Fastbacks were a pioneering Seattle band. Formed in 1979 by songwriter/gui… Read Full Bio ↴Fastbacks were a pioneering Seattle band. Formed in 1979 by songwriter/guitarist Kurt Bloch (born August 28, 1960), and friends Lulu Gargiulo (guitar and vocals, born October 12, 1960) and Kim Warnick (bass and vocals, born April 7, 1959), they disbanded in 2001. Their sound mixed a generally punk approach to vocals and sound textures with poppy tunes and strong musicianship. Bloch is also a member of The Young Fresh Fellows as well as Thee Sgt. Major III. The Fastbacks reunited for a show in West Seattle in the summer of 2011.

Better Than Before
Fastbacks Lyrics

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That style of life has ended
With you on your own
This time it won't be easy
To be on your own
Your friends do the best they can
But every time they try to help you
You say, "please leave me alone"
You think you just can't go on now that you have seen

How much life can mean
You think you'll never see anymore
Just try and hold on
I'll try hard to help you hold on

I know you'll come back better than before
Somehow it will be better than before

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Better Than Before" by Fastbacks speak about a person who has gone through a difficult phase in life and is finding it hard to cope alone. The style of life that the person had before is now over, and they are left alone to deal with the changes. The singer acknowledges that this won't be easy, and the person may feel like they can't go on. The person's friends try to help, but the person asks them to leave them alone. The person thinks that they will never see anything good again.

However, the singer offers hope and reassurance that the person will come back better than before. Even though it will be difficult, the singer promises to try to help the person hold on. The person may not see it now, but somehow things will get better.

Overall, the lyrics offer a message of hope and encouragement to someone going through a tough time. It acknowledges that it won't be easy, but it offers assurance that things will improve and that the person will come out of it stronger.

Line by Line Meaning

That style of life has ended
Your previous way of living has come to an end

With you on your own
You are now alone

This time it won't be easy
It will be tougher this time around

To be on your own
To manage by yourself

Your friends do the best they can
Your friends are there for you

But every time they try to help you
You push them away

You say, "please leave me alone"
You request for some alone time

You think you just can't go on now that you have seen
You find it hard to continue since you have witnessed

How much life can mean
The significance of life

You think you'll never see anymore
You believe that you will never have any more experiences

Just try and hold on
Just try to persevere