Song Reflection: Better Days by Amos Lee
“Still we’ve found a reason to carry on…”
The search for hope, whether within us or around us, is daunting to say the least. Sometimes frightening, other times, angering—at the worst of times, lonely and seemingly solitary. Artist Amos Lee invites us into the real depth of this search. One that proves in the end to be a search to reclaim our own heart inside it all—inside of the seemingly endless maze of worry that we all face in these turbulent times.
Lee brings us here into a modern lament. A true telling of the real depth of our pain and confusion. As with all of this wonderful artist’s great work, he locates with us the only thread of hope we can find in such a dark night: love.
“And that’s why I am still refusing to give into… all this worry, worry, worry… I'm trying not to be suspicious to those I'm suspicious of, I'm trying to crack open this angry heart, and find a little love, instead of worry, worry, worry”
Lee’s cry in this song set against the backdrop of a personal relationship and his own battle not to give up on someone he cares for—he chooses to allow love to be his guiding light in the darkness when adopting a fatalistic or apathetic approach to his life and relationships is the seemingly easier route. Lee chooses to keep his heart in it all. Chooses to break open rather than to break apart. Chooses to keep looking into the pain in order to resolve it, rather than looking away and allowing it to grow into still more worry.
What is love inviting of you in the midst of what you face? Which pains or worries could love serve you in? Which aspects of your relationships (whether with your own heart, or with others) do you need to take another look at and approach with a little more courage? We find solidarity together—the common ways we each suffer—as we listen together to Lee’s aptly named, Better Days. Better days past, yes, but, better still, better days hoped for in what’s to come.
Lyrics
The darkness has always been
The world was born into a blanket of sin
When all the faith's been gone
Still we've found a reason to carry on
Through the worry, worry, worry
Caught in an endless maze
When the lights go out all that I can think about
Is how we've seen
Better days
Lover, lately I've been thinking I might leave you
As you're surrounded by these fools who do deceive you
Yes, our past is wretched, true
But I'm still in love with you
And that's why I am still refusing to give into
All this worry, worry, worry
Caught in an endless maze
When the lights go out all that I can think about
Is how we've seen
Better days
Where do we go from here
Now we're all so consumed by fear
I'm trying not to be suspicious to those I'm suspicious of
I'm trying to crack open this angry heart
And find a little love
Instead of worry, worry, worryCaught in an endless mazeWhen the lights go outAll that I can think aboutIs how we've seen better daysWhen the lights go out all that I can dream aboutIs how we'll seeBetter days
