Who would’ve guessed a reflective ballad from 1983 would become the backdrop for dance challenges in 2024? And not just any version, but Sarah Geronimo’s.
Her cover of Maybe This Time — originally recorded by Michael Martin Murphey — found its second wind ten years after its release, and four decades after the song first came to life.
But that’s the thing about second chances. They sneak up when you’re not looking.
Maybe This Time Lyrics by Sarah Geronimo
Verse 1
Two old friends meet again
Wearin’ older faces
And talk about the places they’ve been
Two old sweethearts who fell apart
Somewhere a long ago
How are they to know?
Someday, they’d meet again
And have a need for more than reminiscin’
Chorus
Maybe this time
It’ll be lovin’ they’ll find
Maybe now they can be more than just friends
She’s back in his life
And it feels so right
Maybe this time, love won’t end
Yeah-yeah, yeah
Verse 2
It’s the same old feeling back again
It’s the one they had way back when
They were too young to know when love is real
But somehow, some things never change
And even time hasn’t cooled the flame
It’s burnin’ even brighter than it did before
It got another chance, and if they take it
Chorus
Maybe this time
It’ll be lovin’ they’ll find
Maybe now they can be more than just friends
She’s back in his life
And it feels so right
Maybe this time, love won’t end
Bridge
She’s smilin’ like she used to smile way back then
She’s feelin’ like she used to feel way back when
They tried, but somethin’ kept them
Waiting for this magic moment, oh
Chorus
Maybe this time
It’ll be lovin’ they’ll find
Maybe now they can be more than just friends, oh
She’s back in his life
And it feels so right
Maybe this time
Maybe this time
Maybe this time, love won’t end
The Meaning Behind “Maybe This Time” by Sarah Geronimo
Maybe This Time is about reunion — two old flames crossing paths again after time has aged them, maybe softened them, definitely changed them. They’re older. Wiser. Or at least they think they are.
“Two old friends meet again, wearin’ older faces, and talk about the places they’ve been…”
The lyrics don’t scream romance. They mumble it. It’s the uncertainty of whether the past can be rewritten without erasing the good parts.
The song moves slowly, like people tiptoeing around old memories, testing if they’re still tender.
That’s what makes the line “Maybe this time, love won’t end” land so heavily. It’s not about certainty. It’s about hope that’s been let down before.
Sarah Geronimo’s version carries that hesitation — not just vocally, but emotionally.
There’s no dramatic crescendo, no desperate confession. Just a slow, quiet wish that things might turn out differently now.
The Story Behind Sarah Geronimo’s Version
The original song was penned by Dave Loggins and Randy Goodrum and recorded by Michael Martin Murphey in 1983. But in the Philippines, it became something else entirely.
In 2014, Sarah Geronimo recorded her cover for a film of the same name, Maybe This Time, where she starred alongside Coco Martin.
The film — a romantic comedy with just enough heartbreak — mirrors the song’s storyline: two people given a shot at love again, only this time with the baggage of the past.
Geronimo’s rendition softened the country roots of the original into a pop ballad, but kept the emotional thread intact.
It worked. Her version became one of the most streamed OPM songs on Spotify Philippines in 2014.
And then, just when it seemed like its time had passed, the song resurfaced — thanks to a new generation with dance moves and ring lights.
Sarah Geronimo’s “Maybe This Time” Lyrics Explained
Break down the lines, and it’s a quiet novel. A whole relationship tucked between short verses:
- “Two old sweethearts who fell apart, somewhere long ago” – It’s not blaming anyone. There’s just an acceptance that things drifted. Maybe it was youth. Maybe it was timing.
- “It’s the same old feeling back again…” – Familiarity can be comforting or dangerous. In this case, it’s both.
- “She’s back in his life, and it feels so right” – That moment when you realise the years didn’t dull the feeling, they just pressed pause.
- “Maybe this time, love won’t end” – This line isn’t about promises. It’s about wondering if life finally lined up the way it should’ve the first time.
Sarah Geronimo leans into the pauses between lines — not rushing the story, just letting it unfold like two people slowly making peace with what could’ve been.
How a Ballad Became a Dance Trend
In 2024, the song did something no one expected: it went viral on TikTok. Not with a sad edit. With a dance.
@donotdisturb869 @ralpxyrel ♬ balik ka na – kei
User @donotdisturb869 posted a video dancing to the bridge:
“She’s smilin’ like she used to smile way back then…”
From there, it spiralled. Celebs from Sheena Catacutan to Stell of SB19 joined in. Even Sarah G herself got swept back into the spotlight.
The song climbed back into the Billboard Philippines Hot 100, even topping Sing King’s karaoke chart in the UK.
The contrast between the song’s emotional tone and the upbeat moves created a kind of beautiful confusion — dancing through the ache. And maybe that’s why it resonated. It’s a love song for the soft-hearted and sharp-footed.
Why Sarah Geronimo’s “Maybe This Time” Still Resonates
Some songs just hang around quietly until the moment feels right. Sarah Geronimo’s version didn’t try to reinvent the original — it just slowed it down, made space for feelings to breathe. The lyrics didn’t change, but the delivery did.
Whether it’s playing during a rom-com kiss, echoing from a karaoke bar, or blaring from a phone propped on a windowsill for a TikTok loop, Maybe This Time keeps offering exactly what it promises: the possibility that maybe — just maybe — the ending’s different this time.