Frozen
There's no greater power, than...
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information
Title: The Power Of Goodbye
Writers: Madonna and Rick Nowels
Producers: Madonna, William Orbit and Patrick Leonard
Album: Ray Of Light (1998) and GHV2 (2001)
Edition date: It was the third single from Ray Of Light album in USA, 25 august 1998 and the fourth in the rest of the world, at the end of the October 1998
Length of the album version: 4' 10''
Credits: ©1998 WB Music Corp./Webo Girl Pub., Inc. adm. by WB Music Corp. ASCAP/EMI Virgin Music, Inc./Future Furniture Music ASCAP.
coments

The Power Of Goodbye is one of the best Madonna ballads, and is included in her Ray Of Light album. The song has the same electronic sound as the rest of the album, but also has a beautiful string arrangement which suits the tune perfectly. It was released as the third Ray Of Light single in the US and the released as the fourth single internationally. Initially, Nothing Really Matters was supposed to be the release, but at the end both songs have been single releases. Although it is a really good song, and Madonna promoted heavily the song all trhough Europe in October 1998, The Power Of Goodbye didn't reach number one, neither entered the top ten. Maybe Warner wanted to run too fast, when Ray Of Light was already being listed in the charts as a successful single. The Power Of Goodbye is also the first Madonna single since You Must Love Me that gets out from the dancefloor charts. Some mixes were released with the maxi, but not with the US single edition. Those mixes were made by Dallas Austin (who has previously worked with Madonna in her Bedtime Stories album), Luke Slater and Fabien Waltmann. Many fans think those are the worst Madonna remixes ever made.
The US release had Mer Girl as the B-side, and Little Star was the B-side from the UK release, aiming the Christmas shoppings. The Power Of Goodbye was also used in the main credits of a Warner tv serie called Felicity.
In summer of 2002, we could hear some demos recorded in the recording sessions of the Ray Of Light album. One of the demos is the one made for this song. That version was quite different from the William Orbit's final production, with a more strong rhythm, more in the line of Drum'n bass. The lyrics also change, including the sentence 'Walk away' instead of 'Do you wanna go higher' (as a curiosity, in the booklet of the album, they forgot to change the 'Walk away' lyrics) and the final message: God help me, learn to say goodbye, please give me the power of goodbye. Many fans say that this ending is much more beautiful than the final one.
videoclip
The Power Of Goodbye Video
The Power Of Goodbye Video
The Power Of Goodbye Video
The Power Of Goodbye Video

The Power Of Goodbye is one of the most beautiful Madonna videos. Directed by Matthew Rolston, who had a great directing experience with TLC (Creep, Red Light Special), Salt-'N'-Pepa (Whatta Man), Jewel (Foolish Games), Natalie Imbruglia (Wishing I Was There) and Garbage (I Think I´m Paranoid), among others. It is said that this director makes a better figure to the women appearing in the videos, and Madonna really has it. This production has lots of blue and green tones on its images, and we can see Madonna with dark hair again. It was filmed in a great mansion in Los Angeles, and in a Malibu beach, in the Californian coast.
Madonna is playing chess with her lover, actor Goran Visinjic (who impressed Madonna in the film Welcome to Sarajevo). The chess will decide the future of the couple, but Madonna decides to stop playing. The final scene is in a wonderful beach, but the ending has many different interpretations (many say that Madonna commits suicide drowning herself in the sea). The chess scene, and the kiss, is inspired in the original version of the film The Thomas Crown Affair. The video was premiered by MTV on September 10th, 1998, a few minutes before the MTV video Music Awards show began. In that ceremony, Madonna won some awards, as the one for the best video: Ray Of Light.

collector items
Frozen
 This is the cover used in most of the releases of The Power Of Goodbye. It was released in ecopack in the US, with the album versions of The Power Of Goodbye and Mer Girl. In the rest of the countries, the cd-maxi and the 12" maxi had this tracklisting: Album version, Dallas' Low End Mix, Luke Slater's Super Luper and Fabian's Good God Mix.
The 7" vinyl was just released for Jukebox, and they don't have a cover. Some editions are different to another due to the cd drawing. The editions in the photo are (left to right): Australia, USA, Colombian promo, German promo and Eutopean.
The Power Of Goodbye Cds
The Power Of Goodbye Japan
 The Japanese edition in cd-maxi have: Album Version, Dallas' Low End Mix, Luke Slater's Super Luper, Luke Slater's Filtered Mix and Fabian's Good God Mix. The cover has a couple of mistakes: one of them is in the tracklisting and the other in the name of the cd, saying 'rimixes' instead of 'remixes'.
The Power Of Goodbye Picture CD
 The UK edition included Little Star as the B-side, aimed to increase the sales with the Christmas of 1998. The most remarkable thing about this release is the picture CD. There are two editions of this single, one from France, and another from Germany, which has a better picture cd quality and the Dallas Austin remix.
The Power Of Goodbye Cassette SIngle
 There were two editions in casette-single: the US single has Mer Girl as the B-side, and the UK edition, with Little Star.
The Power Of Goodbye Sudafrican
 The most strange edition comes from South Africa, using the same image cover as in the other releases, but turning it 90º.
This list of collectibles is not complete, it's just an orientative guide of the most important things.
lyric
The Power Of Goodbye

