The most memorable final lyrics from songs (2024)

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"The End," by the Beatles (1969)

"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."

As perhaps even the casual music fan knows, Abbey Road was not the final album of original studio material released by the Beatles. That would be Let It Be. However, Abbey Road was the last record the Fab Four recorded, and this final line of the last song credited on the album (there is a hidden bonus track) has long been considered their farewell statement. More than 50 years after its release, it is still as poignant and powerful as it was when time was obviously running out on the group.

2 of 25

"Paranoid," by Black Sabbath (1970)

"And so as you hear these words telling you now of my state, I tell you to enjoy life I wish I could but it's too late."

This Black Sabbath classic is about — as one might guess — paranoia . As Ozzy Osbourne told Mojo, amid the paranoia seeps in depression. Which, he noted, tends to happen regularly when under the influence of marijuana. However, these finishing lyrics are particularly dark, and filled with hopeless despair, a feeling that Ozzy, again noting, often felt during his life. Of course, the subject made for one truly fantastic hard rock song.

3 of 25

"Won't Get Fooled Again," by The Who (1971)

“Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.”

This rollicking classic from The Who, the closing number from the exceptional Who's Next record,is about revolution. Spanning roughly eight-and-a-half minutes in album form, it feels like a revolution can take place during that span. However, as Who guitarist and songwriter Pete Townshend noted in Townshend: A Career Biography,the forces that actually led the uprising and overthrew those in power ruled just as poorly as the establishment they took down. Thus explaining the finale of the track.

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"Eclipse," by Pink Floyd (1973)

"And everything under the sun is in tune, but the sun is eclipsed by the moon."

The final number from Pink Floyd's iconic Dark Side of the Moon album picks up where the previous tune, "Brain Damage" leaves off, without interruption. The track has a running time that's just over two minutes, and it's not really one of the most prominent songs on the record. Yet, it's a fitting finish to the entire listening experience — and that experience of the senses is what the album is truly about. Now, there is a spoken-word statement following the end of "Eclipse:""There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact it's all dark."Which is almost a goof at the title making no sense in the end.

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"If You See Her, Say Hello," by Bob Dylan (1974)

"If she's passin' back this way, I'm not that hard to find.Tell her she can look me up, if she's got the time."

Dylan's legendary Blood on the Tracks album was released following his divorce from then-wife Sara Lownds. Post-breakup songs can be cathartic for the writer, but it's obvious that Dylan was still hurting when he penned this somewhat underappreciated gem. The male protagonist of the song is doing his best to take the high road when it comes to the aftermath of the failed relationship and union, and these closing lyrics are a fine example.

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"Thunder Road," by Bruce Springsteen (1975)

"t’s a town full of losers/ And I’m pulling out of here to win."

With the back of his music career up against the wall, Springsteen finally delivered the goods with his third studio album Born to Run."Thunder Road"is among the greatest album openers of all time, and begins the journey of an antsy young man ready to strike out on his own, comparable to The Boss himself leaving his Freehold, NJ home for rock-and-roll greatness. Though he's not sure what the road ahead holds, he's got a girl by his side and massive dreams in his head. The final line sums it all up.

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"Hotel California," by the Eagles (1977)

"You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave."

"Hotel California" is all about a journey. That journey is told through the eyes of Eagles' leaders Don Henley and Glenn Frey upon driving into Los Angeles for the first time. Even at that point they likely realized how mesmerizing the city and Southern California, as a whole, can be, the knack it has to consume someone mentally. Once you are there, and caught up in the lifestyle — good or bad — it's tough to say goodbye. Even if you're no longer physically there.

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"Comfortably Numb," by Pink Floyd (1979)

"The child is grown, the dream is gone. I have become comfortably numb."

While David Gilmour's brilliant closing guitar solo is one of the great individual performances in rock history, the final words to this Pink Floyd classic from The Wall packs an equally emotional wallop. A truly personal tune for Floyd bassist Roger Waters, which touches on the end of innocence, somewhat. As life gets out of hand, a certain sense of delirium, substance aided or not, settles in. Thus, the hopes we hold as a child tend to disappear and be lost forever once we've grown old.

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"Fade to Black," by Metallica (1984)

"Yesterday seems as though it never existed. Death greets me warm, now I will just say goodbye...Goodbye."

