Last Kiss

Wayne Cochran & The C.C. Riders' song 'Last Kiss' is a poignant narrative of love, loss, and the hope of reunion in the afterlife. The song tells the story of a young couple whose lives are tragically altered by a car accident. The narrator's girlfriend dies in the crash, and he is left grappling with the pain of her sudden departure. The repeated refrain, 'Oh where, oh where can my baby be? The Lord took her away from me,' underscores his profound sense of loss and longing.

The lyrics vividly describe the moments leading up to and following the accident. The imagery of 'screaming tires' and 'busting glass' paints a harrowing picture of the crash, while the 'painful scream' the narrator hears last is a haunting reminder of the tragedy. The emotional climax of the song occurs when the narrator finds his girlfriend in the wreckage, and she asks him to hold her 'just a little while.' Their 'last kiss' becomes a symbol of their love and the finality of their separation.

The song also touches on themes of guilt and redemption. The narrator feels a sense of responsibility for the accident and believes that he must 'be good' to reunite with his girlfriend in heaven. This reflects a common cultural belief in the afterlife and the idea that moral behavior can lead to a reunion with lost loved ones. 'Last Kiss' is a timeless ballad that resonates with listeners due to its raw emotion and universal themes of love, loss, and the hope for eternal reunion.