good songs about saying goodbye that aren't intensely sad or about breaking up

The Pogues - Sally Maclennane
Woody Guthrie - So Long It's Been Good to Know You

"I Will Survive" isn't exactly a tearjerker, but I guess it doesn't quite fit anyway ;)

"Goodbye" by Pete and Dud.

Ulrich Schnauss - Goodbye. Instrumental, lush lolectronica that's in the right emotional zone.

Anything really upbeat and fun to start it off would be awesomely apropriate, since I'll be presenting it to her at her housewarming party tonight.

wish you well bernard fanning not exactly good but is upbeat & catchy

Neu! - Leb'Wohl

How far away is she moving? If it's a good distance, then 'Send Me a Postcard' by Shocking Blue could be a go-er (although the lyrics are based on a romantic relationship, it is k-upbeat and the title is a nice take on the goodbye aspect).

Also, what about 'So Long, Farewell' from the Sound of Music? Heheheh...

Haha, that might be too uncool for her. She's only moving about a 2 hour drive away, but in less than 6 months I'm moving to New Zealand, so "Send Me A Post Card" may be apropriate, though I don't know about the romantic relationship thing.

Haha, that might be too uncool for her.

Clarification: I'm not judging, but it's not my mix cd ;-)

How about the 11-minute instrumental majesty of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra's "The Sound Of Someone You Love Who's Going Away And It Doesn't Matter"...

http://tinyurl.com/6dsngo

The Kinks "Days"
Harry Nilsson "Turn On Your Radio"

Diana Ross - Remember Me - Can't remember if the lyrics fit the bill precisely (might be too relationshippy) but it's an exhilirating tune and not a bad one to kick off with.

Man, both that Diana Ross and Harry Nilsson are good. Still too touchyfeely (DR song seems pretty relationshippy--"remember me as a good thing", etc), I'm looking for something along the lines of "u my bro, hug, now lets party"...er...something maybe. That's pretty specific.

But keep 'em comin, these are a lotta good songs, I'm having fun here.

despite the suicide, simon and garfunkle's "why don't you write me" is fairly upbeat.

that might be a contender

initially thought that "Auf Wiedersehen" by Cheap Trick would work, but looking again at the lyrics I ain't so sure!:

Au revoir, auf wiedersehen
You wont see another morning
You wont see another evening
Good night
Buenos noches o senor
Senorita see ya later
Buenos noches bye-bye
There are many here among us
You feel that life is a joke
And for you we sing this final song
For you there is no hope
Sayonara oh suicide hari kari
Kamikaze you won't
See another evening
Goodbye
Bye-bye so long, farewell
See you later....suicide
Suicide
Suicide
Suicide

Actually she would get a laugh out of that as my goodbye song! ...in fact I may have to name the cd after it!

"AUF WIEDERSEHEN KENZIE! SUCK CHUB AND FUCK OFF! (from nate)"

"Happy Trails" - the Van Halen version!

Again it might not be specific enough - it's technically about someone coming home after a long absence, and I'm guessing that your friend isn't off to jail - but for a manfully tender song about absent friends it's hard to beat Stay Free by the Clash. It's right in spirit - "u my bro, hug" is pretty much the gist - if not in the detail.

Was also going to suggest the PCO number, so instead I'll add the Ramones "Glad To See You Go". To be taken in the humour with which it's intended, obv.

Oh, how about "Don't you forget about me" Simple Minds?

Not mannish enough I guess, but Andrew Gold, "Thank You for Being a Friend," aka the Golden Girls theme

It's not so much 'manliness' that I'm shooting for w/ the goodbye song so much as I don't want her to think of me and feel in any way sad, but rather have a laugh or think of something fun.

I had my heart set on Auf Wiedersehen but can't seem to find anything but a live version :(

surely you can get it on iTunes?

I completely forgot iTunes existed. And yes you can.

Left of the Dial? maybe? kinda i guess...it's a nice song anyway

The Clash - Street Parade (from Sandinista!)

Thanks for everyone's help! Tons of awesome songs. Here's the final playlist:

Cheap Trick - Auf Wiedersehen
La Düsseldorf - White Overalls
Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Which Way Is It Going
Elliott Murphy - The Valley Below
Television - Call Mr. Lee
CCR - Bootleg
Michael Nesmith - The Crippled Lion
Stiv Bators - Evil Boy
NAC - Remember That Time We Hijacked A Helicopter To Escape The Zombies And Went To The Mall But There Were Zombies At The Mall So We Killed The Zombies (the hug that would never end)
David Thomas - Through the Magnifying Glass
Grandmaster Flash - Scorpio
NWA - Fuck The Police
King Khan and the Shrines - Outta Harms Way
NAC - Helter Skelter
Furry Lewis - Furry's Blues
Bob Dylan - Blind Willie McTell
Stooges - I Need Somebody
Satan's Cheerleaders - Cotton Fields
Swamp Rats - Hey Freak
NAC - I Love My Belly / Digestive Process Of a Time Traversing Oil Rig

Not sure how much sense a lot of this makes together! She'll probably think it's pretty alright.

(side note for those wondering: NAC=abbreviation of old joke project of mine from years back I'm using here to break up/segue the mix a bit)

(STEWART IF YOU SHOW UP ON THIS THREAD AND SAY 'YOU SHOULD HAVE USED ____ NAC SONG' I WILL MURDER BECAUSE TIM PUT SOME OF THAT FUCKING SHIT ON MYSPACE AND THESE FOOLIOS MIGHT GOOGLE AND THEN I WOULD DIE)

The Beatles - Hello goodbye

Not that the lyrics really mean anything but it says goodbye and it's not intensely sad or about breaking up

Gang of Four - Damaged Goods
Stranglers - Goodbye Toulouse
Supertramp - Goodbye Stranger
Rush - A Farewell to Kings

Dude, wait! "Bobby Jean" by Springsteen. About Little Steven leaving the E Street Band (before he came back).

Ahhhhh, tooo laaatteee! Haha. I have no idea if she liked it. She was pumped it had Fuck the Police, though.

I THINK the title was...

Auf Wiedersehen Kenzie (<---spelled with an anarchy A duh)
Suck Chub Kill Yrself"
from nate

or something

Snax - Honeymoon's Over

The Kinks "Days"

I will challenge that because it quite plainly *is* about breaking up.

And instead offer "Kings" by Steely Dan.

xpost it's about his daughter growing up and leaving home, eventualy, and how Ray's 'prepared' for it happening.

Oh. Oh I see. It never occurred to me that it was about any sort of relationship other than the usual boy-girl-rock-song one.