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Better Start Now (Bittel)

from Want One? by The Broken Hearts

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about

I have an old work tape recording of the moment I came up with the guitar riff for this song. I had just bought a Ross compressor pedal on sale and was experimenting with how it squashed the dynamic range of my guitar’s signal. Suddenly this riff emerged and as I played it over and over, a song began to germinate. Soon there was a verse, then another verse, then a bridge, then I had a song.

I was excited to bring this one into the next rehearsal, since it was more along the lines of the power-pop vibe I thought the band was after. I was never really satisfied with the verse lyrics on this one, though - I thought they didn’t quite deliver on the promise of the guitar riff.

When we were mixing the recording of this song, the engineer convinced me that we needed to really emphasize the kick drum. My lead vocal has sort of a spin-echo on it and is double-tracked on the bridge. Jamie and Michael join in on the “Better Start Nows” and harmonize at the ends of the verses. For the lead guitar break (pretty much all my songs have one), I was going for a kind of a pseudo-12-string sound - I would love to have had the chance to try it with a 12-string guitar. Jamie pumps the song along on the bass and Michael emphasizes the beat on rhythm guitar. Near the end of the song as we repeat the “Better Start Nows,” Pat went into a misplaced drum pattern from the verses - we ended up keeping this “happy accident,” since it signaled the end of the song better.
- Tom Bittel -

lyrics

BETTER START NOW
(Thomas J. Bittel)

You say you wanna meet her, and try something new
You better start now, better start now
You say you wanna see her, I say if you do
You better start now, better start now

Cuz' I've been looking too and I think she's just right for me
So if you're gonna make your move, then
You better start now, you better start now

This girl's got something special, too special for you
You better start now, better start now
Yeah, I know she's something special, cuz' I want her, too
You better start now, better start now

Oh, I'd be with her right now, but my heart's not free
But when it is, you better watch out
Cuz' she'll belong to me

You say you wanna meet her, I want you to know
You better start now, better start now
You say you wanna see her, don't take it too slow
You better start now, better start now

credits

from Want One?, released August 18, 1985

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all rights reserved

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about

Michael Mazzarella image

Michael Mazzarella New York, New York

Songwriter.

Solo artist. Formerly of The Rooks, The Broken Hearts, & Sonic Blue Sound Revue.

Albums here on Bandcamp & 5-CD Songwriter set on Kool Kat Musik.

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