Better Than We Found It
Maren Morris is a singer and songwriter whose music bridges the gap between… Read Full Bio ↴Maren Morris is a singer and songwriter whose music bridges the gap between hard country, classic rock, and hip-hop-influenced pop; she has enjoyed success as both a tunesmith and a performer. Morris was born in Dallas, Texas on April 10, 1990 and grew up with a love of music, saying she was always willing to belt out a tune on the family's karaoke machine by age ten. By the time she was 14, she had learned to play guitar and began playing professionally, self-releasing a debut album, Walk On. Morris had struck a deal with Smith Music Group when she dropped her second album, 2007's All That It Takes; her songwriting was strong enough that she either wrote or co-wrote eight of the album's 13 tracks. Morris graduated high school and was attending the University of North Texas when she self-released her third full-length, 2011's Live Wire. A year later, she left Texas for Nashville, determined to shift her career into high gear.After winning an "Artist on the Verge" prize at the New Music Seminar, Morris got her foot in the door as a songwriter, signing a publishing deal with Yellow Dog and writing tunes for Tim McGraw ("Last Turn Home") and Kelly Clarkson ("Second Wind"). In addition, she ramped up her touring schedule, sharing stages with artists as diverse as Pat Green, Radney Foster, and Marty Stuart, and performing for artists in Europe and the United Kingdom as well as the United States. In 2015, Morris released a digital single titled "My Church," about the close connection between music and driving. The song became a viral hit, generating over 2.5 million streams in a little over a month. The major labels in Music City took notice, and Morris signed a deal with Sony Music Nashville, which dropped a five-song EP featuring "My Church" in November 2015. Sony pushed "My Church" to country radio in anticipation of her full-length debut Hero, which appeared in June of 2016. The album hit number one on the country charts, and earned Morris a lot of attention: She was nominated for several Grammy awards, won CMA's New Artist of the Year, and earned a slot on Saturday Night Live late in 2016. In early 2017, she toured (both as a headliner and with Sam Hunt), and released a deluxe edition of Hero that included several bonus tracks. In October, Morris, in collaboration with Vince Gill, delivered the powerful single "Dear Hate," which was written in response to the mass shooting at Las Vegas' Route 91 Harvest Festival, a stage that she had played the night before that attack. January 2019 saw Morris issue the empowerment anthem "Girl," the first single from her newly released sophomore effort.

Better Than We Found It
Maren Morris Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

"If you don't like it, then get the hell out"
That's what they yell when I open my mouth
A stick is a stick, a stone is a stone
But who's gonna care if I don't?
Who's gonna change if I won't?

When time turns this moment to dust
I just hope that I'm proud of the woman I was
When lines of tomorrow are drawn
Can I live with the side that I chose to be on?
Will we sit on our hands, do nothing about it?
Or will we leave this world better than we found it?

Over and under and above the law
My neighbor's in danger, who does he call?
When the wolf's at the door all covered in blue
Shouldn't we try something new?
We're over a barrel and at the end of one too

When time turns this moment to dust
I just hope that I'm proud of the woman I was
When lines of tomorrow are drawn
Can I live with the side that I chose to be on?
Will we sit on our hands, do nothing about it?
Or will we leave this world better than we found it?

America, America
Divided we fall
America, America
God save us all
From ourselves and the Hell
That we've built for our kids
America, America
We're better than this

When time turns this moment to dust
I just hope my son's proud of the woman I was
When lines of tomorrow are drawn
Can I live with the side that I chose to be on?
Will we sit on our hands, do nothing about it?
Can we leave this world better than we found it?





America
America

Overall Meaning

Maren Morris's song "Better Than We Found It" speaks to the idea that every person has a responsibility to make the world a better place. The song addresses injustice, division, and the role of individuals in making a positive change in society. The message is clear: we all need to take action and do our part to leave the world a better place than we found it.


The first verse highlights the fact that speaking out can often lead to backlash from those who aren't receptive to different viewpoints. Morris sings, "If you don't like it, then get the hell out / That's what they yell when I open my mouth." Despite this, she acknowledges her own responsibility to speak up and ask questions. The second verse points to the various ways in which society is failing and suggests that we need to try new solutions to fix systemic problems. Additionally, the chorus repeats the main message of the song: we have a choice to sit idly by or take action to make the world a better place.


