"Good Goodbye" is the second track on One More Light. The song had its lyrics premiered through Genius on April 10,[1] three days before the song was released for fans who pre-ordered the album. Although it wasn't released as a single in the US, "Good Goodbye" received radio airplay in Europe and a music video was created for the song.
Mike Shinoda raps heavily on the track,[2] making it one of the few songs with rap on the album. It features guest vocals by Pusha T and Stormzy[3] and additional production by Jesse Shatkin. The track has been described as a hip hop track with a sarcastic tone to it that doesn't fit in with any other song on One More Light.[4]
Background
The title "Good Goodbye" was first seen in a picture posted on Joe Hahn's Instagram story on September 6, 2016 of Brad playing acoustic guitar with the band's song board behind him.[5] According to Mike Shinoda, the song was created very early in the album process. He came up with the hook and the track in a day while working alone with Jesse Shatkin. Mike originally had two verses on the song[6] and wanted to add an electronic drop to the bridge but it didn't sound good and he thought a third rap verse by him would be too much,[7] so they started thinking about who they could bring in on the track for rap verses.[8] That ended up being Pusha T (who was previously featured on DJ Vice's remix of "I'll Be Gone") and Stormzy.[9]
Explaining how the collaboration with Stormzy came together, Mike Shinoda said, "Our manager ran into Stormzy’s manager, and mentioned we had a couple of songs that Stormzy would sound great on. He came through right at the last moment, understandably, since he’s [busy] dropping the biggest record you’ve ever heard. We didn’t know how crazy it was [for Stormzy] over here, by the way, we just liked him from afar."[10] According to Chester, Stormzy had been on the band's radar for quite a while.[3]
About the inspiration for the song, Mike said, "I wanted this song to be about one of my favourite moments in a basketball game. This is when, at a Lakers game, the rival team fouls out and the whole place erupts into this moment where they sing Hit the Road, Jack and they kick them out of the building. The cheerleaders are swishing their pompoms around and literally sending them out of the door, and the crowd do it too. There’s a couple of songs they use there, but I wanted to write one which they would also make use of in that kind of situation. A song which you can use to kick people out of the door."[9] Chester added, "We wanted this song to apply to two things at the same time: someone getting kicked out of a game, and someone getting out of a bad relationship."[1]
Demo Version
A demo version of "Good Goodbye" surfaced online in early March 2018. It was first made publicly available to Linkin Park fans on LP_Community's VK page.[11] This version features a second verse from Mike Shinoda (the same verse from the live version) in place of Stormzy's verse. Multitracks for this version were also leaked online via Reddit.
Music Video
Lyric Video
A lyric video for "Good Goodbye" was directed by Rafatoon (who also directed "Battle Symphony") and released on April 13, 2017 on Linkin Park's official YouTube channel.
Director: Rafael Perez
3D Director: Andres Garcia
Cinematography: Luis Rojas
Camera Assistant: Arturo Roa
Production Company: Dreambear
Music Video
The official music video for "Good Goodbye" was directed by Isaac Rentz and features Pusha T and Stormzy, who are featured on the track, and NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.[12] The video was released on May 5, 2017 without any previous announcement.
During a Facebook chat on April 02, 2017, Mike Shinoda announced Linkin Park were working on a new video for a new song that is "not super silly, but it's still not very serious," commenting it was a change of pace for the band.[13] It was later revealed that the music video was for the song "Good Goodbye". It has been filmed in Los Angeles over a day on March 14th and Stormzy flew out to be a part of it.[6] Just like on the "Heavy" music video, Linkin Park partnered with Mercedes-Benz for "Good Goodbye", having 3 cars featured on the video.
Artist Name: Linkin Park
Song Name: Good Goodbye
Featured Artists: Pusha T, STORMZY
Director: Isaac Rentz
Director of Photography: Jon Chema
Executive Producers: Isaac Rice, Missy Galanida
Producer: Michelle Larkin
Video Commissioner: Devin Sarno
Record Label: Warner Bros. Records
Cast: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as Emperor
Production Manager: Austin Barbera
Production Coordinator: Brandon Robinson
1st Assistant Director: Kenneth Taylor
Production Design: John Richoux
Hair and Make Up Artist: MAXI
Stylist: Bryn Carter
Stunt Coordinator: TJ White, Rene Paul Mousseux, Terry James
Gaffer: Corrin Hodgson
Key Grip: Marlow Nunez
Versions
Note: Only the date of the very first release of each version is listed.
