The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Please Speak Well of Me" by the artist "Weepies, The"

In the song "Please Speak Well of Me" by The Weepies, the lyrical protagonist reflects on a lost love and leaves a message for the person left behind.

The phrase "I’ve been gone a year and a day” can be interpreted as a metaphor for a long absence or an indication that the relationship has been over emotionally for a long time, although the physical break-up has only just happened.

The realization of love comes to the protagonist too late, after making an irreparable mistake. All that remains is bitterness and a request to keep a good memory of him: "Don’t say words you don’t mean / When I’m gone, please speak well of me".

Looking back, the protagonist regrets his not always kind nature and wonders if it was true love, or if he was blind in his feelings.

He urges his former lover not to cling to the past: "Don’t you hold your love / ‘Cause one day, ‘cause one day…"

The protagonist is ready to apologize if it brings relief, but understands that true peace will come only with oblivion, which, alas, is not available to him. He is doomed to remember and regret.

The repeating phrase "Please speak well of me" emphasizes the protagonist's desire to remain in the beloved's memory in a positive light, despite all the mistakes of the past.