Breaking Pangaea is a movement based on energy, dynamics and the transfer o… Read Full Bio ↴Breaking Pangaea is a movement based on energy, dynamics and the transfer of emotion and ideas through music. Formed in January of 2000, the Philadelphia trio, lead by singer/guitarist Fred Mascherino and drummer Will Noon, immediately composed and recorded an ep entitled, Take Apart The Words. The ep’s unique sound and texture was met with wide acceptance and after constant touring, was later picked up by Florida based Undecided Records. Breaking Pangaea took to the road with a passion and work ethic rarely seen in today’s fledgling bands and by spring of the following year, had completed three self-booked tours and established an enthusiastic regional following.

Fall 2001 brought the release of the band’s debut album, Cannon To A Whisper. Engineered and produced by Mike Fanuele (production manager for Dashboard Confessional), Cannon To A Whisper showcases a band coming into their own with influences ranging from Jeff Buckley and Sunny Day Real Estate to Van Halen and Led Zeppelin. Among the band’s most striking characteristics is the songwriting of singer/guitarist Fred Mascherino. Mascherino, who earned a degree in jazz guitar from Temple University, effortlessly constructs an elaborate interplay of passionate vocals and layers of unique, jazz-infused rock-based guitar. The debut album was heralded for its display of intense dynamics, dramatic crescendos and skilled harmonies. Keeping true to form, the band spent the remainder of 2001 and the majority of 2002 on the road with national touring acts Coheed & Cambria, Further Seems Forever, Hey Mercedes and Recover.

On May 6, 2003, Breaking Pangaea released their latest effort, an ep entitled Phoenix, through Equal Vision Records. Recorded by the production team at Big Blue Meenie Studios (Thursday, Taking Back Sunday, This Day Forward), Breaking Pangaea’s newest offering illustrates a band at the pinnacle of its maturation.

Better Off
Breaking Pangaea Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's been a long time without you but now I realize it's true
I'm better off being without you, without you

Now I know you'll carry on without the pain
You've got a lie, I've got myself to blame

I'm better off being without you

Now I'm alone
I think about the way you brought me down
I wish we could have made it
But since you're not around

I'll carry on
Knowing the pain
Knowing what could have been
I might not be the same but still I know

I'm better off being without you

Now I'm alone, now I can see

I'm better off being without you

Overall Meaning

Breaking Pangaea's song "Better Off" is about a realization that the singer has had about their past relationship. The first verse sets the tone of the song as the singer has been without their partner for a long time, and now understands that they are truly better off without them. The repetition of the phrase "without you" in the chorus reaffirms this sentiment. The second verse addresses the idea that the singer's ex is carrying on without pain, while the singer blames themselves for the relationship not working out.

Line by Line Meaning

It's been a long time without you but now I realize it's true
After spending a long time away from you, I now realize that I'm truly better off without you

I'm better off being without you, without you
My life is better and happier when I'm not with you

Now I know you'll carry on without the pain
I understand that you will move on and live your life without enduring the pain that our relationship brought you

You've got a lie, I've got myself to blame
You have deceived me, but I also carry responsibility for my involvement in our troubled relationship

Now I'm alone
I am now on my own, without your company

I think about the way you brought me down
I reminisce about the ways in which you negatively impacted my life and my wellbeing

I wish we could have made it
I regret that our relationship didn't work out and that we couldn't make it last

But since you're not around
Since you are no longer present in my life

I'll carry on
I will continue to live my life

Knowing the pain
Even though it hurts to think about our relationship, I acknowledge the pain and try to move on

Knowing what could have been
I am aware of the potential that our relationship had, but I accept that it did not work out

I might not be the same but still I know
Our relationship has changed me in some ways, but I am still aware that I am better off without you

Now I'm alone, now I can see
Being on my own has allowed me to see things more clearly

I'm better off being without you
I have come to the conclusion that my life is more positive and fulfilling when I am not with you

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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