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Shinedown have had amazing success since their debut album Leave a Whisper came out in 2003. They've had a number of hit singles on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock tracks chart. According to wikipedia they've sold over 6 million albums worldwide, a significant accomplishment in an environment where CD sales are steadily declining.

They've hit #1 on the Maintream Rock Tracks charts with "Second Chance." Let's see what makes this song tick!

Second Chance by Shinedown
Producer: R.Cavallo
Writers: B.Smith (former member of Shinedown), D.Bassett

Facts

• Title: appears in the chorus
• Structure: Verse/PreChorus/Chorus/Verse/PreChorus/Chorus/Bridge/Chorus
• Tempo: 100 bpm
• #1 Mainstream Rock Tracks
• Intro: 14 seconds

[VERSE 1]
My eyes are open wide
By the way, I made it through the day
I watch the world outside
By the way, I'm leaving out today

It isn't obvious what this means. In the Mainstream Rock format, however, lyrics don't have to be as clear as they do in Country. That said, I think we can infer from "open eyes" that he knows what he's getting ready to do, which is leave. I think "he's leaving out today" means he's departing, maybe leaving home. It's a peculiar way to say it, though. It's the "out" that throws me.

Phrasing: First line comes in on beat 3, and then the "by" and "made" hit on the 1, which emphasis those words. This happens again with line three coming in on the 3rd beat and then the "by" and "leaving" both landing on the 1.

Rhyme: wide/outside/ and day/today . . . uh, the second one is lame, but rhyme isn't as critical in this kind of music.

[PRE]
I just saw Halley's Comet, she waved
Said "why you always running in place?
Even the man in the moon disappeared
Somewhere in the stratosphere"

How radio loves pre-choruses! Bam! All the sudden his voice goes up a big interval, with a more intense delivery. The whole beginning of this song is a study in increasing tension. The first lines of verse 1 have no drums, then drums on second two lines, then into the prechorus with higher melody and intensity, then the final line "somewhere in the stratosphere" actually launches us into the stratosphere!

Lyrically, I don't know. I'm not sure if he's talking to Hayley's comet or if the comet is talking to him. Doesn't matter, because it sounds cool. And the idea of running in place brings up a feeling that many people can relate to. It's like "yeah, why am I always running in place. Something needs to change."

[CHORUS]
Tell my mother, tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance

The lyrics are clearer in the chorus. In verse 1 he's saying he's leaving and now he's saying "tell my parents that I've done the best I can, but this is my life and I hope you understand that I'm getting a second chance at life by getting out of here." At least that's how I interpret it. Any 13 to 23 year old can totally understand that feeling and identify with it.

The "I'm just saying" line is an interesting and common technique. Anytime the lyric in the chorus has "that's why I'm saying" or "I just want to say" or "listen to what I'm saying" etc, it creates a huge expectation in the brain. It primes the lthe listener to expect something important: for instance, the hook of the song!

I also really like the conversational quality of the chorus lyric. You believe that this guy is making this up right when he's saying it.

The first line does not come in on the first beat! This is very representative of how line starts work on radio right now. "Tell" is on the 2nd beat. Robin Frederick is the guru of this kind of analysis. I learned to look for this stuff from her.

The build: this chorus is an excellent payoff from the prechorus build-up. The vocal intensity goes up a notch from the prechorus, guitar power chords come in and the drummer bashes the crash cymbal in almost every bar. But that's not all. On the last lines of the chorus, the drum pattern changes: the kick hits on 8th notes, the snare hits on the and-of-2 and on the 4, which is totally wierd! But it works to build the tension and intensity. It increases the velocity of the song without changing the tempo. Meanwhile, the melody on "I'm just saying" hits the highest note with a very interesting melodic twist. Then release: the tension is mostly relieved as the drums stop and the powerchord fades into the hook line, "sometimes goodbye is a second chance."

[VERSE 2]
Please don't cry one tear for me
I'm not afraid of what I have to say
This is my one and only voice
So listen close, it's only for today

It's not clear who he's talking to in this song. I'm guessing it's a friend. Not sure what he's saying about his "one and only voice" or that's it's "only for today." A clearer second verse would be better. They could have moved the song forward more.  It's as if we're overhearing a conversation where we don't know the whole story, so what we hear doesn't make sense. They missed an opportunity for this verse to shed new light on the chorus.

Musically, the second verse has a bit more instrumentation. Then from the pre-chorus into the chorus the strings come in to add another level of drama. Pretty standard production technique, but it works great. This song rocks.

[PRE]
I just saw Halley's Comet, she waved
Said "why you always running in place?
Even the man in the moon disappeared
Somewhere in the stratosphere"

Maybe Halley's comet is a metaphor for people that are on a long adventure. The real Halley's Comet only comes around every 75 years. So maybe by saying she waved, he's seeing that there is a different kind of life to be lead that can take you far, far from home. And then he compares it to the moon, which is closer to the Earth, but notes that it has it's cycles where it disappears from view for a while. What poetry! Of course, I don't really have any idea if this is what was meant.

