Second Chance by .38 Special

Album: Rock & Roll Strategy (1988)

Charted: 6

License This Song

Songfacts®:

In this song, the singer is pleading for forgiveness, asking his girl to give him a second chance after making the mistake of cheating on her. .38 Special guitarist Jeff Carlisi wrote it with the Los Angeles songwriter Cal Curtis, and it was originally titled "I Never Wanted Anyone Else But You." When they played the demo for their new keyboard player Max Carl, he came up the new title. Carlisi told American Songwriter magazine: "He said the guy in the song sounded like a real jerk. I said 'yeah, but a lot of people have been through this and want forgiveness.' Max said 'yeah, maybe the guy needs a second chance.' And that was the title. I think lyrically what Cal sketched out was brilliant, but the real thing that touches people is that one simple phrase 'a heart needs a second chance.' No one had said it like that before and that's what makes a great song."
Max Carl sang lead on this track. Along with Donnie Van Zant, he handled some of the vocals during his stay with .38 Special, which lasted 1988-1992.
This was the biggest chart hit for .38 Special, and while it didn't have the Classic Rock staying power of their songs like "Caught Up In You" and "Hold On Loosely," it was the biggest Adult Contemporary hit of 1989, and when Billboard published their list of the top AC songs of all time in 2011, this came in at #24.

Comments: 6

Joanne from New JerseyIt’s a beautiful song, the guy is torn up about hurting the woman he loves and realizes how much she means to him. He’s begging her for a second chance but it’s extremely difficult to forgive someone you love for hurting and betraying you.
Lassie from OhioThis guy is using guilt on his wife/girlfriend while taking absolutely no responsibility for his stupidity.
Then he says it’s the other girls fault for being there and being willing. Oh please. Any woman who fall for that deserves what she gets.
Cari from St. Louis, MoFrom a female's perspective this song is melodically beautiful but the lyrics are horrible! The guy has been found out he was cheating (maybe confessed? ). He wants her to "forget about the past" but in having sex with another woman he's already forgotten about the past...THEIR past... so he thinks she should do the same & not be upset by this. Maybe she was forgetting about the past...their past...by moving on from him. It's never mentioned how long from her finding out to when he's begging for forgiveness has past in this song. If one thinks it's quickly after he's admitted/been found out, then has she had enough time to process everything? Him PUSHING her to "just forget about the past" really isn't taking into account HER feelings. This song is very much about how he feels and how he feels ONLY. I love .38 Special but hate the lyrics to this particular song.
Mary Brooks from Owosso Michigan Absolutely love Max Carl! Could listen to him all day!
Karen from Leesburg, VaI love everything about .38 Special -- except this song. What a waste of time.
The Rock from ChicagoThe original writer of "Second Chance" is Cal Curtis, my old roomie back in the day - we lived the next block over from the old A & M Recording Studio in Hollywood. Like 38 Special, he was from Atlanta and knew them before he moved to LA. That said, this account doesn't match my recollection of the history of this song at all. I DO remember thinking it was a hit, and Cal's version was shorter/simpler; Even though it became an evergreen smash hit with 38 Special, I remember thinking it was a better song before the rewrite. Wisely, they were smart enough not to change the best & hookiest parts of the song for the 38 Special version.

I'm pretty sure Cal also gave up the lion's share of the royalties/publishing as part of this whole thing, but 38 Special was an established band & brand, in a position to make something happen with Cal's tune - and that they did. I would love to hear Cal's original version again somewhere, and see who else might share my opinion about which version they think is best?

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Cleveland RocksIan Hunter

"Cleveland Rocks" was written by an Englishman. Ian Hunter wrote the song after touring America in the late '70s and finding that Cleveland was by far the most receptive city to his brand of Glam Rock.

Big Yellow TaxiJoni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" is about the commercialization of Hawaii. On her first trip to the islands, she looked out of her hotel window and saw a parking lot as far as the eye could see.

Gives You HellThe All-American Rejects

The first US Top 10 hit with the word "hell" in the title was "Gives You Hell" by The All-American Rejects in 2008.

White as SnowU2

Bono came up with the idea of focusing on a soldier's last thoughts as he dies from his wounds in the U2 song "White As Snow" after reading William Golding's 1956 novel Pincher Martin.