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

I just saw Haley's comet, shooting
She waved, said, "Why are you always running in place"
Even the man in the moon disappeared
Somewhere in the stratosphere

[Chorus]
Tell my mother, tell my father
I have 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

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

I just saw Haley's comet, she waved
She waved, said, "Why are you always running in place"
Even the man in the moon disappeared
Somewhere in the stratosphere

[Chorus]

Here is my chance
This is my chance

[Chorus]

Sometimes goodbye is a second chance
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance



Lyrics submitted by pharmdoc299, edited by swagfag, bastet

Track duration: 03:40

"Second Chance" as written by Dave Richard/smith Bassett

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Second Chance song meanings
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  • 0
    My Interpretation:has anyone ever thought this song might be about suicide?

    My eyes are open wide
    And by the way, I made it
    Through the day
    I watched the world outside
    By the way, I'm leaving out
    Today

    I think that right here, the singer is referencing death. When you die, your eyes open. "My eyes are open wide" He's also talking about depression. "And by the way, I made it through the day" Depression sucks, and it completely drains you. It's hard to get up in the morning. Now, the "leaving out today" part is talking about the suicide. "Leaving out" = dying.

    I just saw Hayley's comet
    She waved
    Said, "Why you always running in place?"
    Even the man in the
    Moon disappeared
    Somewhere in the
    Stratosphere

    "Even the man in the moon disappeared" This is basically like saying, "hey, we all die, so I might as well just go." The running part is like this: Why are you just going through the motions? Why don't you just end it?

    [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

    He's saying that he hopes his family will understand his choice to commit suicide. "Sometimes goodbye is a second chance" could be a reference to heaven, reincarnation, ect.

    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

    He's saying, "please don't cry for me, this is what I want." The "voice" is his suicide note. "It's only for today" = he's gonna die that day/night/whenever

    Here's my chance
    This is my chance

    His chance is death.

    [x2]
    Sometimes goodbye
    Is a second chance
    Flag emilyrae41on March 30, 2013   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:just came from a friend son's funeral where this was played showing pictures of his life he was 31 and committed sucide, had 2 children that are 4 and 2 , this song is about leaving this life not just the parents house ,it is a very sad song but tells of the young man who choses to leave on his on accordance, unforuntely he does not see the pain that his suicide will bring to his world,but he chooses it anyway.
    Flag hideyawayon October 27, 2011   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning:You know you're in trouble when songs speak to you don't you. Its that time of life where you need a sounding board and loved ones fail you. Thats how i felt about this song. It came when i needed the strength to move away from everyone and venture blindly into new. I literally heard this song a dozen times as i was towing my RV packed with all my things, two pets and Girlfriend.i believe the inspiration for this song was heaven sent as many these days needed to go against the social norms or be risky.Nothing else seems to be working. I read others had similar stories, mine in particular is quite brutal as well. TY Shinedown for blessing me with this song. I took the Haleys Comet reference as needing to be gone to see what is stretched beyond sight, 75 yrs is a bit long but sometimes when you come back everyone is happy to see you , make the time to celebrate your journey, and speculate where you have been. It could mean that in spect to our lives somehow. Wish i could meet Shinedown, maybe my life;s story would be a few more songs.
    Flag tencuttyon August 29, 2011   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:I can envision this being said over the phone to a brother or sister. A sad song, no doubt.

    *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.*

    The protagonist's parents have tried to shelter him throughout his life. He goes out into the "ugly world" that they tried to shield from him, and he realizes it's the place where he fits most, and might have the talent to succeed. He cannot do that while remaining under their umbrella.

    *I just saw Hailey's Comet she waved
    Said, "Why are you always running in place?
    Even the man in the moon disappeared
    Somewhere in the stratosphere"*

    Halley's Comet (lyric is spelled incorrectly) appears once ever 75 years. This is partly a metaphor for life. Life span of a human is typically 75 years. Most people only get a chance to see Halley's Comet once, and likewise most people only have one chance to "make it." Basically, he sees his life flying by and realizes that he will never reach his goals if he hangs around. He also acknowledges the cyclical nature. "The Man In The Moon" is seen around the Full Moon, and goes away during the New Moon phase. He's basically saying that he will be back, but that the current circumstance needs to change in order for him to realize his ambitions.

    *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 don't believe this is the first time he's tried to leave. Like I said, I hear this as a phone call from somewhere on the way to his final destination. It sounds like they've derailed previous attempts. If he takes them out of the decision, his spite towards their lack of support will not rise up, and maybe that kind of "goodbye" will allow the parent-child relationship to mend one day.

    *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*

    Basically, he's sick of repeating himself to everyone in his family who wants him to be the person they want him to be. He's only going to explain one last time.