It isn't conversational, which is a bit of a risk. On the other hand, it sounds cool.

[CHORUS]
Tell my mother, tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance

I love that great big note on the last "chance" of this chorus. It amps us up to another level of intensity, and this time it doesn't release, but holds right through the bridge and into the final chorus. I love it when singers get to do their "Star Search" note on songs. (Does anyone remember Star Search?)

[BRIDGE]
Here is my chance
This is my chance

At first I was going to flame this bridge, but on a fourth listen I see that it does add to the song. This is the first time in the song that he says it's his second chance. And the performance on these two lines conveys a lot of emotional fire, which is what the band's audience wants. By this point in the song, a long bridge with lots of words would just slow things down, so they combined a kind of instrumental break with an angsty vocal delivery for good effect. The bridge's function here is to break up the monotony a bit and prepare our ears for another repeat of the chorus.

[CHORUS]
Tell my mother, tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance

Sometimes goodbye
Is a second chance [x2]

I really like this song. The singer is great and the production is an awesome study of how to build, build, build intensity. No drums, then drums, light guitar, then heavy, low melody, then high melody, faster, faster, harder, more intense. Then release just a little into the second verse, building higher than ever by the end of the second chorus into the bridge. Perfection!

The question I have is this: does this song have clear enough meaning to break out as a Hot AC hit? Nickelback does it, so we know it's possible.

What do you think?

Beyonce has had a gazillion hits with Destiny's Child and without. Her third solo album has apparently delivered a bunch more. She's risen to the level of interntational superstar, which gives any new single automatic advantage, but she hasn't put out much junk. She hits again and again with extremely hooky tracks with lyrics that have broad appeal.

Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) by Beyonce
Songwriters: Thaddis “Kuk” Harrell, Beyonce Knowles, Terius “The Dream” Nash, Christopher Stewart

From her album: I Am . . . Sasha Fierce

Facts
#1 Billboard Hot 100
#1 Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs
#1 Hot Digital Tracks
Tempo: 97 BPM
Title: appears in the chorus
Structure: Verse/Chorus/Verse/Chorus/Bridge/Chorus


[INTRO]
All the single ladies (7x)
Now put your hands up

This is a neat way to begin a dance song, basically calling out to your audience to get their attention. But more than that, this helps the listener identify with the singer . . . provided you’re a single lady.

Notice that it’s a call and response with Beyonce calling the single ladies and them responding. Cool!

[VERSE 1]
Up in the club
We just broke up
I’m doing my own little thing
You decided to dip
But now you wanna trip
Cause another brother noticed me
I’m up on him
He up on me
Don’t pay him any attention
Cause I cried my tears
For three good years
You can’t be mad at me

So the lyric here is filling us in on the story. Basically, she’s in the club with a guy, dancing very close, when her ex-flame sees and gets all upset about it. (They did just break up). Then she says, hey, it took me three painful years to realize you weren’t serious and so you don’t have any right to be upset now that I’m with someone else. Great! I supposed that’s a pretty universal idea and one that all the single ladies can identify with.

Rhyme is used throughout the song, but not consistently. I don’t think this matters because the power of the song comes from the force of the rhythm and it’s contrast with the melody. The words at the end of the lines tend to be short to support the rhythmic essence of the song.

Interesting production on this track. A kick drum pattern with clapping on the 8th notes and various noises to fill in. The vocal has no pitched accompaniment in the verse. This song is about rhythm and it’s great.

[Chorus]
Cause if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it
Don’t be mad once you see that he wants it
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it
whoa oh ooh oh oh ooh oh oh ooh oh oh oh
whoa oh ooh oh oh ooh oh oh ooh oh oh oh
Cause if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it
Don’t be mad once you see that he wants it
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it

The chorus basically says very clearly what her opinion is. If you liked it then you should have put a ring on it. You should have made the commitment, but don’t be upset when you see someone else wants me. It’s a double chorus separated by all the whoa oh ohs. The second half of the chorus adds some very interesting harmony vocals that just kill.

The underlying rhythm stays the same throughout this chorus, so the contrast comes from the vocal melody and is intensified by the doubling of Beyonce’s voice. There are also some big synth pad/string lines that provide a very tense bass line. They could have been rock guitar power chords.

There is a lot of repetition here, but they knew that repeating the chorus twice would get really old if they didn’t relieve the ears in between. The whoa oh ohs give us some thing very hooky to listen to and kind of reset our ears to hear the chorus repeated, plus they reward us with an increase in intensity through production technique.


