Better Off
Alex Reade Lyrics

I've never really met an optimist without a scar
I have never encountered someone who is hopeful and positive without having experienced pain and adversity in their life

Or someone unbruised after coming so far
It is rare to find someone who has made significant progress in life without being marked by challenges and obstacles along the way

Your words burned me right after they hurt me most
Your words inflicted deep emotional pain exactly when I was already feeling the most vulnerable

This dumb smile of mine should haunt you like a ghost
My outward display of happiness, despite the pain you caused, should serve as a constant reminder of your negative impact on me

But I'm fine to go, and I find it so underwhelming if I'm honest
I am content with moving on, and I feel that the impact of leaving you behind is not as significant as I expected

And you try to know what it's like to be alone
You attempt to understand the feeling of solitude and emptiness that comes from being without a significant other

Have you ever met someone that doesn't know loss?
Have you ever encountered a person who has never experienced grief or misfortune?

When faced with a darkness didn't make it across?
When confronted with difficult times and challenges, they did not emerge unscathed?

The jet pilot who's anything but turbulent
An aviator who remains steady and composed despite the chaos and turbulence around them

The artist who's tears made them brilliant
The emotional depth and vulnerability of an artist's tears contribute to their brilliance and creative expression

And I find it shows, in time you grow
I observe that through the passage of time, personal growth and development occur

You rise above your darkest demons
You overcome your internal struggles and emerge stronger from your most challenging battles

And I hope you know, I kind of glow
I want you to understand that I now radiate with positivity and self-assurance

(Maybe I'm better off without you?)
Perhaps it is beneficial for me to be without your presence and influence in my life

Now you've got me thinking
Now I have started to contemplate and reflect on my current situation

I'm better off, better off without you
I am in a better state and happier without you in my life

Maybe I'm better off, better off alone?
Perhaps I am more content and fulfilled when I am on my own

You held me down
You kept me restrained, limited, and oppressed

And messed me around
You played with my emotions and treated me in a manipulative or deceitful manner

But I won't miss that frown
I will not feel nostalgic for your unhappiness or negativity

Because I'm better off, better off now
Because I am currently in a superior and more advantageous position without you

I used to wonder what it was that made you go
I used to ponder the reasons behind your departure or absence

You dug out escape routes inside the snow
You found ways to escape and evade responsibility and commitment

I tried and tried again to make ends meet
I repeatedly exerted effort and attempted to achieve financial stability

I guess in the end you got itchy feet?
I suppose you ultimately developed a restless desire for change and new experiences

Now it's fine, just go
Now it is acceptable, simply leave and move on

Recite your own version of 'how things went down'
Narrate your own interpretation and description of how the events unfolded

Cause deep down I know
Because at a profound level, I am aware

You can't revoke the fact that I'm all smiles now
You cannot take away or invalidate the fact that I am now genuinely happy and content

(Better)
Superior or improved

Better off now
Currently in a more favorable and advantageous position

(Better)
Superior or improved

I'm better off now
I am currently in a more beneficial and advantageous state