Introduction
ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK – “KISS AND SAY GOODBYE”: THE FINAL KISS OF A LOVE THAT COULDN’T STAY
There are love stories born to be beautiful — but not meant to last. “Kiss And Say Goodbye” by Engelbert Humperdinck is a farewell to that kind of love — not loud, not bitter, but the quiet heartbreak of two grown souls forced to part even though their hearts have never truly let go.
Engelbert doesn’t sing this song as a love ballad, but as a gentle confession. There is no blame, no betrayal — only the moment when two people understand that the world around them no longer allows them to keep holding on. With his warm, deep, time-worn voice, every syllable lingers like the echo of a final breath: “This has got to be the saddest day of my life…” — the admission of someone who knows he no longer has the right to be selfish.
The song is not a plea to stay — but a brave act of letting go with dignity. Engelbert doesn’t beg her to change her mind. He asks for only one thing — “one last kiss before you go.” A single moment to turn a goodbye into something sacred, instead of a scar.
“Kiss And Say Goodbye” is not only for lovers who have drifted apart — but for anyone who has ever loved deeply enough to understand that sometimes, you walk away not because the love is gone, but because it is too deep to allow further pain. Engelbert sings as if he’s still holding the one he loves — not sending her away. Still gentle. Still respectful. Still placing her above himself — and that is the greatest beauty of the song.
In a world full of rushed farewells, Engelbert reminds us that some goodbyes can still be beautiful — if we are kind enough to speak them with a kiss.