I got gloss on my lips
A man on my hips
Hold me tighter than my Dereon jeans
Acting up
Drink in my cup
I could care less what you think
I need no permission
Did I mention
Don’t pay him any attention
Cause you had your turn
But now you gonna learn
What it really feels like to miss me

This verse is pretty clear. It does move the song forward nicely, because she’s sort of goes from a defensive mode in verse 1 to an offensive mode. Meaning, now she’s going to tell him how it is. She’s got this new guy, she’s drinking and having fun, and furthermore, now he can really see what he’s missing and she’s kind of happy he’s seeing all this.

There is more rhyme in this verse, particularly interesting is the permission, mention and attention rhymes.


[CHORUS]
Cause if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it
Don’t be mad once you see that he wants it
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it
whoa oh ooh oh oh ooh oh oh ooh oh oh oh
whoa oh ooh oh oh ooh oh oh ooh oh oh oh
Cause if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it
Don’t be mad once you see that he want it
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it
whoa oh ooh oh oh ooh oh oh ooh oh oh oh
whoa oh ooh oh oh ooh oh oh ooh oh oh oh

[BRIDGE]
Don’t treat me to these things of the world
I’m not that kind of girl
Your love is what I prefer, what I deserve
Is a man that makes me, then takes me
And delivers me to a destiny, to infinity and beyond
Pull me into your arms
Say I’m the one you own
If you don’t, you’ll be alone
And like a ghost I’ll be gone

She’s saying that material things aren’t important, but love is. And she deserves someone who will take her to a destiny of love that is infinite. It’s kind of funny that she uses the Buzz Lightyear slogan in this song: "to infinite and beyond!"

Then she says pull me into your arms and tell me that I’m the one or I’m gone.

The bridge keeps the same rhythmic pattern with the drums. But the melody is new with that big “don’t!” at the beginning. And it grows in intensity as the lines start to come fast and furious: "makes me and takes me and delivers me to infinity and beyond" . . . and you might expect the song to go right back into the chorus then, but instead, they wind the energy level down!

The wind down begins with “pull me into your arms” and continues through “like ghost I’ll be gone.” On the last line even the drums stop momentarily, framing the seriousness of her ultimatum. Great stuff.

But the producer know this is an R&B track! They need that wind down as a breather before going back into the “all the single ladies” breakdown. Energy back up!


[BREAKDOWN
All the single ladies x7
Now put your hands up

This breakdown that revisits the intro is not something I would have thought up. But it brings back that call and response thing again and I could see this playing really well live or in the club.

[CHORUS]
Cause if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it
Don’t be mad once you see that he wants it
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it
whoa oh ooh oh oh ooh oh oh ooh oh oh oh
whoa oh ooh oh oh ooh oh oh ooh oh oh oh
Cause if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it
Don’t be mad once you see that he wants it
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it

Beyonce has been very successful tapping into themes that her audience really identifies with. But more than that, she works with producers that know how to build a track that pops right out of the radio.  This song is successful because of that combination. It doesn't hurt that Beyonce has the star power to get people interested in new singles!

The standard for lyrics is different for this format, so things like rhyme, and even clear lyrical meaning isn't as critical. That said, this song is pretty easy to understand, despite some small lyrical weaknesses in the bridge. From the same team that gave us Rihanna's megahit "Umbrella" is it a suprise this went to #1?

What do you think?

Montgomery Gentry has had hit after hit by scouring Nashville for great songs. Their current number 1 is no exception musically, but as we'll see, the lyrics are a bit of a let down. That said, the message of the song is universal and very appealing.

YouTube: Roll With Me (sorry I couldn't embed it, but Sony turned off emedding for this song. They don't want it to get all over the internet where people might hear it and decide to go buy it)

Roll With Me was produced by Gentry B.Chancey and written by C.Daniels T.Karlas, according to Billboard.biz. It's from their latest CD called Back When I Knew It All.

Rundown:

• Intro: 14 seconds
• Duration: 3:52
• Temp: 70 BPM
• Structure: Verse/Chorus/Verse/Chorus/Bridge/Chorus
• The title appears in the Chorus

VERSE 1
Wake up in the morning, get to living my life
Making sure that I'm all that I can be
Went to church on Sunday there was a moment that came
I swear it was like the Lord spoke right to me 

This verse sets up an interesting and somewhat unconventional rhyme scheme. It's a ABCB, where lines 1 and 3 don't rhyme.

The lyrics are kind of weak. The key point is this religious moment that happens at church, but it's unusually vague for country. How many songs begin with wake up in the morning? It's kind of a stock way to start up a song. The kind of lyrics you'd find in a first draft. So, the first two lines are kind of throw away; I expect better.

