Half As Good As You
by Tom Odell (featuring Alice Merton)

Album: Jubilee Road (2018)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Tom Odell told The Sun this song is "about two musicians who are madly in love but can't be together. They're trying to find consolation in each other's music but really they're just torturing themselves."
  • Odell had already written the song as a solo number, but as he finished recording Jubilee Road he realized that it could work differently. He recruited as a duet partner the German-born singer-songwriter Alice Merton, who is best known for her song "No Roots," a hit throughout Europe as well as reaching #1 on America's Alternative Songs chart.

    "It was as simple as changing a verse from 'he' to 'she.' When I did that, it made even more sense as a duet," Odell told The Evening Standard. "It suddenly occurred to me that it could be two singers talking about one another."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"They're Playing My Song

The Prince-penned "Manic Monday" was the first song The Bangles heard coming from a car radio, but "Eternal Flame" is closest to Susanna's heart, perhaps because she sang it in "various states of undress."

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?Fact or Fiction

Bradley Cooper, Michael J. Fox, Rami Malek, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow and George Clooney: Which actors really sang in their movies?

Linda Perry

Linda PerrySongwriter Interviews

Songwriting Hall of Famer Linda Perry talks about her songs "What's Up" and "Beautiful," her songwriting process, and her move into film music.

Martin Page

Martin PageSongwriter Interviews

With Bernie Taupin, Martin co-wrote the #1 hits "We Built This City" and "These Dreams." After writing the Pretty Woman song for Go West, he had his own hit with "In the House of Stone and Light."

Al Kooper

Al KooperSongwriter Interviews

Kooper produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, played with Dylan and the Stones, and formed BS&T.

Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica)

Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica)Songwriter Interviews

The former Metallica bassist talks about his first time writing a song with James Hetfield, and how a hand-me-down iPad has changed his songwriting.