Billy Vera and the Beaters - At This Moment - Lyrics Meaning

Billy Vera released "At This Moment" in 1981 to a lukewarm response. It reached #79 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and there it stalled. However, the song made a comeback during the 1985-86 season of the popular TV sitcom "Family Ties," in a two-episode storyline where Michael J. Fox's character, Alex, broke up with his girlfriend, Ellen. The exposure breathed new life into the song and in January 1987 it reached #1 on the Hot 100 chart.

In 1977, Vera started writing the song after his girlfriend at the time described in detail what happened when she broke up with her former boyfriend. He decided to write the song from the perspective of the boyfriend who is wondering how his former girlfriend thought he would react when she told him she loved somebody else.

What did you think I would say at this moment

When I'm faced with the knowledge that you just don't love me

Three-quarters of the way through the song, Vera realized he couldn't finish it. It typically took him a day or less to write a song, and if it took longer, he often abandoned it, figuring it couldn't be any good. For some reason though, he decided to tuck this one aside. A year later, his girlfriend broke up with him and he finally understood how the song needed to end.