Released: September 28, 2004

Songwriter: Jesse McCartney Robbie Nevil Matthew Gerrard

Producer: Matthew Gerrard

[Verse 1]
Guess you never really know just what you've got
'Till you finally realize she could be gone
I know that I've been taking you for granted
For the longest time
All you wanted was someone who really cares
And I didn't even notice you were there
I promise that I'll never ever make that same mistake
Not twice...

[Chorus]
That was then...this is now
Took some time to come around
All I wanna do...
Is try again...show you how
I know that it's all about
Giving attention to you
I was a fool for way to long
What you wanted, but could not see
That was then... this is now
Took some time to figure out
Love is all you need

[Verse 2]
Guess I never thought about it before
I was thinking of myself, and nothing more
Didn't even wanna try to find out
How you really feel
Now I see that I'm the lucky one, it's true
And what we've got you know I never want to lose
I was trippin' in a fantasy...
And missing what was real

[Chorus]
That was then...this is now
Took some time to come around
All I wanna do...
Is try again... show you how
I know that it's all about
Giving attention to you
I was a fool for way to long
What you wanted, but could not see
That was then...this is now
Took some time to figure out
Love is all you need

[Verse 3]
I used to be someone
Who only really thought about themselves
And no one else and you could tell baby
But that's before I understood
That when you've got something this good
Gotta let her know...
And I want you to know

[Bridge]
You're always my priority
And I wanna give more that all the love you need
Took a little time...
But now you know I finally see
That you're my world
I never want our love to fade ready, willing...
And I'm gonna do whatever it takes
No, I'm never gonna let it slip away
'cause you're my girl

[Chorus]
That was then... this is now
Took some time to come around
All I wanna do...
Is try again... show you how
I know that it's all about
Giving attention to you
I was a fool for way to long
What you wanted, but could not see
That was then... this is now
Took some time to figure out
Love is all you need

Jesse McCartney

With the release of Jesse McCartney’s new single “Better With You” — his first new music since his well-received 2014 album ‘In Technicolor’ — it’s worth noting that the New York-born singer, songwriter, producer, and actor has had the kind of career that most young artists aspire to. With multiple platinum-selling tracks and a songwriting credit on Leona Lewis’s “Bleeding Love” under his belt, McCartney is ready to introduce his fans to who he is today.

His fans have been waiting almost four years since ‘In Technicolor,’ one of Spin Magazine’s Top Pop Albums of 2014. “It was a transitional time where I just let myself have some space from my career and get some perspective on life, something I really hadn’t had the freedom to do since I was 10. Then, a friend invited me to come to Nashville to do a songwriting camp for other artists,” McCartney recollects. “It triggered a huge surge in creative energy that led me to put this project and team together.” Now that he’s moving, McCartney has no intention of slowing down. He plans to release more music throughout 2018 and bring his dedicated fans along for the ride.

The deliberate attention McCartney pays to his craft is evident in the new songs he is gearing up to release this year, including “Better With You,” which he co-wrote with Brandyn Burnette, Molly Moore, and producer Rob Knox (Justin Timberlake, Rihanna). The acoustic-guitar-driven pop song is more sonically organic than the stylized, ’80s-inspired songs on In Technicolor and McCartney has re-vamped his visuals with art direction by Dewey Saunders (Anderson .Paak, Bridgit Mendler). “It feels fresh to me,” McCartney says. “This is a really strange time,” he says. “Things are contentious. I think a song about finding a safe place with a partner is an uplifting message.”