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"Goodbye, Little Darlin', Goodbye"
Single by Gene Autry
B-side	"When I'm Gone You'll Soon Forget"
Published	March 15, 1940 (1940-03-15) by Western Music Publishing Co., Hollywood, Calif.
Released	April 1940 (1940-04)
Recorded	March 12, 1940 (1940-03-12)
Studio	CBS Columbia Square, Hollywood, California
Genre	Hillbilly, Western
Length	2:46
Label	Vocalion 5463
Songwriter(s)	Johnny Marvin, Gene Autry
Producer(s)	Art Satherly
Gene Autry singles chronology
"I'm Beginning To Care" (1940) "Goodbye, Little Darlin', Goodbye" (1940) "El Rancho Grande" (1940)
Audio
"Goodbye Little Darlin' Goodbye" on YouTube

"Goodbye, Little Darlin', Goodbye" (also known as "Goodby Little Darlin") is a 1939 song written by Gene Autry and Johnny Marvin. Autry sang it (as a duet with Mary Lee) in the December 1939 movie South of the Border, and released it as a single in April 1940. It went on to make both Popular and Hillbilly (Country) listings for 1940.

The song would be notably recorded by Johnny Cash at Sun Records probably on December 13, 1956, and released as a single (Sun 331, with "You Tell Me" on the opposite side) in September 1959, when he had already left the label for Columbia.

Cash version

According to John M. Alexander's book The Man in Song: A Discographic Biography of Johnny Cash, the song was not released as a single:

“Goodbye Little Darlin',” which was written by cowboy legend Gene Autry and songwriter Johnny Marvin, was the first Cash song Jack Clement produced. Its haunting beauty reveals a side of Cash not yet realized. His final farewell to a lover who is leaving him is truly heartbreaking. While the song was never released as a single, Cash had faith in it and would rerecord it in 1964 for his I Walk the Line album on Columbia Records. Both versions are impeccable, and either one would have made a worthy single for either label.

— John M. Alexander. The Man in Song: A Discographic Biography of Johnny Cash

Chart performance

Gene Autry

Johnny Cash

References

1. ^ Library of Congress. Copyright Office. (1940). Catalog of Copyright Entries 1940 Musical Compositions New Series Vol 35 Pt 3 For the Year 1940. United States Copyright Office. U.S. Govt. Print. Off. p. 520.
2. ^ "Vocalion 05463 (5000 10-in. series)". Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
3. ^ Russell, Tony (2004). Country Music Records: A Discography, 1921–1942. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 85. ISBN 0-19-513989-5.
4. "Brunswick matrix LA2175. Goodbye little darlin' goodbye / Gene Autry". Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
5. ^ Alexander, John M. (2018-04-10). The Man in Song: A Discographic Biography of Johnny Cash. University of Arkansas Press. pp. 31–. ISBN 978-1-68226-051-7.
6. ^ Hischak, Thomas S. (2002). The Tin Pan Alley Song Encyclopedia. Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-313-31992-1. "Goodbye, Little Darlin', Goodbye" (1940) is a cowboy farewell song that Gene Autry wrote with Johnny Marvin to sing in the movie South of the Border (1939). The rustic piece was recorded by Autry, Dick Robertson, Bing Crosby, Boxcar Willie ...
7. ^ "Original versions of Goodbye Little Darlin' Goodbye written by Gene Autry, Johnny Marvin". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
8. Larkin, Colin (2006). The encyclopedia of popular music. MUZE. p. 122. ISBN 978-0-19-531373-4.
9. Smith, John L. (1 January 1999). Another Song to Sing: The Recorded Repertoire of Johnny Cash. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-3629-7.
10. JEMF Quarterly. John Edwards Memorial Foundation. 1974.
11. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Country Singles, 1944 to 2001: Chart Data Compiled from Billboard's Country Singles Charts, 1944-2001. Record Research. ISBN 978-0-89820-151-2.
    Whitburn, Joel (2005). Joel Whitburn's Top Country Songs: 1944-2005, Billboard. Record Research. ISBN 978-0-89820-165-9.
12. Neely, Tim (2004-05-01). Goldmine Records & Prices. Krause Publications. ISBN 978-0-87349-781-7. Goodbye Little You Tell Me Sun 331.
13. Escott, Colin; Hawkins, Martin (1980). Sun Records: The Brief History of the Legendary Recording Label. Quick Fox. ISBN 978-0-8256-3161-0. Goodbye Little Darling You Tell Me.
14. Albert, George (1984-01-01). The Cash Box Country Singles Charts, 1958-1982. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-1685-5.
15. Lewry, Peter (2001). I've Been Everywhere: A Johnny Cash Chronicle. Helter Skelter. ISBN 978-1-900924-22-1.
    September
    Sun records release "You Tell Me"/ "Goodbye, Little Darlin" (Sun 331) and it registers on the country charts for just four weeks with a high of #22.
16. "The Billboard July 27, 1940 p84". worldradiohistory.com. July 27, 1940. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
17. "Johnny Cash Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-01-17.

