About the song
“Baby’s Gotten Good at Goodbye” is a poignant country music ballad that has become an iconic staple of George Strait’s extensive discography. Written by Tony Martin and Troy Martin, the song was released in December 1988 as the lead single from Strait’s album Beyond the Blue Neon. The song’s narrative is a heart-wrenching tale of a man who is coming to terms with the fact that his partner has left him, and this time, it seems, for good.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a woman who has mastered the art of goodbye, leaving her former lover with a sense of resignation and despair. The narrator is struck by her lack of emotional display, noting that she didn’t shed a single tear as she departed. This stark realization serves as a painful reminder that their relationship has reached its terminal point.
Critics have praised “Baby’s Gotten Good at Goodbye” for its nuanced storytelling and Strait’s masterful delivery. Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave the song an A grade, citing its significance in his own discovery of George Strait’s music and country music as a whole. The song’s impact was further solidified by its commercial success, reaching the top 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and earning a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.
Throughout the years, “Baby’s Gotten Good at Goodbye” has been recognized as one of the best country songs of the 1980s, with numerous publications and critics’ lists featuring the song as a standout track in Strait’s discography. With its timeless themes of love, loss, and longing, “Baby’s Gotten Good at Goodbye” remains a beloved classic in the country music canon, continuing to resonate with listeners to this day.
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Lyrics
What a rotten day this turned out to be
I still can’t believe she’d leave so easily
She just got all her things, threw ’em into a pile
Then she loaded her car and said after a while
She’d done this before, but this time she didn’t cry
That’s why I’m sittin’ on the front steps, starin’ down the road
Wondering if she’ll come back this time, I don’t know
After she packed when she looked back
There were no tears in her eyes, and that’s got me worried
Thinkin’ maybe my baby’s gotten good at goodbye
All the times before she’d break down and cry
She’d make her threats, but her heart wasn’t set on goodbye
She just wanted me to hear what she had to say
Now I’m lost for words, saying she went away
She may not return for this time she didn’t cry
That’s why I’m sittin’ on the front steps, starin’ down the road
Wondering if she’ll come back this time, I don’t know
After she packed when she looked back
There were no tears in her eyes, and that’s got me worried
Thinkin’ maybe my baby’s gotten good at goodbye
That’s why I’m sittin’ on the front steps, starin’ down the road
Wondering if she’ll come back this time, I don’t know
After she packed when she looked back
There were no tears in her eyes, and that’s got me worried
Thinkin’ maybe my baby’s gotten good at goodbye