Songs about contemplating suıcide are quite common, and usually controversial, especially in the metal community. This Metallica gem from Ride the Lightningmight be the bleakest ever recorded by the legendary band. It's not autobiographical, though according to Songfacts, Metallica singer/guitarist James Hetfield claimed the song is told through the point of someone with suıcidal tendencies, and conjured up during a rough point in the band's tenure.

10 of 25

"Paul Revere," by Beastie Boys (1986)

"The piano player's out, the music stopped. His boy had beef, and he got dropped.Mike D grabbed the money, MCA Snatched the gold.I grabbed two girlies and a beer that's cold."

Over the years, the Beasties shunned "Paul Revere" for its poor representation of women, thus showing their maturity growth from the days of their smash debut License to Ill. Still, this was a true foundation for the rhyming talent the trio harbored as a collective. The fluidity of their signatures are on full display in this caper of a tale. The end sums it up, with each member concluding their own individual tale while presumably coming off as a heroic group.

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"Rocket Queen," by Guns N' Roses (1987)

"Don't ever leave me, say you'll always be there. All I ever wanted was for you to know that I care."

Appetite for Destruction is a gritty, raw, often brutally honest record. However, there are brilliant emotional moments, as well. "Rocket Queen," the album's closing track, best encompasses the album. It's a roller coaster of sound, raucous, edgy and melodically impactful. The song is about a relatively carefree girl who provided sexual and emotional support to frontman Axl Rose during those lean days in L.A. These final words are a thank of you sorts.

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"Wicked Game," by Chris Isaak (1989)

"Nobody loves no one."

Chris Isaak's signature, top-10 tune is not about real love. Thus, the hollow, yet rather profound final words. Isaak told the Rock and Rock Hall of Famethat he wrote the song rather quickly, late at night, and after a female friend called him to meet up. Obviously, she had one thing in mind. At the time, the prospect of a long and healthy relationship was not there in this scenario. However, that did not mean a casual get-together was necessarily a bad thing, leaving the belief that sex drives many relationships, even more than genuine love.

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"All Apologies," by Nirvana (1993)

"All in all is all we are."

At the time, Kurt Cobain's unstableness in the wake of the In Uteroalbumrelease was becoming concerning. Obviously, this was a troubled young man who struggled to come to grips with his talent as a musician, and certainly through his songwriting. "All Apologies"is a song about dealing with the pressures of being a star — on and off the stage. These repeated end lyrics offer a roundabout introspective of Cobain's thinking. And, there are those, right or wrong, who believe this was intended to be his final goodbye.

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"Disarm," by Smashing Pumpkins (1993)

"The killer in me is the killer in you. Send this smile over to you."

William Patrick Corgan has always fancied himself as a lyrical wordsmith. When it came to what's arguably the most personal song he's ever written, Corgan unveils his dark side through this hit from Siamese Dream. According toSongfacts,Corganstated the song is about wanting to kill his parentsbecause they routinely made him feel insecure. He's never shied away from talking about his emotionally troubled times as a child, teen and adolescent. As painful and disturbing as lyrics like this seem, it proved to be a cathartic moment for Corgan.

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"Basket Case," by Green Day (1994)

"Am I just paranoid? Or I am just stoned?"

The song that turned the mainstream pop-punk world on its head, andofficially ushered Green Day into superstardom. The undeniably catchy track, from the band's breakout record Dookie, is rather personal for frontman/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong. It chronicles his long-time struggle with anxiety, and not exactly knowing what was going on with himself at the time. Leave it to Billie Joe to turn a serious subject into rock magic. The tune reached No. 1 on the BillboardAlternative Airplay chart in the United States.

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"Everlong," by Foo Fighters (1997)

"The only thing I'll ever ask of you, you've got to promise not to stop when I say when."

Dave Grohl told Mojothat he was at a true low point in his life when he wrote what is perhaps Foo Fighters' most beloved song. He was recently divorced, reportedly homeless, amid issues with the band and trying to make a new relationship work with Veruca Salt guitarist/singer Louise Post. She proved to be a guiding light for Grohl during a relatively dark moment, and the beginning of said relationship was part of a potential journey of hope.

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"Rock Your Body," by Justin Timberlake (2002)

"Bet I'll have you naked by the end of this song."

