Background and composition
Jeff Carlisi wrote "Second Chance" five years before it was first recorded.[1] The song, about love labor's lost[2] remained on the shelf until Max Carl joined the band following the departure of Don Barnes.[1] Carl loved the song and rewrote the chorus.[3] Carlisi recalled, "[Carl] really brought it home and had such a marvelous voice. I mean, the guy could sing 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' and you'd go buy it, he was so good. He really sold that song."[1]
Release and reception
"Second Chance" entered the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart at number 78 in February 1989.[4] The song was the highest-charting Hot 100 single of the band's career,[5] as it peaked at number six in May and spent 21 weeks on the chart.[4] The song reached number five on the Singles Sales chart and number nine on the Hot 100 Airplay chart.[6] It also peaked at number two on the Mainstream Rock chart, and became the band's first number one single on the Adult Contemporary chart.[5] It was Billboard magazine's "Adult Contemporary Song of the Year" for 1989.[1] The single peaked at number two in Canada[7] and number 14 in Australia, where it spent 12 weeks on the chart.[8]
Although "Second Chance" became 38 Special's biggest commercial hit, their label, A&M Records, did not renew the band's contract.[1] The group's next album, Bone Against Steel, was released on Charisma Records in 1991.[1]
Other versions
Jamaican reggae singer Dennis Brown's version of the song appears on various 1990s dancehall compilation albums.[9] Tongan-American Jawaiian trio Kontiki covered the song on their 2008 album Free Again.[10]
Second Chance
Thirty Eight Special Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel my life slipping away
I look to the sky
And everything is turnin' grey
All I made was one mistake
How much more will I have to pay
Why can't you think it over
Why can't you forget about the past
When love makes this sound baby
A heart needs a second chance
Don't put me down babe
Can't you see I love you
Since you've been gone I've been in a trance
This heart needs a second chance
Don't say it's over I just can't say goodbye
So this is love
Standing in the pouring rain
I fooled on you
But she never meant a thing
And I know I ain't got no right
To ask you to sympathize
But why can't you think it over
Why can't you forget about the past
When love makes this sound baby
A heart needs a second chance
Don't put me down baby
Can't you see I love you
Since you been gone I've been in a trance
This heart needs a second chance
Don't say it's over I just can't say goodbye
I never loved her
I never needed her
She was willing and that's all there is to say
Don't forsake me
Please don't leave me now
A heart needs a second chance
Yeah you've been gone and I've been in a trance
This heart needs a second chance
Don't say it's over I just can't say goodbye
Please forgive me and forget it
I was wrong and I admit it
Why can't we talk it over
Why can't we forget about, forget about the past
(A heart needs a second chance)
When love makes this sound baby
(A heart needs a second chance)
Don't put me down babe
You've been gone I've been in a trance
This heart needs a second chance
Don't say it's over I just can't say goodbye
(A heart needs a second chance)
When love makes this sound babe
(A heart needs a second chance)
(A heart needs a second chance)
When love makes this sound baby
(A heart needs a second chance)
The lyrics to "Second Chance" by Thirty Eight Special revolve around a man's plea for forgiveness and the chance to move past his mistake. The song follows a classic theme of love lost and the desperation to win it back. The singer claims to have made one mistake, but is willing to do anything to fix it. He looks to the sky, feeling lost and disconnected from the world around him. The rain and grey skies are metaphors for the bleakness he feels since his lover left.
He acknowledges that he has no right to ask for sympathy or forgiveness, but still begs for it. He reveals that he was unfaithful to his lover, but claims that it meant nothing and that she is the only one he truly loves. He admits fault and is willing to make amends, pleading with his lover to not give up on their relationship. He sings, "Please forgive me and forget it, I was wrong and I admit it, why can't we talk it over, why can't we forget about, forget about the past?" The song ends with the singer pleading for a second chance, his heart filled with hope and desperation for love to be rekindled.
Overall, the lyrics to "Second Chance" express a classic love story of a man who has made a mistake and is begging for forgiveness and a second chance from the woman he loves. The song captures the essence of heartbreak and the determination to fix things and move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Since you been gone
Ever since you left me
I feel my life slipping away
I feel like my life is falling apart
I look to the sky
I search for answers
And everything is turnin' grey
Everything looks bleak and hopeless
All I made was one mistake
I acknowledge that I made a mistake
How much more will I have to pay
I wonder how much more I will suffer
Why can't you think it over
Why can't we talk things through?
Why can't you forget about the past
Why can't we move on from what happened before?
When love makes this sound baby
When love feels like this, my heart needs another chance
A heart needs a second chance
I need another opportunity to make things right
Don't put me down babe
Please don't reject me
Can't you see I love you
I want you to know how much I love you
Since you've been gone I've been in a trance
Since you left, I have been lost and out of touch
Don't say it's over I just can't say goodbye
I'm not ready to give up on us
So this is love
This is what love feels like
Standing in the pouring rain
I am in the middle of a storm
I fooled on you
I made a mistake by being unfaithful
But she never meant a thing
It didn't mean anything to me
And I know I ain't got no right
I acknowledge that I am in the wrong
To ask you to sympathize
I don't expect you to feel bad for me
I never loved her
I didn't love the other person
I never needed her
I never needed the other person
She was willing and that's all there is to say
The other person was willing to be with me, but it was a mistake
Don't forsake me
I don't want you to abandon me
Please don't leave me now
I want you to stay with me
Please forgive me and forget it
Please pardon me and let's move on
I was wrong and I admit it
I acknowledge that I was mistaken
Why can't we talk it over
Why can't we have a conversation about this?
When love makes this sound baby
When love feels like this, my heart needs another chance
When love makes this sound baby
When love feels like this, my heart needs another chance
When love makes this sound baby
When love feels like this, my heart needs another chance
When love makes this sound baby
When love feels like this, my heart needs another chance
Contributed by Xavier A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jonwick5824
Who's here in 2024?
@janetmaichetti4081
💖
@janetmaichetti4081
💖
@janetmaichetti4081
💖
@area1258
Ainda ouvindo em 2024
@christinemarcino9884
Me!
@cchild9110
Who is listening to this in 2024?❤
@lindaparrillo499
I am
@ontrinettefranklin7203
Me
@stephennash1747
Me this song is a whole vibe in itself listen & then repeat