Take It or Leave It

Album: Melophobia (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Vocalist Matt Shultz told the story of this song to MusicRadar.com: "We have a rehearsal cabin in Portland, Tennessee, which if you know anything about Portland, Tennessee, you know that only about 10 people live there," he said. "One day, the band was in the cabin, and Brad started playing this little guitar thing. Pretty soon, Jared started playing drums to it. Everyone jumped in and the song started to happen. It was one of those 'light-bulb' moments."

    "We put together the verse, but the chorus didn't want to come to us," Shultz continued. "That was always a big problem with the song. We cut the track in the studio, but there was still no chorus. After a while, we started to get really down in the dumps, because at first this was the most promising song of all, and now it was just sitting there."

    "One morning, I woke up in my living room, he concluded. "I picked up the guitar and the whole thing poured out. I literally sped down to Nashville to get to the studio to show it to the guys. We jumped right in and recorded it that day. Sometimes these things happen when they're gonna happen, and you just have to be patient."
  • The song's music video is set in a roller dancing contest. "I came up with the idea after seeing American Hustle," Shultz told Radio.com. "I just really liked the aesthetic, that kind of '70s disco, macho kind of thing. The video's kinda like Saturday Night Fever meets Skatetown USA, Patrick Swayze's first movie."

    Shultz added, "We're like the backing band to this roller skating disco competition and the skaters that we got were amazing. Everything looked really authentic. It was awesome."

    Look out for a surprise appearance from actress and singer Juliette Lewis before the roller dancing begins.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Michael Schenker

Michael SchenkerSongwriter Interviews

The Scorpions and UFO guitarist is also a very prolific songwriter - he explains how he writes with his various groups, and why he was so keen to get out of Germany and into England.

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors Examined

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors ExaminedSong Writing

Doors expert Jim Cherry, author of The Doors Examined, talks about some of their defining songs and exposes some Jim Morrison myths.

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And Hell

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And HellSongwriter Interviews

Guitarist Tony Iommi on the "Iron Man" riff, the definitive Black Sabbath song, and how Ozzy and Dio compared as songwriters.

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)Songwriter Interviews

"Come On Eileen" was a colossal '80s hit, but the band - far more appreciated in their native UK than stateside - released just three albums before their split. Now, Dexys is back.

David Bowie Lyrics Quiz

David Bowie Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

How well do you know your David Bowie lyrics? Take this quiz to find out.