Goodbye To Everything I Thought I Knew

A very bittersweet single this. As far as I'm concerned, it's one of their best. I've already said in my review of the Turnaround album how brilliant this song is, so I won't retread that territory, but rest assured that it is utterly fantastic.

So why so bittersweet? Take a look at the five young men on the cover. Two weeks after this single's release, there were only four. On the 9th of March, 2004 (my birthday, dammit! And I'll never forgive them.), Bryan McFadden announced his departure from the band in a tearful press conference. Thousands of fans cried, me included, hearts utterly broken. They read a little statement, answered a few questions, and then he was gone. Just like that. Nobody had seen it coming.

(Author's note: a very strange thing just happened. I have my entire music collection on random, and only a few seconds ago, it randomised itself straight onto an audio file of Kian crying through their goodbye statement to Bryan. I may have started crying myself.)

Anyway, on to the actual single, although there will be numerous mentions of my own emotional reaction to it, and not a scathing snark like the rest of these have been. First of all, the cover. Black, as usual, but with a fiery sort of background, which makes a nice change. The video has fire in it too - it's set around it. Each member has his own individual set up on a beach - Nicky is surrounded by hundreds of beds, Mark by televisions, Kian in a little boat just off the shore, Shane under hundreds of dangling lightbulbs, and Bryan on a bridge. The televisions, bed and lightbulbs all explode, and the boat and bridge start burning up as well. At the end, they all meet up together just as the waves burst into flame. It's astonishingly magical, even if I'm not sure what it has to do with anything. Bryan knows, though:

Bryan: The burning beds, that actually represents the fact that Nicky is hot in bed.
Nicky: If you ever want to have a good night of passion give me a call!
Bryan: The light balls represent the fact that Shane always come up with these crazy ideas. When he does the light ball goes "piiing". Um, Mark his...
Shane: TV-thing.
Bryan: ...blowing up televisions actually represent Westlife exploding onto your screen. I actually have a few arguments with people, that's the whole point of bridges-part. And um, we basically told Kian to get the boat.

I miss Bryan.

The b-side, I'm Missing Loving You, is unintentionally heartbreaking. It's another Bryan and Mark affair, a midtempo about someone secretly not wanting to be in a relationship and deciding they can't go on any more. In other circumstances it might have just been a brilliant song, but considering the timing and the fact that we were all confused and had no idea of the exact circumstances leading to Bryan leaving the band, it's a hell of a tearjerker. There's also a medley of some older hits, and a live version of To Be With You. Both are good, but aren't a patch on I'm Missing Loving You.

So I'm going to finish this with the lyrics of the b-side, as a little tribute.

Thanks Bryan. You'll always be missed.

I'm Missing Loving You
I can’t figure it out in my head
Nearly time that we put this to bed
It feels like it’s over
I’m tired and a mess

You feel guilty for my big mistake
And keep throwing it back in my face
We’ll both end up lonely
If we can’t put things straight

And I guess it might seem I don’t want you
But I still need you now

I love it when you fall asleep at night
Cos I can hear the bell that stops the fight
I know that when the darkness turns to light
The fight’ll take over
Can’t stand living with you
But don’t wanna live without you
I’m missing loving you

Well it first started out like a phase
Now it’s come to us changing our ways
Acting so crazy
But sorry’s come too late

See you’ve started to feel like a fool
Telling all of our friends that we’re cool
The truth is I’m lonely
Even though you’re by my side

And I guess we might as well just end this
Cos I don’t feel you now

I love it when you fall asleep at night
Cos I can hear the bell that stops the fight
I know that when the darkness turns to light
The fight’ll take over
Can’t stand living with you
But don’t wanna live without you
I’m missing loving you

I think about the future now
I’ll stand by you forever
But baby you just gotta let me know
Hey yeah

I love it when you fall asleep at night
Cos I can hear the bell that stops the fight
I know that when the darkness turns to light
The fight’ll take over
Can’t stand living with you
But don’t wanna live without you

I love it when you fall asleep at night
Cos I can hear the bell that stops the fight
I know that when the darkness turns to light
The fight’ll take over
Can’t stand living with you
But don’t wanna live without you
I’m missing loving you