Let's Start Over

Following is the seventh blog in Kent’s twelve-part series to share with you what influenced him to write each song on our debut CD Something on the Way. A subset of the lyrics to “Let’s Start Over” is in italics below. The full lyrics are available under the Music tab, Lyrics category, by song title.

This country-rock song started with the flowing intro melody that also became the verses. It sat on the shelf for several months until the phrase “Let’s Start Over” came to me and fit exactly with the cadence of the progression. The song then evolved into a tongue-in-cheek saga of an indecisive guy trying to convince his girlfriend that the past is the past and they should just start over as if the bad experiences of the relationship haven’t happened. The lyrics of the first two verses articulate him loftily and in detail trying to convince her and himself that they can start over:

Let’s start over, forget about the things we said
And maybe then we can get along OK instead
Let’s start over, no more games and no more threats
And if we’re able another day without regrets

Then came a slight shift to a minor chord (Bm) that underlines a slight tension that is at odds with the longing “ahs” in the background while he is almost pleading:

You can say it’s not too
You can say it’s not too late
You can say it’s up to us

The bridge of the song begins when doubt starts to creep in as some of the reasons the relationship wasn’t working start to resurface and the music gets a little more aggressive. The music mirrors his insecurity as the instruments follow some of the stuttering cadence in the lyrics:

No something’s gone away
I keep going back to
The same old replay
I’m really used to
Feel like nothing’s really changed
And I can’t pretend to
I don’t know what to say…Maybe…

The extra measure added to the pause after this detour has him taking a deep breath and then driving home the “Let’s Start Over” theme over and over to try one last time to convince himself. Finally he breaks down and launches into a frustrated, expressive but unfocused guitar solo that can’t really decide if it is going to be country, rock or blues. He finally comes to the realization of why the relationship doesn’t work with a reprise of the bridge and a tweak to the last line…

Feel like nothing’s really changed
And I can’t pretend to
Like the way you are…

The dissonance at the end of the song suggests a not too happy ending for him and his efforts. Plus I think the F#7 (add B) chord is really cool and loved ending the song with it!

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