About the song

Some songs feel like they belong to a moment in time—yet somehow, they never age. Barry Manilow’s “Ready to Take a Chance Again” is one of those rare gems that capture the delicate space between heartbreak and hope. Released in 1978 as part of the soundtrack for Foul Play, this song is both a gentle confession and a quiet anthem for anyone who’s ever been afraid to love again.

From the opening notes, there’s a kind of soft surrender. The melody flows like a sigh—tender, cautious, and beautifully human. Manilow’s voice carries that unmistakable warmth, the kind that doesn’t just sing to you, but with you. You can almost see him there, standing in the soft glow of the late ’70s, looking out at a world that’s bruised but still shimmering with possibility.

Lyrically, it’s a story of rediscovery. It’s about someone who’s been through love’s wreckage and has learned how fragile the heart can be. But it’s also about bravery—the courage to open that same heart once more. “Ready to take a chance again, ready to put my love on the line with you…” It’s not a declaration shouted to the world, but a quiet whisper of someone daring to hope again.

The arrangement is classic Manilow—lush strings, sweeping orchestration, and that cinematic rise that makes you feel like your own life could be a movie scene. It belongs to the golden era of soft pop and adult contemporary music, where emotion was front and center, and every note seemed to mean something.

What makes “Ready to Take a Chance Again” timeless is its honesty. It reminds us that even after loss, even after silence, love can still return—softly, unexpectedly, beautifully. And sometimes, that’s all we need to believe in again.

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