Second Chance

Album: Rock & Roll Strategy (1988)
Charted: 6
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  • Lyrics currently unavailable Writer/s: CAL CURTIS, JEFF CARLISI, MAX CARL
    Publisher: Downtown Music Publishing, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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?
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