True Confessions [Tommy Shaw]

True Confessions
Written by Tommy Shaw and Richie Cannata
Lead Vocals by Tommy Shaw

I must have made some impression
To scare you away
Here's a little true confession
I didn't know what to say
Now I'm gonna call your number
I'm ready to explain

True confessions on an answering machine
Thirty seconds to tell you what I mean

It must have been some kind of party
The way I feel today
I was working on getting my nerve up
I guess I got carried away
Now I've got something to tell you
You might want to hear

Yeah

True confessions on your answering machine
Thirty seconds I will try to keep it clean

Every time I hear your voice
Don't you know it makes me steal the scene
But are you really there
Listening to me

I'm gonna hate these things
But I guess it's just the way it must be
So here's my name
Here's the time
Here's my number
Here's what's on my mind

Oh baby

True confessions on your answering machine
A therapeutic session if you know just what I mean

I really wish I'd worked my words out
Before I dialed the phone
It's nice to have a chance to do that
Before they're etched in stone
At any rate a true confession
Is waiting for the tone

Oh

True confessions on your answering machine
A therapeutic session if you know just what I mean

True confessions
Here comes a heart attack
Thirty seconds
I will have to call you back

Interpretation

In the 80's, before cell phones and voice mail, if you couldn't reach a person at home, they might have an answering machine.  You have 30 seconds to record a message to a cassette tape for the person to rewind and play back when they get home.

After a party, waking up with a hangover, I realized that I said something last night that offended or hurt you.  Now I'm calling to explain, but I really don't know what to say.  I should have thought this through first.  I'll call you back later.