v t e Johnny Cash
Albums Singles Sun Records Songs Awards
Studio albums	1950s Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar! The Fabulous Johnny Cash Hymns by Johnny Cash Songs of Our Soil 1960s Ride This Train Now, There Was a Song! Hymns from the Heart The Sound of Johnny Cash Blood, Sweat and Tears The Christmas Spirit I Walk the Line Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian Orange Blossom Special Johnny Cash Sings the Ballads of the True West Everybody Loves a Nut Happiness Is You Carryin' On with Johnny Cash & June Carter From Sea to Shining Sea The Holy Land 1970s Hello, I'm Johnny Cash Man in Black A Thing Called Love America: A 200-Year Salute in Story and Song The Johnny Cash Family Christmas Any Old Wind That Blows Johnny Cash and His Woman Ragged Old Flag The Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me The Johnny Cash Children's Album Johnny Cash Sings Precious Memories John R. Cash Look at Them Beans One Piece at a Time The Last Gunfighter Ballad The Rambler I Would Like to See You Again Gone Girl Silver A Believer Sings the Truth 1980s Rockabilly Blues Classic Christmas The Baron The Adventures of Johnny Cash Johnny 99 Highwayman Rainbow Class of '55: Memphis Rock & Roll Homecoming Heroes Believe in Him Johnny Cash Is Coming to Town Classic Cash Water from the Wells of Home 1990s Highwayman 2 Boom Chicka Boom The Mystery of Life Country Christmas American Recordings The Road Goes on Forever American II: Unchained 2000–2020s American III: Solitary Man American IV: The Man Comes Around American V: A Hundred Highways American VI: Ain't No Grave Out Among the Stars Songwriter
Live albums	At Folsom Prison At San Quentin The Johnny Cash Show På Österåker Strawberry Cake Koncert v Praze (In Prague – Live) VH1 Storytellers: Johnny Cash & Willie Nelson At Madison Square Garden A Concert Behind Prison Walls
Soundtracks	I Walk the Line Little Fauss and Big Halsy
Compilations	Johnny Cash Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous Greatest! Johnny Cash Sings Hank Williams Now Here's Johnny Cash All Aboard the Blue Train with Johnny Cash Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 Heart of Cash Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 Sunday Morning Coming Down International Superstar Five Feet High and Rising Destination Victoria Station Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 The Unissued Johnny Cash Johnny & June Tall Man Encore Biggest Hits The Man in Black 1954–1958 The Man in Black 1959–1962 Come Along and Ride This Train The Essential Johnny Cash (1992) Wanted Man The Man in Black 1963–1969 The Man in Black – His Greatest Hits 16 Biggest Hits Love, God, Murder The Essential Johnny Cash (2002) Unearthed The Legend The Legend of Johnny Cash Patriot 16 Biggest Hits: Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash The Legend of Johnny Cash Vol. II The Complete Columbia Album Collection Johnny Cash and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Songs	"25 Minutes to Go" "Seasons of My Heart" "Any Old Wind That Blows" "A Wonderful Time Up There" "The Ballad of Boot Hill" "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" "Big River" "Blistered" "A Boy Named Sue" "Busted" "Cat's in the Cradle" "Cocaine Blues" "Cry! Cry! Cry!" "Daddy Sang Bass" "Dark as a Dungeon" "Don't Take Your Guns to Town" "Engine 143" "Flesh and Blood" "The Folk Singer" "Folsom Prison Blues" "Forty Shades of Green" "Get Rhythm" "Give My Love to Rose" "Goodnight, Irene" "Green, Green Grass of Home" "Greystone Chapel" "Guess Things Happen That Way" "Hey, Porter" "Home of the Blues" "Hurt" "I Couldn't Keep from Crying" "I Love You Because" "I Still Miss Someone" "I Walk the Line" "If I Had a Hammer" "If I Were a Carpenter" "In My Life" "In the Jailhouse Now" "It Ain't Me Babe" "Jackson" "Kate" "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream" "The Man Comes Around" "Man in Black" "The Matador" "Oh Lonesome Me" "One Piece at a Time" "Oney" "Orange Blossom Special" "The One on the Right Is on the Left" "Remember the Alamo" "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" "Ring of Fire" "Rock Island Line" "So Doggone Lonesome" "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" "Tennessee Flat Top Box" "There Ain't No Good Chain Gang" "A Thing Called Love" "Understand Your Man" "What Is Truth" "What'd I Say" "Without Love" "You Are My Sunshine"
Television	The Johnny Cash Show
Biographies	Man in Black: His Own Story in His Own Words Cash: The Autobiography Johnny Cash! The Man, His World, His Music My Father and the Man in Black Walk the Line Ring of Fire (musical) Ring of Fire (2013 film)
Tribute albums	The Sound Behind Johnny Cash Kindred Spirits: A Tribute to the Songs of Johnny Cash Dressed in Black: A Tribute to Johnny Cash Johnny's Blues: A Tribute to Johnny Cash Walk the Line: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Fade to Black: Memories of Johnny All Aboard: A Tribute to Johnny Cash Johnny Cash Remixed We Walk the Line: A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash Forever Words
Associated acts	The Highwaymen The Tennessee Three Bob Wootton Carl Perkins W. S. Holland Marshall Grant Luther Perkins Million Dollar Quartet The Great Eighties Eight
Family	June Carter Cash John Carter Cash Rosanne Cash Cindy Cash Carlene Carter Tommy Cash Carter Family
Historical sites	Dyess, Arkansas Johnny Cash Boyhood Home Johnny Cash Museum House of Cash Carter Family Fold
Legacy	Statue of Johnny Cash
Category

• 1939 songs
• 1940 singles
• 1959 singles
• Songs written by Gene Autry
• Songs written by Johnny Marvin
• Sun Records singles
• Johnny Cash songs
• Gene Autry songs
• Breakup songs