Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies has written some pretty amazing stuff, and this is another shining example. I gather that Half a Heart is about a man (or woman I guess) who has somehow cheated on his/her significant other and realized what a horrible thing that was to do. There is some speculation that this one is perhaps autobiographical, at least partially.

The song was recorded for their latest album, Barenaked Ladies are Me (Deluxe Edition) or the Barenaked Ladies are Men album. I also really enjoy this version that Ed has recorded as part of the Bathroom Sessions, which is Ed sitting in his bathroom, doing a solo, acoustic version of the song, while recording it with the built-in iSight camera on his MacBook Pro.

Half A Heart

Drunk on wine, I’m amazing
Bitter pill; it’s my raising
News at five and at midnight
Caught on tape; serves me right
The crowd around me starts to grow
I can feel the undertow

Anyone with half a heart would help me out
Before they ever let the other half find out
But if they could see how far I’ve let you down
Anyone with half a heart would let me drown