Studio
| Title | Album | Length | Recorded | Released | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good Goodbye (feat. Pusha T & Stormzy) | One More Light | 3:31 | 2016 | April 13, 2017 |
|
| Good Goodbye (Official Video) | 3:54 | 2016 | May 5, 2017 |
| |
| Good Goodbye (Demo) | 3:32 | 2016 |
| ||
| Good Goodbye | Good Goodbye (Radio Promo)
One More Light Instrumentals |
3:31 | 2016 | April 2017 |
|
Live
| Title | Album | Length | Recorded | Released | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good Goodbye (feat. Stormzy) | One More Light Live | 4:08 | July 4, 2017 | December 15, 2017 |
|
| Good Goodbye (feat. Stormzy) | One More Light Live (Clean) | 4:08 | July 4, 2017 | December 15, 2017 |
|
Live
Shortly after the release of "Good Goodbye", Mike Shinoda announced he would rap his original verse in the place of Stormzy's/Pusha T's verse (if they're not with Linkin Park) when performing live.[14] Linkin Park went live on Facebook to promote the announcement of the North American Tour on May 2nd and performed "Good Goodbye" from the rehearsals.[15] The song featured a brand new extended intro as well as Mike rapping a second verse over the instrumental of Stormzy's verse. The second chorus and Pusha T's verse were skipped.
"Good Goodbye" got its live debut on May 6th at Linkin Park's performance in Buenos Aires, Argentina with Mike slightly changing the seventh and eighth lines from the second verse performed in the rehearsal and with an extended, sing-a-long intro. The full song was debuted at the band's show in London, when Stormzy came out to play the song with the band. Mike rapped his original verse in place of Pusha T's instead of Stormzy's.
Mike incorporated "Good Goodbye" into his solo show beginning with his KROQ Weenie Roast performance as a mashup with "Bleed It Out". He would perform the first verse of "Good Goodbye" before doing the chorus and first verse of "Bleed It Out" over the "Good Goodbye" instrumental. The mashup was frequently used to close the main set when the full setlist is played. At the Amoeba Records show, the crowd started the "Good Goodbye" chorus before Mike got the chance to do the "Bleed It Out" chorus, and he went along with it, making it the first time the chorus of "Good Goodbye was performed in the mashup. Once Matt and Dan joined Mike on tour, Matt would play the main riff of "Bleed It Out" transposed up starting in the first chorus.
Variations
Linkin Park
Last Updated: October 30, 2017
| Type | Description | First Played | Last Played |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intro | Synth Intro w/ Light Guitar | May 2, 2017 | May 2, 2017 |
| Intro | Synth Intro w/ Sing-a-Long | May 6, 2017 | July 6, 2017 |
| Alternative | Shortened (No Second Chorus or Second Verse) w/ Live Verse | May 2, 2017 | July 6, 2017 |
| Alternative | w/ Live Verse | July 3, 2017 | July 4, 2017 |
Mike Shinoda
Last Updated: April 28, 2020
| Type | Description | First Played | Last Played |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mashup | "Good Goodbye" / "Bleed It Out" | May 12, 2018 | September 8, 2019 |
| Mashup | "Good Goodbye" / "Bleed It Out" (w/ Good Goodbye chorus) | June 20, 2018 | August 31, 2019 |
Live Guests
- Stormzy
Personnel
Linkin Park
- Chester Bennington - Vocals
- Rob Bourdon - Drums, Background Vocals
- Brad Delson - Guitar, Background Vocals
- Joseph Hahn - Programming, Background Vocals
- Phoenix - Bass, Background Vocals
- Mike Shinoda - Keyboards, Programming, Vocals
Additional Musicians
- Pusha T's vocals recorded at No Name Studios, North Hollywood, CA by Tom Kahre
- Stormzy's vocals recorded at Matrix Studios, London, UK by Fraser T. Smith
Production
- Written by Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Jesse Shatkin, Terrance Thornton and Michael Omari
- Produced by Mike Shinoda and Brad Delson
- Additional production by Jesse Shatkin
- Vocal production by Jesse Shatkin
- Pusha T appears courtesy of Def Jam Recordings. A division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
- Stormzy appears courtesy of #Merky Records
- Music performed by Linkin Park
- Vocals by Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda
- Chester's vocals recorded at The Pool Recording Studio, London, UK
- Mike's vocals recorded at The Warehouse Studio, Vancouver, CA
- Music recorded at Larrabee Studios, North Hollywood, CA and Sphere Studios, North Hollywood, CA
- Engineered by Ethan Mates, Mike Shinoda and Josh Newell
- Assistant engineer: Alejandro Baima
- Studio B assistant engineer: Warren Willis
- Studio drum tech: Jerry Johnson
- Mixed by Manny Marooquin at Larrabee Studios, North Hollywood, CA
- Mix engineer: Chris Galland assisted by Jeff Jackson and Robin Florent
Lyrics
So say goodbye and hit the road
Pack it up and disappear
You better have some place to go
'Cause you can't come back around here
Good goodbye
(Don't you come back no more)
Live from the rhythm, it's
Something wild, venomous
Enemies trying to read me
You're all looking highly illiterate
Blindly forgetting if I'm in the mix
You won't find an equivalent
I've been here killing it
Longer than you've been alive, you idiot
And it makes you so mad
Somebody else could be stepping in front of you
And it makes you so mad that you're not the only one
There's more than one of you
And you can't understand the fact
That it's over and done, hope you had fun
You've got a lot to discuss on the bus
Headed back where you're from
So say goodbye and hit the road
Pack it up and disappear
You better have some place to go
'Cause you can't come back around here
Good goodbye
(Don't you come back no more)
Goodbye, good riddance
A period is after every sentence
Did my time with my cellmate
Maxed out so now we finished
Every day was like a hail date
Every night was like a hailstorm
Took her back to my tinted windows
Showin' out, she in rare form
Wings up, now I'm airborne
King Push, they got a chair for him
Make way for the new queen
The old lineup, where they cheer for 'em
Consequence when you ain't there for him
Were you there for him?
Did you care for him?
You were dead wrong
So say goodbye and hit the road
Pack it up and disappear
You better have some place to go
'Cause you can't come back around here
Good goodbye
(Don't you come back no more)
Let me say goodbye to my demons
Let me say goodbye to my past life
Let me say goodbye to the darkness
Tell 'em that I'd rather be here in the starlight
Tell 'em that I'd rather be here where they love me
Tell 'em that I'm yours this is our life
And I still keep raising the bar like
Never seen a young black brother in the chart twice
Goodbye to the stereotypes
You can't tell my kings we can't
Mandem we're linking tings in parks
Now I gotta tune with Linkin Park
Like goodbye to my old hoe’s
Goodbye to the cold roads
I can't die for my postcode
Young little Mike from the Gold Coast
And now I'm inside with my bro bro's
Gang
So say goodbye and hit the road
Pack it up and disappear
You better have some place to go
'Cause you can't come back around here
Good goodbye
(Don't you come back no more)
So say goodbye and hit the road
Pack it up and disappear
You better have some place to go
'Cause you can't come back around here
Good goodbye
(Don't you come back no more)
Live from the rhythm, it's
Something wild, venomous
Enemies trying to read me
You're all looking highly illiterate
Blindly forgetting if I'm in the mix
You won't find an equivalent
I've been here killing it
Longer than you've been alive, you idiot
And it makes you so mad
Somebody else could be stepping in front of you
And it makes you so mad that you're not the only one
There's more than one of you
And you can't understand the fact
That it's over and done, hope you had fun
You've got a lot to discuss on the bus
Headed back where you're from
So say goodbye and hit the road
Pack it up and disappear
You better have some place to go
'Cause you can't come back around here
Good goodbye
(Don't you come back no more)
Goodbye, good riddance
A period is after every sentence
Did my time with my cellmate
Maxed out so now we finished
Every day was like a hail date
Every night was like a hailstorm
Took her back to my tinted windows
Showin' out, she in rare form
Wings up, now I'm airborne
King Push, they got a chair for him
Make way for the new queen
The old lineup, where they cheer for 'em
Consequence when you ain't there for him
Were you there for him?
Did you care for him?
