I Liked You Better When You Hated Yourself
Badlees Lyrics
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Behind the old house
And bitch about dream
That would never come true
Then you heard a callin'
That I hadn't felt
I liked you better
Now you spend lots of time
At that natural food place
Buyin' fresh block of tofu
Just like mom used to make
You kicked your bad habits
You're in perfect health
But I liked you better
When you hated yourself
Change, it came a blowin'
Like we never met
Your inner child and you play games
That I just don't get
Somewhere it's written
That this too shall pass
But lately you've just been
A pain in the ass
Ask me if I care
Well, I guess I still do
Friends don't come easy
Even assholes like you
And that shrink of yours
She can go straight to hell
I liked you better
When you hated yourself
Last time I saw you
You were on donahue
Discussing your book
And everything you've been through
Now you've got your glamour
Your fame and your wealth
But I still liked you better
When you hated yourself.
In these lyrics, the singer is reminiscing about a friend and a time from the past when they would drink and complain about their dreams that would never come true. However, the friend found a calling or a purpose in life that changed them, and the singer did not feel it. This change is seen in their newfound dedication to healthy eating habits like buying fresh tofu and in kicking their bad habits. The singer miss the old version of themselves when they hated themselves and did not care about healthy habits, as it brought them closer together.
Even though the friend has become successful and famous, the singer still prefers the old version of them. The song speaks to how change can cause friendship dynamics to change and how difficult it can be to accept that friends can outgrow each other. The line, “friends don't come easy, even assholes like you” highlights some bitterness or resentment that the singer holds towards their friend. The last verse is almost sarcastic as the friend is seen discussing their book and everything they have gone through on Donahue.
Overall, the lyrics speak to the struggle of handling change in friendships and the realization that you may not always like the person your friend becomes as they change throughout life.
Line by Line Meaning
We used to drink our Bacardi
We would consume the alcoholic beverage Bacardi together.
Behind the old house
We drank Bacardi behind an ancient building.
And bitch about dreams
We used to complain about our aspirations.
That would never come true
We believed that our goals would never be achieved.
Then you heard a callin'
You received inspiration or motivation.
That I hadn't felt
I did not share that same inspiration or motivation.
I liked you better
I preferred the way you were before.
When you hated yourself
When you had low self-esteem or self-hatred, I liked you more.
Now you spend lots of time
Currently, you dedicate a lot of your time.
At that natural food place
You visit a specific food store that sells organic food products.
Buyin' fresh block of tofu
You purchase a fresh block of tofu from that store.
Just like mom used to make
The tofu bought tastes like the tofu your mother used to make.
You kicked your bad habits
You have successfully quit your unhealthy activities.
You're in perfect health
You are physically fit and have no health issues.
Change, it came a blowin'
Change occurred abruptly.
Like we never met
Change was so drastic it's as if we aren't even familiar with each other anymore.
Your inner child and you play games
You are currently engaging in activities that seem immature.
That I just don't get
I don't understand the reasoning behind these activities.
Somewhere it's written
There exists some text or philosophy that suggests.
That this too shall pass
That the current phase (likely negative connotation) will ultimately come to an end.
But lately you've just been
Just recently, you have only acted in ways that frustrate me.
A pain in the ass
You're being difficult and causing me discomfort.
Ask me if I care
You can question me if I care or not.
Well, I guess I still do
However, I still have emotions or feelings toward you.
Friends don't come easy
It's challenging to maintain a friendship.
Even assholes like you
Even people who act in unpleasant ways like you.
And that shrink of yours
Refers to the person's mental health professional.
She can go straight to hell
They think negatively of their therapist.
Last time I saw you
The most recent occasion we encountered each other.
You were on donahue
They saw the other person on the show Donahue.
Discussin' your book
The person was talking about a book they wrote.
And everything you've been through
The content of the book was about their personal experiences.
Now you've got your glamour
Currently, the person has physical appeal or charm.
Your fame and your wealth
The person has now become popular and has acquired riches.
But I still liked you better
However, I preferred you more before this success.
When you hated yourself
I liked the person more when they had self-hatred or low self-esteem.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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