'll lie, this is goodbye
I'll only lay the day I can't remember you at all
And it's not easy to say that day
Is already come and gone
And all that remains is a place
Where you no longer are
One day I won't regret this
Oh, how I want to believe that's true
Once I pick up my parts I broke on you
I'll get used to the idea
It's not you, not you, goodbye
It was really nice to meet you, goodbye
It's high time I quit wondering why
'Cause I have lost all that I can from my side
And when you think of me again, no
I tried, I tried, goodbye
Forgive me while I lay here
But I have nowhere else to be
I figure when I leave this time, it's for keeps
And when I say, 'Good Morning' next
I'll lie, I'll lie, this is goodbye
I'll only lay the day I can't remember you at all
And it's not easy to say that day
Is already come and gone
And all that remains is a place
Where you no longer are
One day I won't regret this
Oh, how I want to believe that's true
Once I pick up my parts I broke on you
I'll get used to the idea
It's not you, not you, goodbye