So she wakes up
In time to brake down
She left a note up on the dresser
And she's right on time
You don't know anything, right or wrong

I said I know-ow-ow-ow, and she said so-o-o-o
I want to panic but I've had it so I go-o-o-o
You don't owe anything to anyone
But don't take your life
Cause its all that you've got
You'd be better off just up and leaving
If you don't think they will stop

And when you wake up
Everything is gonna be fine
I guarantee you wake in a better place, and in a better time
So you're tired of living
You feel like you might give in, well don't
It's not your time

Flipping through the paper today
Looking for a specific page
Don't want to find her full name followed by dates
Cause when I left her alone she made a sound like a moan
"Your known by everyone for everything you've done"
Fuck buying flowers for grave,
I'd rather buy you a oneway non-stop to anywhere
Find anyone, do anything, forget and start again, love
She said she won't go, it hurts to much, to stand by
You've got to stop and draw a line
Everyone here has to choose a side, tonight,
The moment of truth is haunting you
Don't forget your family regardless of what you choose to do
You can't decide, and they're all screaming "why won't you?"
I'll start the engine, but I can't take this ride for you
I'll draw your bath and I'll load your gun
But I hope so bad that you'll bathe and hunt

Anni's tired of forgetting about today and always planning for tomorrow
(tomorrow) tomorrow Annie says
"The saddest I came across was when I learned that life goes on without me"
(without me) without me Annie says
"If everyone has someone else and I ain't got nobody's love to save me"
(to save me) to save me Annie says
"I think I'll pass away tonight cause it seems I'll never get it right if it's just me"
(just me) just me Annie says

And when you wake up
Everything is gonna be fine
I guarantee that you'll wake in a betterplace, in a better time
So you're tired of living
You feel like you might give in, well don't
It's not your time

Annie says she wouldn't mind if they never find a cure for all her problems
(her problems) her problems Annie says
As long as she has someone near to make it clear she does not need to solve them
(to solve them) to solve them Annie says
"Oh this loneliness is killing me, it's filling me with anger and resentment,"
(resentment) resentmen Annie says,
"I'm turning into someone that I never thought I'd have to be again"

And when you wake up
Everything is gonna be fine
I guarantee that you'll wake in a betterplace, in a better time
So you're tired of living
You feel like you might give in, well don't
It's not your time

Annie's tired of forgetting about today and always planning for tomorrow
Tomorrow Annie says
"The saddest I came across was when I learned that life goes on without me
Without me Annie says
"If everyone has someone else and I ain't got nobody's love to save me
(to save me) to save me Annie says
I think I'll pass away tonight cause it seems I'll never get it right right if it's just mejust me Annie says

And when you wake up
Everything is gonna be fine
I guarantee that you'll wake in a betterplace, in a better time
So you're tired of living
You feel like you might give in, well don't
It's not your time

And even if it was, oh, I wouldn't let you go
You could run run run run, but I will follow close
Someday you will say "that's it, that's all"
But I'll be waiting there with open arms to break your fall
I know that you think that you are on your own
But just know that I am here and I'll lead you home
If you let me she said forget me but I can't

Overall Meaning

The song "A Better Place, A Better Time" by Streetlight Manifesto is a powerful ballad about difficult times and thoughts of suicide. The first verse introduces the character who is feeling hopeless and reveals a small hint about why she might be feeling that way: she leaves a note on her dresser. The chorus reassures her that things will be better when she wakes up and that it is not her time to give up. The second verse changes focus slightly and provides commentary on society's tendency to remember people only after they die. The singer of the song rejects that notion and instead encourages the person she is speaking to to live a full life and forget about their problems.

The song then switches gears as the bridge introduces another character named Annie who is also struggling with loneliness and despair. She expresses the desire to pass away to escape her problems, but the chorus once again reminds both characters that things will get better and encourages them to keep fighting. The final verse is a plea from the singer to the person she is speaking to not give up, as they are not alone and she will be there to support them.

Overall, the song is a powerful message of hope for those who may be struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts. It encourages them to hold on and reminds them that there are people who care about them and want them to live.