Your heart is not open, so I must go
The spell has been broken, I loved you so
Freedom comes
When you learn to let go
Creation comes when you learn to say no

You were my lesson, I had to learn
I was your fortress, you had to burn
Pain is a warning
That something's wrong
I pray to god that it won't be long
I wanna go higher

There's nothing left to try
There's no place left to hide
There's no greater power
Than the power of good-bye

Your heart is not open, so I must go
The spell has been broken, I loved you so

You were my lesson, I had to learn
I was your fortress

There's nothing left to lose
There's no more heart to bruise
There's no greater power
Than the power of good-bye

Learn to say good-bye
I yearn to say good-bye

There's nothing left to try
There's no more places to hide
There's no greater power
Than the power of good-bye

There's nothing left to lose
There's no more heart to bruise
There's no greater power
Than the power of good-bye
goran visnjic
Goran Visnjic Goran Visnjic was born on September, 9th, 1972 in Sibenik, Croacia. He started acting when he was 9, and he has had a great acting career, making cinema, teathre and television. At 18 he entered the military service, and, as a voluntary decision, he stayed there 3 more years, due to the Balcanes war, fighting with the Croatian army. After this experience, he joined the famous Drama Art Academy of Zagreb. His fame grew when he won three awards in the Summer Festival of Dubrovnik at 21 for Hamlet, Shakespeare's classical play. He starred the US cinema for the first time in the film Welcome to Sarajevo (1997). He lives with his wife in Los Angeles, and has worked in other films, such as Hypnotic, The Deep End, Committed, Practical Magic or The Peacemaker.
cover
The Power Of Goodbye PortadaThe design of the cover is made by Kevin Reagan. The picture is takes by the team Inez Van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin.
in the chart
The Power Of Goodbye just reached number one in Mexico. It reached #11 in USA (almost reached the top 10), #6 in Canada and UK, #11 in Japan, #2 in Spain, and #3 in Switzerland and Brazil. This single has sold 900.000 copies up to date.
live

Madonna promoted heavily this single in October and November 1998, performing and giving interviews in many countries:

The Power Of Goodbye, Live From Vh1 Fashion Awards

On October 23rd, she performed The Power Of Goodbye live in the VH1 Fashion Awards, and she got two awards.

The Power Of Goodbye, Live From Wettendas

On November 7th, Madonna returned to the german show Wetten Dass, where she made a playback and tried to teach Yoga to the show host.

The Power Of Goodbye, Live From Sacrees Femmes

On November 11th she went to the French show Sacrees Femmes, and also sang Drowned World/Substitute For Love, but both were lip-synch.

The Power Of Goodbye, Live From MTV Europe Awards

On November 12th she got two MTV Europe Awards, and performed this single live.

The Power Of Goodbye, Live From Luuk Tv

She flew to Sweden on November 15th and gave an interview to the tv show Luuk Tv. She lip-synched again.

The Power Of Goodbye, Live From El Septimo De Cabelleria

Spain was the country in which she gave her best. She gave a very funny interview in the show El Séptimo De Caballería, on November 18th, andperformed live both The power Of Goodbye and Drowned World/Substitute For Love.

The Power Of Goodbye, Live From Top of the Pops

And she ended this promo tour on November 20th, making a playback performance in the classical Top Of The Pop UK show. This is the fourth time Madonna performs in this show.
official versions
1. Album Version / Video Version (4:10)
2. Video Instrumental (4:16)
3. Dallas' Austin Low End Mix (4:33)
4. Fabien's Good God Edit (5:11)
5. Fabien's Good God Mix (8:22)
6. Slater's Filtered Mix (6:05)
7. Slater's Super Luper Mix / Luke Slater Super Luper Mix (8:46)
8. Slater's Industrial Dub (12:12)
9. Slater's Industrial Anthem Mix (8:26)
10. Juniorverse Mix (9:29)
11. Demo Version (5:15)
12. Acapella (2:04)
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