Among 38 Special's best-known songs are "Caught Up in You" (1982) and "If I'd Been the One" (1983), both of which hit #1 on Billboard magazine's album rock chart, as well as "Second Chance" (1989), a #1 hit on Billboard's adult contemporary chart. According to Songfacts, it was the biggest Adult Contemporary hit of 1989. Other popular singles include "Hold On Loosely" (1981), "Fantasy Girl" (1981), "Back Where You Belong" (1984), and "Somebody Like You" (1986). These and other tracks are often played on classic rock radio stations.
After achieving three platinum albums and one gold album in the 80s, their popularity waned over the 90s-- although their 1997 single "Fade to Blue" hit #37 on the mainstream rock chart. More recently, the group's music came back into prominence after being featured in the 2001 cult classic comedy film 'Super Troopers', with songs such as "Trooper With An Attitude". They continue to tour to audiences in the American south and beyond.
The current lineup is comprised of vocalist Donnie Van Zant, guitarists Don Barnes and Danny Chauncey, bassist Larry Junstrom, keyboardist Bobby Capps, and drummer Gary Moffatt. Recently, both Donnie Van Zant and little brother Johnnie (the current frontman of Lynyrd Skynyrd) have joined forces as Van Zant and have released an album with another in the works.
If I'd Been The One
.38 Special Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And some things never change, no
How it hurts me and how it's tearin' me apart,
And it just goes on and on
Can you read my mind, take a good look at my face
Could you take the time, just to stand here in my place
What if I'd been the one to say goodbye, goodbye
Could you smile when inside you just want to cry, look inside
When I hear your name, feel so cold deep inside
Still it's hard to explain, oh
But you're not meant to be, they say time will heal the pain
But it just goes on forever
Can you read my mind, have you closed the door on love
Can you be so blind, did you think I'd just give up
What if I'd been the one to say goodbye, goodbye
Could you smile when inside you just want to cry, want to cry
What if I'd been the one to say goodbye, goodbye
Could you smile when it hurts so deep inside, and it never fades away
Fade away
Time can't erase the reasons why
I count my mistakes and the heartaches since you said goodbye
What if I'd been the one to say goodbye, goodbye
Could you smile when inside you just want to cry, want to cry
What if I'd been the one to say goodbye, goodbye
Could you smile when it hurts so deep inside, and it never fades away
Never fades away
No, it don't fade away
The lyrics to the .38 Special's song, If I'd Been the One, are about a man who is dealing with the aftermath of a failed relationship. He feels lost inside with an empty space in his heart, and the pain that it causes him seems never-ending. He wonders if the person he was with could read his mind, take a good look at his face, and understand the pain he's going through. He questions whether things would have been different if he had been the one to say goodbye, and whether the other person could have smiled when it hurt so deep inside.
The lyrics are emotional and speak to the feelings of hopelessness and despair that a person can experience after a relationship ends. They talk about the pain that lingers long after the breakup, and the difficulty of moving on when the heart is broken. The singer reflects on the mistakes he made and the heartaches he's experienced since the other person left him.
The song addresses the universal human experience of heartbreak, and the struggles that people face as they try to heal and move forward. The lyrics are a reminder that even though it can hurt deeply, time does have a way of healing wounds.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been lost inside, empty space in my heart
I feel like something important is missing from my life
And some things never change, no
Unfortunately, this feeling is not new
How it hurts me and how it's tearin' me apart,
This feeling is really painful and it's affecting me a lot
And it just goes on and on
And it feels like it's never going to end
Can you read my mind, take a good look at my face
Do you have any idea how much I'm struggling right now?
Could you take the time, just to stand here in my place
Could you try to understand what it's like to be me?
What if I'd been the one to say goodbye, goodbye
What if I had left you instead?
Could you smile when inside you just want to cry, look inside
Would you be able to hide your pain like I'm doing?
Can you read my mind? oh oh
Can you understand what I'm feeling without me saying it out loud?
When I hear your name, feel so cold deep inside
Thinking about you gives me a really strong negative reaction
Still it's hard to explain, oh
I can't quite articulate why
But you're not meant to be, they say time will heal the pain
People keep telling me that I'll eventually get over you
But it just goes on forever
But it doesn't feel like that's going to happen anytime soon
Can you read my mind, have you closed the door on love
Do you not care about me anymore?
Can you be so blind, did you think I'd just give up
How could you not see how much I've been struggling?
Time can't erase the reasons why
I can't just forget everything that's happened between us
I count my mistakes and the heartaches since you said goodbye
And every day it feels like the pain gets worse instead of better
Never fades away
This hurt is going to stay with me for a long time
What if I'd been the one to say goodbye, goodbye
I keep wondering if things would be easier if I had been the one to end things
Could you smile when inside you just want to cry, want to cry
And if I had, would you be able to hide your pain like I'm doing now?
Could you smile when it hurts so deep inside, and it never fades away
Even if we had ended things differently, it seems like the pain would still be just as bad
No, it don't fade away
And unfortunately, it doesn't seem like it's getting any better
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DONALD N. VAN ZANT, JEFFREY S. CARLISI, LARRY STEELE, RICHARD DONALD BARNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Melodic_Cellar
Defintely check this out !!
Wall Of Silence - Shock To The System 1992 [Full Album]: https://youtu.be/6-1OYvcc--M?t=1431
@dandross
Dope band. I just downloaded their album. Thanks for posting.
@mikeraulerson4375
This song came out when I was in high school and I went to a private school a seventh day Adventist school and I first met this girl her name was Cristi in a little town outside of Orlando FL about a hour away she was the first girl that made nervous and actually have really have feelings for they watched us like hawks so we could not actually Hook up but we really cared about each other man I wish I could go in time and fix it where we could have she was so pretty sweet girl the last time I saw her was graduation in April 84 we both had tears in our eyes and I knew she should have been my girl it wasn't about sex man it was about love my first and I was up all night and I went back to the school the next morning They would not let see Cristi I was heartbroken and hurt I really did care about her big-time
@amyv8181
This reminds me of the skating rink in my Junior High Days and couple skating with a young love!
@williamweathers6588
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@rebecca75588
Very cool okay
@griz383
Whos listening in 2024? Never fade away!
@JCStorm76
How good is it?
@robertsimms315
38 Special hits every nerve and overwhelms with satisfaction of listening to their music. I was a freshman at Sarasota High School, Sarasota, FL, in 1984 and seriously miss watching these videos on MTV. Anyone else here from the 80s?
@theenglishprofessor8411
H.S. Class of '87---great decade, wasn't it?