Line by Line Meaning

So she wakes up
The singer has just awoken from a depressive episode

In time to brake down
She wakes up just in time to have a breakdown

She left a note up on the dresser
She left a suicide note before deciding to live

And she's right on time
Her timing is impeccable, but it's not clear for what or to what extent

You don't know anything, right or wrong
The artist is struck by the fact that no one truly knows anything about life, whether it's right or wrong

I said I know-ow-ow-ow, and she said so-o-o-o
The singer and some other indistinct other are sort of arguing

I want to panic but I've had it so I go-o-o-o
She's tired of panicking, so she decides to take a different course

You don't owe anything to anyone
Don't feel like you owe other people anything, and especially not your life

But don't take your life
At the same time, don't kill yourself

Cause its all that you've got
Your life is all that you have, even if you don't want it

You'd be better off just up and leaving
If you don't think people will stop you, just disappear

If you don't think they will stop
If you don't think people will stop you

And when you wake up
After a hard period of sleep, there comes a brighter day

Everything is gonna be fine
Things are finally going to turn out alright

I guarantee you wake in a better place, and in a better time
Life will get better after this depressive episode

So you're tired of living
You're worn out, drained, and sick of life

You feel like you might give in, well don't
Resist the temptation to give up

It's not your time
It's not your time to die

Flipping through the paper today
The singer is casually flipping through a newspaper, probably disheartened with the news

Looking for a specific page
She is looking for something specific

Don't want to find her full name followed by dates
She is afraid of stumbling across her obituary

Cause when I left her alone she made a sound like a moan
When she left her alone, the artist hurt her

Your known by everyone for everything you've done
The individual who passed away is now known for all that they had accomplished

Fuck buying flowers for grave
The artist does not want to buy flowers for his loved one's grave

I'd rather buy you a oneway non-stop to anywhere
I'd rather get you out of here, anywhere you want

Find anyone, do anything, forget and start again, love
Anything to help the person forget what has happened and move on

She said she won't go, it hurts too much, to stand by
The singer is in too much pain to leave

You've got to stop and draw a line
It's time to make a decisive choice

Everyone here has to choose a side, tonight,
Everyone has to decide what side they are on for this event

The moment of truth is haunting you
The moment is coming when the singer has to make a choice

Don't forget your family regardless of what you choose to do
Remember your family, no matter what you do

You can't decide, and they're all screaming 'why won't you?'
The artist is unsure what to do, and people are angry with her for it

I'll start the engine, but I can't take this ride for you
I'm here to help, but you've got to make the decision yourself

I'll draw your bath and I'll load your gun
I'll do everything in my power to comfort you

But I hope so bad that you'll bathe and hunt
I hope you'll decide to keep living

Anni's tired of forgetting about today and always planning for tomorrow
Anni is always looking to the future and forgetting the present

(tomorrow) tomorrow Annie says
Anni is always looking to tomorrow and forgetting about today

"The saddest I came across was when I learned that life goes on without me"
Anni is sad to learn that people can go on living even without her

(without me) without me Annie says
Without her, everything would still go on

"If everyone has someone else and I ain't got nobody's love to save me"
Anni feels like she is alone and that nobody loves her

(to save me) to save me Annie says
She wishes someone would come care for her

"I think I'll pass away tonight cause it seems I'll never get it right if it's just me"
It sounds like maybe Anni is considering suicide

(just me) just me Annie says
It seems like she's alone and doesn't have anyone to reach out to

And even if it was, oh, I wouldn't let you go
Even if it is your time to die, I will be here for you

You could run run run run, but I will follow close
No matter what you do, I will be with you always

Someday you will say "that's it, that's all"
At the end of your life, you will come to the realization that it's all over

But I'll be waiting there with open arms to break your fall
I'll be here for you, even if you fall at the end of your life

I know that you think that you are on your own
You believe that you are alone in this world

But just know that I am here and I'll lead you home
I'm here with you, and I will help you find your way

If you let me she said forget me but I can't
If you push me away, I will still be here waiting for you

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