Story Behind The Song
Originally written as a classic story song. A guy cheats on his wife/lover and begs to be forgiven "…but I'll try, I'll really try!" But it seemed too maudlin, and not credible. I just couldn't see the girl taking this guy back.
So, I lived with the song for years until another set of lyrics came to me. This time he loses the girl not through infidelity but because he wouldn't be honest with himself. (something I know a lot better than infidelity). He's the kind of guy who hates looking at homeless children, because it robs him of his cherished delusions.
But wisdom has arrived, if a little tardy…maybe he'll change after all.
The key changes during the fadout underscore the "change" that he promises. That it eventually comes back to the original key could mean that the transformation is complete and he's a new man, or that he never really changed at all...I'll leave it up to the listener.
Song Description
What is it like to be so self-absorbed, so aloof, that when the "big talk" comes, it catches you like a jab across the canines? And can she really be that disinterested? Did I hear that right: one minute she's talking about her trashy ex-roommate, and the next she's telling me that she's seeing someone else?
Everything that shines at night: the moon, the blue light from a TV, the promise of unending love, is not to be trusted.
And don't you just hate it when the sum of your life can be captured in a phrase?
| Song Length |
4:10 |
Genre |
Pop - Rock |
| Tempo |
Medium (111 - 130) |
Lead Vocal |
Male Vocal |
| Mood |
Heartbreaking, Diplomatic |
Subject |
Breaking Up, General |
| Similar Artists |
R.E.M., Warren Zevon |
Language |
English |
| Era |
2000 and later |
| |
Lyrics
I'll Never Change...Maybe
Silly me, a rogue without a care
A careless cad drifting through his years.
What a way to end an evening --
Between breaths tell me you are leaving.
(chorus)
Maybe I'll never change
But I'll try, I'll really try.
Maybe I'll never change
But you know:
You'll never find out if you go.
Look at us under a battered moon
Sheltered by its cool glow,
Distilling truth from catchy tunes
Shining cathode rays of fool's gold.
(chorus)
Maybe I'll never change
But I'll try, I'll really try.
Maybe I'll never change
But you know:
You'll never find out if you go.
(mid 8)
Do you wonder?
Do you wonder why?
Why I wander from you?
I hate this world of homeless children
Why can't they be waifs again?
Silly me, I've lived my life
Like a smile tossed over a pick-up line.
chorus & fade)
Maybe I'll never change
But I'll try, I'll really try.
Maybe I'll never change
But you know:
You'll never find out if you go.