    I think the element of this song that can be lost is that he doesn't want to lose the relationship. The phenomena that he mentions happen in cycles. He wants to return one day, but he can't right now. The problem is that his family are narrow thinking, to the point of this being "goodbye" for good (don't cry one tear). Instead, he wants them to know that he sees this as the only way to preserve their relationship as a family in the long run. Whether it works or not, who knows?
    Flag Guitarearlon July 19, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think that he wants someone to tell his mother and tell his father that he's done the best he's could to make them realize that this is his life, and he hopes that they understand. He's not crazy, he's just saying that sometime's goodbye is a second chance. You get me?
    Flag PrinceKelsoon May 14, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I read that this song was Shinedown's least favorite song on the album until it started bringing in the money and it got runner up for the best song played over the radio in 2009
    Flag Will1996on January 07, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Go to Shinedown's official site.
    Go to "music"
    Select the album "Sound of Madness", the normal or the deluxe one, doesn't matter.
    There will be a place to buy the musics
    On the side of the musics, there is "details & lyrics"
    Go to "details & lyrics" at "Second Chance"
    Did you see it? It's SHE WAVED. Now stop talking 'bout it and enjoy the song.
    Flag zerofalkon December 19, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Love this song "tell my mother tell my father Ive done the best i can to make them realise this is my life I've done the best i can" "by the way I'm leaving here today" makes me feel honored to join the marines and fight for you all <3 I love you everyone! <3 one year :)
    Flag drummerpenguinon December 08, 2010   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:I think this song is about relizing it's time to move on and trying to explain this to said person(s)/thing(s) you're moving away from. I see it as not only trying to prove yourself to them but trying to get them to see your reasons for having to go when they want is for you to stay. As there are times when all those people can see is that your leaving them and they don't understand why.

    It also gives me a feeling of died out anger where a person has being try to please/prove themselves to someone for so long but they have finally relized they need to go.

    Whether this is divorce or moving away or just changing you life style i don't know, everyone has different reasons. Although being the teenager hoping to be at university soon it reminds me of my current relationship with my mum who doesn't want me to leave as once i go it will be just her alone and this seems to be all she can see.

    .........................................................................................................

    My eyes are open wide, by the way
    I made it through the day.

    When i see these lines i differ between three meanings. Either the litural meaing of the fact the singer has shocked/suprised 'by the way he made it through the day'.

    Or the fact he is actually being sarcastic, and that My eyes are open wide and by the way i made it through the day are two completely different statements. Like when you are annoyed with someone for underestimating you/not relizing something and the line 'by the way i made it trhough the day' is meant to be snarky as in saying 'see i told you so'.

    Or it also reminds me of when your worried about saying something to someone as you don't know how they will take it so you just quickly say it in the middle of a converstation almost hoping they wont notice.


    I watch the world outside, by the way
    I'm leaving out today.

    These two lines make me lean towards the latter two of the meanings above, as My eyes are open wide and I watch the world outside seem to be simply statments while the by the way..etc.. lines seem to be the singer trying to express his feelings.



    I just saw Hailey's Comet she waved
    Said, "Why are you always running in place?
    Even the man in the moon disappeared
    Somewhere in the stratosphere"

    As for this whole verse i believe it is about being in one place for too long. The term running in place means to run without moving forward (basically on the spot).

    It seems to be about always putting all the effort in to move (run) but never actually getting anyway and now Halley's commet is asking why is this so, which may highlight the statement more as Halley's commet only appears to us every 76 years which is a seemingly slow orbit yet it moves incredibly fast, the orbit is just long (thus Halley's commet putting in a lot of effort but to us on Earth seems to be getting now-where)

    If i can remember right Hayley's commet is often considered a sort of 'mile-stone'/'motivation' in someones life and the fact you are running in palce means you have never reached this mile stone. Also the fact the 'she waves' usually gives the feeling of knowing someone and i would imagen to suggest that Halley's commet 'knows you' is to suggest you are similar and/or have stayed in the same place for a long long time.
    (On a side note this has got to be my fravoite line(s) of the song, it just seems to represent so much.)


    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 think this verse can be seen as either past or present. Present as in if you moving away/doing something your parents really don't want you to do whether you be an adult or child. But you tried to make them realise they can't control you or stop you as this is 'your life'. Also that there was previous anger, resentment and arguements about the subject in hand but all that resentment has left and the singer is giving his final words before he leaves to try and comfort his parents.

    Although it can also be seen as retrospective as i'm sure the situation of trying to 'pull' away from your parents will translate into many parts of your life such as divorce or a new set of friends or life style and is also something most people have experienced. The idea of 'parents' may simply be used as a metophor or past experience to try and explian how your feeling now/the situation your currently in.

    Also regressing back to the past when you were younger can also be seen as a defense mechanism to protect your self (and others) from the truth and hurt of a current situation.

    I think the sometimes goodbye is a second chance is to tell the 'person/parents' that this resentment/anger/disagreement wont last forever and maybe that they will accept each other and get a chance to join once more in the future and both be changed but 'happy' again . But also i think it represents the whole concept of 'as one door closes another one opens' and by saying goodbye your able to move on to different (and greater?) things.

    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

    For one i think the 'please don't cry one tear for me' is the singer trying to tell the person not to feel sorry for them as this is what they want and it is their own choice. But for the rest of the verse i can also see two meanings. One that the singer is telling the truth when they say 'i'm not afriad' and that they say 'this is my one and only voice' as they are saying that they wont change their mind and/or repeat themselves, the same goes for the last line.

    But the 'i'm not afraid of what i have to say' and the rest of the verse can also be seen as contradicting: although their saying they're not afriad they really are and it's simply just a front for others to see. And the line 'this is my one and only voice so listen close, it's only for today' is said because this is the only time they will say it because they only have the courage to stand up and say it once.

    I just saw Hailey's Comet she waved
    Said, "Why are you always running in place?
    Even the man in the moon disappeared
    Somewhere in the stratosphere"

    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

    Here is my chance
    This is my chance!

    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
    Sometimes goodbye is a second chance


    Anyway thats my feelings on the song :) would love to hear everyone elses :D. I love this song and i can relate to it so much :).

    Thank you :D
    Charley Tee xx
    Flag charleyteeon November 10, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Personally when I listen to this song I think it's about letting the past go, or releasing people in the present so you can advance into the future without anything damaging to hold you back.
    Flag Kizstaron September 26, 2010   Link

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