"Even If It Kills Me" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Even If It Kills Me (Motion City Soundtrack, 2007)" Soundtrack Description

Overview

What happens when glossy pop instincts meet confessional emo at Electric Lady Studios? Even If It Kills Me answers with surgically tight hooks, Moog sparkle and diary-page candor. It’s not a TV soundtrack: it’s Motion City Soundtrack’s third studio album (2007) that later bled into trailers, promos, and campus life the way the best teen-movie needle-drops do.

The record’s defining move is contrast. Bouncy power-pop frames lyrics about relapse scares, romantic resets, and trying to show up tomorrow. Producers Ric Ocasek, Adam Schlesinger, and Eli Janney push the band toward crisp, radio-clean arrangements while keeping the Minneapolis quintet’s wit intact. Critics from Spin to The New York Times heard the same sugar-rush precision; fans heard relief—a record about getting better without pretending it’s easy.

Questions & Answers

Is this a TV series soundtrack?

No. It’s a 2007 studio album by Motion City Soundtrack. Some tracks were later licensed for media (e.g., a feature trailer, TV promos).

Who produced the album?

Ric Ocasek, Adam Schlesinger, and Eli Janney, with the band credited on one cut.

Where was it recorded?

Stratosphere Studios (Chelsea, Manhattan) and Electric Lady Studios (Greenwich Village, Manhattan).

Are there official videos tied to this album?

Yes: “Broken Heart,” “This Is for Real,” and “It Had to Be You” (the last via an mtvU contest; student director Lauren Simpson).

Any notable media placements?

“This Is for Real” appeared in the 17 Again trailer and in AMC’s “Monsterfest” promos (non-diegetic marketing use).

Is there an expanded edition?

Yes. A 10th Anniversary Edition collects demos, live takes, and acoustic versions.

Notes & Trivia

• The band ran a pre-release web-series at a dedicated site, evenifitkillsme.tv, documenting writing/recording.
• “This Is for Real” has a bowling-alley video where band members cameo as alter-ego characters.
• “Broken Heart” video features a literal man-in-a-heart suit and a transplant storyline—odd, tender, memorable.
• The album debuted Top 20 on the Billboard 200 and hit #1 on Independent Albums.
• The 10th Anniversary Edition surfaced with extensive demos and live versions.

Genres & Themes

Power-pop polish carries the optimism: clean guitar chime, tight choruses, hand-clap kinetics. Emo/pop-punk supplies the confessional heat: relapse anxiety, self-talk, “try again tomorrow.” Synth/ Moog color (a Motion City signature) puts a playful sheen over heavy subject matter. The push-pull—bright surface vs. turbulent interior—mirrors the album’s central theme: recovery isn’t linear; it’s a catchy two-steps-forward, one-step-back dance.

Tracks & Scenes

“This Is for Real” — Motion City Soundtrack
Scene: Non-diegetic in the 17 Again (2009) marketing trailer; cut accents Zac Efron’s comedic resets. Trailer montage pacing aligns with the song’s stop-start drum fills; no on-screen source (pure promo use).
Why it matters: It exported the album’s buoyant tone to mainstream moviegoers—power-pop shorthand for do-over joy.

“This Is for Real” — Motion City Soundtrack
Scene: AMC “Monsterfest” seasonal promos (channel marketing spots, c. 2007); the song’s chipper mood ironically overlays horror imagery; non-diegetic advertising use.
Why it matters: A classic tone-flip: cheerful hooks against spooky visuals, making the track sticky in fall TV memory.

“Broken Heart” — Motion City Soundtrack
Scene: Official music video narrative—post-breakup lead “removes” his heart; the anthropomorphic heart tries self-help, spirals, and ultimately saves a child via transplant. Visual “timestamp” cues the second chorus; wholly diegetic to the video’s world.
Why it matters: Marries black-humor storytelling to recovery empathy; a miniature short film that amplified the single’s reach.

“It Had to Be You” — Motion City Soundtrack
Scene: mtvU contest-born official video (student-directed); the concept leans on whimsical visual metaphors for a messy, magnetic relationship; non-diegetic performance intercuts with narrative vignettes.
Why it matters: A campus-to-cable pipeline success, showing how the album’s material invited playful, auteurish interpretation.

Music–Story Links

• Relapse vs. resolve: Upbeat production (“This Is for Real”) frames self-coaching lyrics—an intentional mismatch that reads like a pep-talk over doubt.
• Breakup grief to altruism: The “Broken Heart” video literalizes loss, then pivots to giving—turning private pain into another life’s beat drop.
• Fate vs. choice: “It Had to Be You” titles inevitability; arrangement choices (staccato guitars, steady backbeat) suggest the work of staying together.

How It Was Made

Sessions split between Stratosphere (Chelsea) and Electric Lady (Greenwich Village). Producer triad: Ric Ocasek (feel-first), Adam Schlesinger and Eli Janney (speed, songcraft, arrangement rigor). The band’s webisodes chronicled writing blocks, vocal takes, and Moog layering; a time-capsule of mid-2000s album-launch culture from Epitaph’s camp.

Reception & Quotes

“Near-perfect pop.” Spin

“One long sugar rush.” The New York Times

Chart impact: Top 20 on the Billboard 200; #1 on Independent Albums. The singles—“Broken Heart,” “This Is for Real,” “It Had to Be You”—extended the cycle with videos and promos. AllMusic and label materials highlighted the polished hooks and tighter songwriting.

Additional Info

• Album rollout featured dedicated site evenifitkillsme.tv with studio webisodes.
• “This Is for Real” impacted radio in late September 2007; UK physical single followed early September.
• “It Had to Be You” video originated from an mtvU Best Film on Campus contest (student director: Lauren Simpson).
• 10th-anniversary reissue adds demos/live cuts; the band also issued an Acoustic EP built from these songs.
• Electric Lady’s rooms shaped the record’s tight low-end and clean, chiming guitars.
• Label positioning: Epitaph marketed the set as the band’s most tuneful, life-after-turmoil document.

Technical Info

• Title: Even If It Kills Me
• Year: 2007
• Type: Studio album (later licensed in promos/trailers)
• Composers/Songwriters: Justin Pierre, Joshua Cain, Jesse Johnson, Matthew “Matt” Taylor, Tony Thaxton (varies by track)
• Producers: Ric Ocasek; Adam Schlesinger; Eli Janney; Motion City Soundtrack (one track)
• Studios: Stratosphere (Chelsea), Electric Lady (Greenwich Village)
• Label: Epitaph Records
• Selected notable placements: “This Is for Real” — 17 Again trailer; AMC “Monsterfest” promos
• Availability: Original 2007 release; 10th Anniversary Edition (expanded); streaming via major DSPs

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Epitaph Records; Wikipedia; Discogs; The New York Times; Spin; mtvU (Best Film on Campus).

November, 09th 2025