If I'd Been The One

Rock out to .38 Special's 1983 hit "If I'd Been The One" from their album "Tour de Force." This powerful blend of Southern and hard rock captivated AOR audiences with its driving beat, memorable chorus, and heartfelt lyrics, becoming a major chart success for the band.

Featured on .38 Special's platinum-selling 1983 album "Tour de Force," "If I'd Been The One" exemplifies their polished hard rock sound fused with Southern rock roots. Co-written by Don Barnes, Jeff Carlisi, Larry Steele and Donnie Van Zant with Survivor's Jim Peterik, the track boasts strong guitar hooks and a powerful rhythm section, perfectly capturing the arena rock energy popular in the early 80s.

"If I'd Been The One" became a significant hit for .38 Special in 1983, reaching the US Top 20 and topping the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. Led by Don Barnes' compelling vocals, the song's theme of romantic regret combined with its melodic hard rock structure resonated widely. It solidified the band's position as major players in the Southern/arena rock scene of the era.

SONG MEANING: "If I'd Been The One" explores feelings of regret and what might have been after a relationship ends. The narrator reflects on past mistakes and wonders if things could have turned out differently had they acted another way, expressing longing and the pain of a lost connection ("If I'd been the one / Would you have stayed?").