Quotes / To Absent Friends

"I drink to my kinsmen, who fought bravely at sea,
I drink to my kin, who will be missed not just by me."

— Einherjer, 'Odin owns ye all'

"Oh, protect our secret handshake
once more with feeling.
Let the toast to absent members
push through the ceiling.
Before we say goodnight.

— The Weakerthans 'Psalm For The Elks Lodge Last Call'

And I'm up while the dawn is breaking
Even though my heart is aching
I should be drinking a toast to absent friends
Instead of these comedians

— Elvis Costello, "The Comedians"

There's a grief that can't be spoken.
There's a pain goes on and on.
Empty chairs at empty tables
Now my friends are dead and gone.

— Marius, Les Misérables

"I don`t want to sound gloomy, but, at some point of your lives, every one of you will notice that you have in your life one person, one friend whom you love and care for very much. That person is so close to you that you are able to share some things only with him. For example, you can call that friend, and from the very first maniacal laugh or some other joke you will know who is at the other end of that line. We used to do that with him so often. And then when that person is gone, there will be nothing like that in your life ever again".

— Christopher Lee on Peter Cushing

We meet ’neath the sounding rafter,
And the walls around are bare
As they shout back our peals of laughter
It seems that the dead are there.
Then stand to your glasses, steady!
We drink in our comrades’ eyes:
One cup to the dead already—
Hurrah for the next that dies!''

— Bartholomew Dowling, The Revel

He puts on a gray suit over his Airborne tattoo
And he ties it on one time a year
And remembers the fallen as he orders a tall one
And swallows it down with his tears

—Big & Rich, "8th of November"

You are my best friend, but then you died
When I was 23 and you were 25
You are my best friend, but then you died
And how will I survive, survive, survive, survive?
Oh, how will I survive, survive, survive, survive?
And every day I waited for you
And every day on the top of your car
Every day I waited for you
And every day on the hood of your car

—The Drums, 'Best Friend'

"To absent friends. In memory, still bright."

—John Sheridan, Babylon Five S 05 E 22 Sleeping In Light

"Here's to ya, lads..."

—Scotty, Star Trek: The Next Generation S6E4 "Relics"

Commander Shepard: To the people we care for.
Doctor Chakwas: May we never take them for granted.

—Mass Effect 2

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