Discover the story of the song > The Goodbye Look – Donald Fagen

The protagonist is on a quiet island, where there used to be a lot of Americans but now only two remain. There are rumors of secretive things happening behind the big casino on the beach, and the rules seem to have changed. The protagonist dreams of an old lover but is abruptly awakened by someone knocking on the door. They plan to attend a small reception behind the casino, but the protagonist has an uneasy feeling and thinks they may have received the "goodbye look".