What is "so long"

parting salutation, 1860, of unknown origin, perhaps from a German idiom (compare German parting salutation adieu so lange, the full sense of which probably is something like "farewell, whilst (we're apart)"); or perhaps from Hebrew shalom (via Yiddish sholom). Some have noted a similarity to Scandinavian leave-taking phrases, such as Norwegian Adjø så lenge, Farvel så lenge, Mor'n så lenge, literally "bye so long, farewell so long, morning so long;" and Swedish Hej så länge "good-bye for now," with så länge "for now" attested since 1850 according to Swedish sources. Most etymology sources seem to lean toward the German origin.\n

\nEarlier guesses that it was a sailors' corruption of a South Pacific form of Arabic salaam are not now regarded as convincing. "Dictionary of American Slang" also adds to the list of candidates Irish slán "safe," said to be used as a salutation in parting. The phrase seems to have turned up simultaneously in America, Britain, and perhaps Canada, originally among lower classes. First attested use is in title and text of the last poem in Whitman's "Leaves of Grass" in the 1860 edition. \n\nAn unknown sphere, more real than I dream'd, more direct, darts awakening rays about me -- So long! \n
Remember my words -- I may again return, \n
I love you -- I depart from materials; \n
I am as one disembodied, triumphant, dead.\n\nWhitman's friend and fan William Sloane Kennedy wrote in 1923:\n\nThe salutation of parting -- 'So long!' -- was, I believe, until recent years, unintelligible to the majority of persons in America, especially in the interior, and to members of the middle and professional classes. I had never heard of it until I read it in Leaves of Grass, but since then have quite often heard it used by the laboring class and other classes in New England cities. Walt wrote to me, defining 'so long' thus: "A salutation of departure, greatly used among sailors, sports, & prostitutes -- the sense of it is 'Till we meet again,' -- conveying an inference that somehow they will doubtless so meet, sooner or later." ... It is evidently about equivalent to our 'See you later.' The phrase is reported as used by farm laborers near Banff, Scotland. In Canada it is frequently heard; 'and its use is not entirely confined to the vulgar.' It is in common use among the working classes of Liverpool and among sailors at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and in Dorsetshire. ... The London Globe suggests that the expression is derived from the Norwegian 'Saa laenge,' a common form of 'farewell,' au revoir. If so, the phrase was picked up from the Norwegians in America, where 'So long' first was heard. The expression is now (1923) often used by the literary and artistic classes.\n

interj. (context informal English) goodbye; a greeting used when leaving or departing from a person or place.

n. a farewell remark; "they said their good-byes" [syn: adieu, adios, arrivederci, auf wiedersehen, au revoir, bye, bye-bye, cheerio, good-by, goodby, good-bye, goodbye, good day, sayonara]

So Long may refer to:

• So Long, a song by Lake Street Dive
• So Long (album), a 2007 album by Stereoside
• "So Long" (Russ Morgan song), 1940, recorded by numerous artists including The Charioteers and Ruth Brown
• "So Long" (ABBA song), 1974
• "So Long" (Everlast song), 1999
• "So Long!" (AKB48 song), 2013
• "So Long', a song by Fats Domino which reached No. 44 on U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard R&B charts in 1956.
• "So Long", a song by The Kinks from Kinda Kinks
• "So Long", a song by Fischer-Z from Going Deaf for a Living
• "So Long", a song by Guster from Lost and Gone Forever
• "So Long", a song by Krokus from Hellraiser
• "So Long", a song by MC Hammer from Look Look Look
• "So Long", a song by Rilo Kiley from The Execution of All Things
• "So Long", a song by Seba & Lo-Tek
• " So Long, It's Been Good to Know Yuh", a 1935 song by Woody Guthrie

"So Long" is a song by Swedish pop group ABBA, released as the first single from their album ABBA. "So Long" was written and composed by Björn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson, with vocals by Agnetha Fältskog & Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

The song is musically similar to " Waterloo". The single was backed with " I've Been Waiting for You," another song from the ABBA album.

So Long is a 1999 single and song by rapper Everlast that is featured on the End of Days soundtrack. The song tells the story of a boy, having suffered relentless bullying, losing his grip on rationality and using his hunting skills to exact his revenge. The first verse references The Catcher in the Rye.

So Long is the second album by American Southern rock band Stereoside.

Singles

Year

Song

Album

2007

"Sinner"

rowspan=3| So Long

2008

"So Long"

2009

"On Our Way"

"So Long" is a song written by Remus Harris, Russ Morgan and Irving Melsher in 1940 and later recorded by Russ Morgan and his orchestra.

The song was first a hit for The Charioteers, whose single reached No. 23 on the U.S. pop charts in 1940. The best-known version was recorded by Ruth Brown, whose rendition reached No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart in 1949. The Four Aces' cover, backed by the Jack Pleis Orchestra, peaked at No. 26 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1954. Roy Hamilton's cover peaked at No. 14 on the U.S. Billboard R&B charts in 1957.

The song has also been covered by Sam Cooke for his 1957 debut album Sam Cooke, Sarah Vaughan on her 1962 album You're Mine You, James Brown in the mid-1960s and again with a funk version in the mid-1970s, Aretha Franklin in 1969 for her album of cover material Soul '69, Pat Benatar for her 1991 album True Love, and Dr. John on the 1995 album Afterglow.

Additional recordings include versions by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, Charles Brown, The Ramsey Lewis Trio, The Orioles, The Three Chuckles, Big Maybelle, Floyd Dixon, The Castaways, JAY-EL, and Georges Jouvin.