Goodnight, Travel Well

Background

The song was written as a tribute to guitarist Dave Keuning’s late mother, who had died earlier that year, and to frontman Brandon Flowers' mother, who had recently been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Keuning remarked that Flowers chose to write about people dying, and that he liked the song before it had lyrics, considering it a dark piece unlike any other the band had made. He expressed disappointment that more listeners did not praise it, suggesting audiences expected more upbeat material. Bassist Mark Stoermer recalled that everyone was aware of the coinciding losses, but the album was an effort to create an upbeat pop record, so the subject was not openly discussed.

Flowers described the song as moving from the darkest thing the band had done to a soaring conclusion, calling it a heartbreaker. Drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr. said he came up with the drum pattern on the spot, letting it emerge without conscious thought. The song features an ominous, brooding horn section and a flurry of crashing cymbals.

Release and reception

Goodnight, Travel Well was released with the rest of Day & Age on November 18, 2008. Billboard praised the track, stating it would serve well as the sonic climax of a galactic battle scene. Uproxx ranked it No. 15 on their list of the best Killers songs, calling it the finest spooky album closer in the band's arsenal. Pitchfork described it as an impressively brooding and Björk-ish closer, while Gigwise noted the instrumentation and orchestral arrangement rise from brooding denial to a euphoric farewell.

Did You Know?

• The song appeared in the Smallville episode 'Requiem', which aired on February 5, 2009.
• It was featured in the Dominion episode 'Bewilderment of Heart', airing on September 17, 2015.
• The Originals episode 'Wild at Heart', aired on February 5, 2016, also used the song.