CHORUS
So now I'm slowing it down and I'm looking around
And I'm lovin' this town and I'm doing alright
Ain't worried 'bout nothing except for the man I wanna be
I'm thinking maybe it's time to be living the rhyme
When I'm singing a song about nothing but right
And it'd sure be nice if you would roll with me

This is a nice chorus about slowing down and being in the moment and making a decision to live life better. I still don't understand how the moment in church led to all this. If we'd learned in V1 that he'd been living a hectic, wild, and amoral life, maybe it would have more impact. Finally, the last line is "it'd sure be nice if you would roll with me" -- excuse me? Who is he talking to? The listener? Some person not named or referred to in the song? This is confusing. What's worse, this is the title hook. It seems very odd that throughout the song he uses "you" here.

There is great sectional contrast with the melody and pacing the lines. I think the melody is sensational. It's a great song to hear while driving along in the car and has a good positive feeling. Great for uplifting drive time. Too bad the lyrics aren't more cohesive.

The rhyme is cool. Internal rhyme in line 1 continues into line 2: down, around, down. Then line three breaks the melodic and rhyme pattern to give the ears something knew. Lines 4, 5 and 6 repeat the pattern: Time, rhyme, (song? uh, sort of), and then ends nicely with the word 'right' which ties up 'alright' from line 2. That said, a  critiquer would call you on rhyming 'alright' with 'right,' but it's far enough apart that I don't really notice it.

The the hook line ends with 'me' which ties completes the rhyme setup in line 3 with be. All in all, it's a rhyming tour-de-force!

VERSE 2
Saw a kid last winter only twenty years old
Being laid to rest while his mom stood by his side
Sure was hard to watch those tears roll down her face
Made me think how we all just have our time 

They don't say why the kid is dead, which is a nice ommission. It allows us to put our own story on it. I immediately thought he was a soldier killed in service to his country, but he could also have died of disease, accident, or drug over-dose. It works pretty well. The temptation must have been strong to say why he died, but I'm glad they didn't. NOTE: They gave in to temptation in the video. The 20 year old is dressed in fatiques with his pretty wife and brand new baby. Ah Nashville, I must never underestimate your addiction to obviousness, conventionality, and unsophistication. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

This verse does a better job setting up the chorus IMHO. There's a more complete story here that leads him to reflect on his own life.

The rhyme scheme of V1 is maintained with side/time in lines 2 and 4 rhyming closely.

CHORUS
So now I'm slowing it down and I'm looking around
And I'm lovin this town and I'm doing alright
Ain't worried 'bout nothing except for the man I wanna be
I'm thinking maybe it's time to be living the rhyme
When I'm singing a song about nothing but right
And it's sure be nice if you would roll with me

This chorus leads into a brief but cool guitar solo. Nicely adds to the sort of 70s-rock vibe of the whole song. I realize now that I don't really know what he means about the "living the rhyme." I understand it intuitively, but I can't explain it. Too bad, because country songs are typically very logically clear. On the other hand, since I do get it, I guess it works.

BRIDGE

Who knows whats up ahead
I think I'd rather not know instead

Well, you'd really like to see more in a bridge than this, but it works okay. The verses are giving us a view from 10 feet and this jumps us up to the 10,000 foot view of the song. It's a philisophical moment that contrasts with the chorus and verses.

CHORUS
So now I'm slowing it down and I'm looking around
And I'm lovin this town and I'm doing alright
Ain't worried 'bout nothing except for the man I wanna be
I'm thinking maybe it's time to be living the rhyme
When I'm singing a song about nothing but right
And it's sure be nice if you would roll with me

I've been fairly critical of this song, but my criticism is entirely with the lyrics -- that lack of cohesiveness.

I think the melody is really good in the chorus, it is really hooky. I feel like I've heard this song somewhere on a soft-rock station 30 years ago. I like it a lot.

Also, the rhyme scheme is interesting and especially effective in the chorus. It's a chorus you can really sing along with when those harmony vocals kick in. I congratulate MG for understanding their audience and recognizing a great melodic hook.

What do you think?

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Here's a Quick Hack video of Trace Adkin's "You're Gonna Miss This"

Uses the Viddler player -- probably won't work on your iPhone.

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Join the Hit Hackers discussion about Kenny Chesney's #1 hit song Don't Blink

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Join the Hit Hackers discussion about lessons learned at this years Taxi Road Rally. The Road Rally is an amazing songwriter and artist convention with sessions on songwriting, marketing and artist development. Invaluable for beginning and established songwriters.

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The Hit Hackers will be in LA at the end of this week to attend the Taxi Road Rally. We'll be recording at least one special edition podcast during the event, so watch the podcast feed.

New shows will be coming soon, so stay ituned!

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In this show, the Hit Hackers discuss Kelly Clarkson's hit, Since U Been Gone

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In this show, the Hit Hackers discuss Toni Braxton's hit, Unbreak My Heart -- written by Diane Warren and produced by David Foster!

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The Hit Hackers got a nice email from Jeremy from Without Tomorrow. Check out their MySpace page! They sound great.

Good luck guys!

Song Breakdown