Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye

Written: 1944

Words and Music by: Cole Porter

Written for: Seven Lively Arts
(Broadway show, 1944)

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"Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye"

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The original plan for the show was to illustrate each of the seven lively arts: theater, ballet, opera, concert, radio painting and music all in grand fashion, but before things got too far along, Rose changed the plan. He decided the show should be a satiric revue, a series of sketches, which it eventually became. Between the difficulties presented by cast members (Bea Lillie was upset by the songs Porter had written for her, "took to calling the show 'The Seven Deadly Arts" and threatened not to open; Bert Lahr was hyper-touchy worrying about his return to Broadway after several years in Hollywood and demanded one of his songs be dropped; and Dolores Gray left the show after three weeks because of other commitments) and some pretty weak reviews-- the show ran for only 183 performances, closing on May 12, 1945. Even the presence of music for the show's ballet composed by no less than Igor Stravinsky and danced by the great ballerina Alicia Markova, was for one critic "a pretentious fake.". In fact, with the exception of one song, the show proved entirely unexceptional.

"Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye," a song that Porter's mentor, Dr. Simray, called "one of the greatest songs [Porter] ever wrote. . . . a dithyramb to love, a hymn to youth, a heavenly beautiful song" was introduced in the first act by Nan Wynn and reprised in act 2 by Dolores Gray (backed by Benny Goodman on clarinet, Red Norvo on vibes, Sid Weiss on bass, Teddy Wilson on Piano and Morey Feld on drums). Like so many songs from The Great American Songbook, it has far outlasted the vehicle for which it was written. (McBrien, pp 281-288)

"Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" was recorded by Ella Fitzgerald (Verve Records 1956), and again in 1974 on her live Pablo release Ella in London, as well as by Dinah Washington John Coltrane, Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles, Carly Simon, Rod Stewart, Simply Red, Robbie Williams, Chet Baker, Eden Brent, and Diana Krall.

Jack Jones recorded it for his 1964 album, Where Love Has Gone. Annie Lennox sang it in Derek Jarman's 1991 film Edward II after recording it for the Red Hot + Blue AIDS awareness tribute album to Cole Porter. Simply Red also included a recording of it on their 1987 album Men and Women.

Silje Nergaard covered the song on her 2000 album Port of call. The song is featured in the 2004 biopic De-Lovely. In the film and soundtrack, the song is sung by Natalie Cole.

Ronnie Milsap covered the song on his 2004 album Just for a Thrill. Robbie Williams covered the song as a B-Side to his Lazy Days single release. Also the popular German rock band Blumfeld played it as the last song in each concert of their farewell-tour before splitting up in 2007.

Sideshow Bob sings the song in the Simpsons episode Krusty Gets Busted. Rufus Wainwright performs the song on his 2007 concert DVD, Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Does Judy! Judy! Judy!: Live from the London Palladium.

Click here to read the lyrics for "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" as sung by Ella Fitzgerald
on the album Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook. Ella changes Porter's lyrics as follows: She omits the introductory verse and sings the refrain, except its last line:
"Ev'ry single time we say goodbye."

The verse questions why, given how they feel about each other, they should ever have to part, or for that matter quarrel in the first place--as the refrain indicates they often do.

We love each other so deeply
That I ask you this, sweetheart,
Why should we quarrel ever,
Why can't we be enough clever
Never to part.

Susannah McCorkle, on her album Easy to Love: Songs of Cole Porter is one of the few singers who includes Porter's verse. She also includes the final line of the song, omitted by many.

Here's another recording by "judymybaby" (Judy Judd) with a version that includes the verse.

The complete, authoritative lyrics for "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye'" can be found in:

Robert Kimball, Ed. (with an Intro. by John Updike), New York: Alfred A Knoph, 1983 (Da Capo Press paperback ed., 1992, shown).

and

Cole Robert Kimball, Ed. with a biographical essay by Brendan Gill, New York: Dell/Doubleday, 1971 (includes selected lyrics, illustrated).

Click here to read Cafe Songbook lyrics policy.

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