Thesong that officially transitioned the cute Justin Timberlake (of N*SYNC and The New Mickey Mouse Club fame) to a pop/R&B star — and he still hasn't looked back. It also features this infamous final line, which preceded JT ripping off Janet Jackson's costume top, thus revealing her nipple-covered breast, during the halftime show of the 2004 Super Bowl and sparking controversy for days to come. If that's not worthy of inclusion on this list, we're not sure what would qualify?

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"Just Breathe," Pearl Jam (2009)

"Hold me 'til I die.Meet you on the other side."

Frontman Eddie Vedder and Co. have never been a band about ballads and love songs, though this subtle fan favorite from the Backspaceralbum might be the closest Pearl Jam has ever come to going down that type of songwriting road. According to Vedder, as told to the Toronto Globe and Mail, the song is about taking time to be with, and enjoy, those near and dear. Life moves fast — and can be crazy — so it's important to simply breathe, because it can all be over before we know it.

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"Red," by Taylor Swift (2012)

"His love was like driving a new Maserati down a dead end street."

Taylor Swift has kind of bookend thing going here with the popular trackfrom her album of the same name. There is a variation of this line to open the song, and by the time she concludes the tune with it, her relationship with the male love interest has ended. As we know, Swift has essentially made a career of chronicling the trials and tribulations of her love life. Of course, her lyrical humor is among her truly special talents as a songwriter that should continue to be celebrated.

20 of 25

"Some Girls," by The Rolling Stones (1978)

"So gimme all your money, give me all your gold. Let's go back to Zuma Beach, I'll give you half of everything I own."

One of the more humorous Stones tracksfrom their legendary record of the same name, and also one of the more controversial. It's about the women that had come and gone throughout the lives of the band members, and touches on just about every type of woman ever created. These closing lines are just some of the ramifications that come with trying to balance rock stardom and one's love life. Now, the Stones hardly mastered that act, but man, were they highly entertaining in trying to get it done.

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"Shape of You," by Ed Sheeran (2017)

"Every day discovering something brand new. I'm in love with the shape of you."

Ed Sheeran is a human male.He came across an attractive woman, and, on the surface, he liked what he saw.That's essentially the gist of another smash hit for the English singer/songwriter. While this might be one of the most honest closing lyrics, which is often repeated during the song, in recent memory, the track is best known for Sheeran consistently proclaiming:"I'm in love with your body."Hey, at least the guy is being honest.

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"Driver's License," by Olivia Rodrigo (2021)

"Cause you said forever, now I drive alone past your street.Yeah, you said forever, now I drive alone past your street."

The former Disney actress struck it big as a 17-year-old recording artist with this No. 1 hit. Though this tune is relatively new, it's rather emotionally impactful. Teenage breakups can be brutal, and from Rodrigo's viewpoint, it's even worse after the main female character got her driver's license, which gave her the opportunity to drive to her boyfriend's house. This line is repeated throughout the song, but stings every time. Especially as these lasting final words.

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"Happier Than Ever," by Billie Eilish (2021)

"You ruined everything good, always said you were misunderstood.Made all my moments your own.Just f*&@ing leave me alone."

Co-written with her brother Finneas O'Connell, Eilish is at her brutally honest best when it comes to laying into her partner, who appears primarily responsible for the volatile nature of their relationship. She doesn't pull any punches, and that angst was a big reason the song earned four Grammy Award nominations. The listener can actually picture the lyrics as one point of view in a relationship-related argument. Especially this final line.

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"Too Late Now," by Wet Leg (2021)

"Everything is going wrong, I think I changed my mind again.I just need a bubble bath to set me on a higher path."

The uniqueness and overall creativity of Wet Leg (aka Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers) can't be understated, and it was obviously on display with its self-titled, Grammy Award-winning debut album. While the irritatingly catchy "Chaise Longue" is the star of that collection, the record's finale in "Too Late Now" might be the quirkiest and most honest number of the bunch. In the end, relaxing in a bath might really be all it takes to cast one's troubles away.

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"Search & Rsecue," by Drake (2023)

"Take me out the club, take me out the trap. Take me off the market, take me off the map.I'm tryna hit the group chat and tell 'em it's a wrap."

Yes, this is very new, but we live in a technology-dependent, social-media obsessed world where those are also avenues to find true love. In that case, one of Drake's most recent hits is poignantly timely. Drake is among the biggest entertainers on the planet, but he's apparently having a problem finding Mrs. Right. So, he needs help. Needs to be rescued. Then when he finds that special someone, will make sure to post it on his socials.