You were dead wrong
So say goodbye and hit the road
Pack it up and disappear
You better have some place to go
'Cause you can't come back around here
Good goodbye
(Don't you come back no more)
Live from the genesis
Underlining for emphasis
There is no way to pretend
That we don't really know what the ending is
Part of me thinkin' that
Even addressing is being too generous
Do you really think that they'll
Notice when you get removed from the premises
And it makes you so mad
That somebody else could be stepping in front of you
And it makes you so mad
That I won't give you the respect that the others do
And you can't understand
It was over before it's begun, hope you had fun
You've got a lot to discuss on the bus
Headed back where you're from
So say goodbye and hit the road
Pack it up and disappear
You better have some place to go
'Cause you can't come back around here
Good goodbye
(Don't you come back no more)
So say goodbye and hit the road
Pack it up and disappear
You better have some place to go
'Cause you can't come back around here
Good goodbye
(Don't you come back no more)
Live from the rhythm, it's
Something wild, venomous
Enemies trying to read me
You're all looking highly illiterate
Blindly forgetting if I'm in the mix
You won't find an equivalent
I've been here killing it
Longer than you've been alive, you idiot
And it makes you so mad
Somebody else could be stepping in front of you
And it makes you so mad that you're not the only one
There's more than one of you
And you can't understand the fact
That it's over and done, hope you had fun
You've got a lot to discuss on the bus
Headed back where you're from
So say goodbye and hit the road
Pack it up and disappear
You better have some place to go
'Cause you can't come back around here
Good goodbye
(Don't you come back no more)
Live from the genesis
Underlining for emphasis
There is no way to pretend
That we don't really know what the ending is
Part of me thinkin' that
Even addressing is being too generous
Do you really think that they'll
Notice when you get removed from the premises
And it makes you so mad
Somebody else could be stepping in front of you
And it makes you so mad
That I won't give you the respect that the others do
And you can't understand the fact
That it's over and done, hope you had fun
You've got a lot to discuss on the bus
Headed back where you're from
So say goodbye and hit the road
Pack it up and disappear
You better have some place to go
'Cause you can't come back around here
Good goodbye
(Don't you come back no more)
Gallery
-
Swedish promo CD
-
Lyric sheet
-
Chester Bennington, Pusha T, Stormzy and Mike Shinoda
-
Picture posted on Linkin Park's snapchat on March 14th announcing they were working on a music video
External Links
Music Videos
- Good Goodbye (Official Lyric Video): LPTV
- Good Goodbye (Official Video): LPTV | Isaac Rentz Vimeo
Live Videos
- Good Goodbye (Rehearsal Video): LP FB
LPTV
- Mic Tests - The Making of Good Goodbye (feat. Pusha T & Stormzy)
- Chester's Vocals - Good Goodbye (feat. Pusha T & Stormzy)
- Gang Vocals - Good Goodbye (feat. Pusha T & Stormzy)
Other
- Making Of Good Goodbye (Official Lyric Video): Rafatoon IG
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Linkin Park Premieres The Lyrics To "Good Goodbye" Featuring Pusha T & Stormzy | Genius, April 10, 2017
- ↑ Linkin Park - Timeline, February 21, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Stormzy, Linkin Park & Pusha T collaborate on new song 'Good Goodbye' | Gigwise, March 27, 2017
- ↑ LPAssociation on Twitter: "Today @mikeshinoda said Good Goodbye is a hip hop track that doesnt fit in with any other song on #OneMoreLight. Has a sarcastic tone to it." ., March 30, 2017
- ↑ LP7 New Album Updates - Page 7 - Everything Linkin Park - Linkin Park Live - Page 7, September 07, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Linkin Park talk about their collab track with Stormzy! – Be Real, Be On It. Be Box., April 06, 2017
- ↑ Linkin Park Live on Twitter: "'Good Goodbye' originally had a bridge that didn't work too well and two Mike verses. Mike felt a third verse would be too much..." ., April 13, 2017
- ↑ Linkin Park Live on Twitter: "...so he brought in the other collaborators to fill in the gaps!" ., April 13, 2017
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda: “If you’re expecting ESP guitars, then this album is not for you” – All Things Loud, April 11, 2017
- ↑ Nine things we learned from Linkin Park's intimate unplugged session - TeamRock, March 31, 2017
- ↑ Wall | VK, March 03, 2018
- ↑ Linkin Park - Watch the music video for #GoodGoodbye featuring..., May 05, 2017
- ↑ Mike Shinoda live on Facebook (02.04.17) - YouTube, April 02, 2017
- ↑ Linkin Park Live on Twitter: "When performing 'Good Goodbye' live, Mike will rap his original verse in the place of Stormzy's/Pusha T's verse (if they're not with LP)" ., April 13, 2017
- ↑ Linkin Park - ONE MORE LIGHT NORTH AMERICAN TOUR - Get..., May 02, 2017