The bridge references the current political climate and how divisive it has become, but ultimately asserts that Americans are capable of doing better. The final chorus goes back to the personal level, asking not only if Morris herself can leave the world better than she found it, but if she can set an example for her son to do the same.


Overall, "Better Than We Found It" is a call to action that stresses the importance of individual responsibility and collective action in creating a more just and equitable society.


Line by Line Meaning

If you don't like it, then get the hell out
People tell me to leave when I speak up about things they don't like


That's what they yell when I open my mouth
People shout at me whenever I express my opinions


A stick is a stick, a stone is a stone
Objects are what they are, they don't change just because we want them to


But who's gonna care if I don't?
If I don't care about things, nobody else will either


Who's gonna change if I won't?
If I don't make an effort to change things, nothing will change


When time turns this moment to dust
Eventually, this time will be forgotten and turn to dust


I just hope that I'm proud of the woman I was
I want to be proud of who I was during this time


When lines of tomorrow are drawn
In the future, people will divide themselves based on their beliefs


Can I live with the side that I chose to be on?
Will I be able to live with the choices I made and the side I chose to be on?


Will we sit on our hands, do nothing about it?
Will we just wait and do nothing about the problems we see?


Or will we leave this world better than we found it?
Will we take action to make the world a better place than it was before?


Over and under and above the law
There are people who are above and below the law's power


My neighbor's in danger, who does he call?
If my neighbor is in danger, who can he contact for help?


When the wolf's at the door all covered in blue
When the police arrive at your door to respond to a dangerous situation


Shouldn't we try something new?
Shouldn't we seek out new solutions to problems instead of relying on old ones?


We're over a barrel and at the end of one too
We are in a difficult situation and have few options available


America, America
Addressing America directly


Divided we fall
If we are divided as a country, we are weaker and more likely to fail


God save us all
Asking for God to protect and help us all


From ourselves and the Hell
We are in danger as a result of our own actions and the world we've built


That we've built for our kids
We are responsible for shaping the world our children will live in


We're better than this
We are capable of being better than we currently are


I just hope my son's proud of the woman I was
I want my son to be proud of the person I was during this time


Can we leave this world better than we found it?
Asking if we, as a society, can make the world a better place before we're gone




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Jessie Jo Dillon, Jimmy Robbins, Laura Jeanne Veltz, Maren Larae Morris

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@OwenCarver

As a caucasian female country singer Maren has a great power to help influence and change hearts and minds. Human stories that convey love and emotion are the most powerful tool we have to shine light on fearful hearts and closed minds. Thank you for being a brave one! Please write your next song in a way that persuades other country singers to do the same and speak up about social justice too!

@MariaClara-hc4cf

I’m in tears 😭 this is beautiful and I really hope all of us can leave this world better than we found it 💖✨

@ramraju4350

Beautiful inside and out. This planet needs more of you. God bless you!!!

@TheChristinoFlores

This made me cry. I am a doctoral student and an instructor at Cal State LA, which has the highest percentage of DACA recipients out of all 23 California State University campuses. Our campus has 26,300+ students, with 67% of our students being Hispanic/Latinx and 70%+ of our students living right at or below the poverty line. Seeing you tell the stories of people like my students and peers through this video makes me emotional. Especially because my university is full of young advocates trying to make changes in their communities. I was born and raised in the Central Valley, so I am very much so the outsider to this community, and there are things I sometimes don't understand. However, seeing these DREAMers in this video really made me cry. I grew up in a household where both my parents are immigrants and I take pride in the life they built for themselves and me and my 4 siblings. It's something so beautiful. Without that life, I would not have gotten as far as I have now in my career, and I would not have been able to make the changes in this community I am now part of. My goal is to someday be a university president (hopefully of Cal State LA) and maybe even someday U.S. Secretary of Education. At 27, I'm on my way to getting there; it's not a far-fetched dream. Thank you, Maren, for this.

@leisawilson5766

This song isn't the only thing that brought tears to my eyes . . . after reading your comment, the tears kept falling! Your parents must be very proud of you? Sounds like they did a wonderful job in raising you! Beautiful story, thanks for sharing it!

@TribeOfGaia

Wow, much respect to you lady🙌🏼
I stumbled into this song and my energy arose, my heart opened and my soul was whispering.. what a brave woman you are 💪🏼Thank you for using your voice and music to create empathy and compassion❤🙏🏼

@cristianflores1799

I cry every single time I watch this.

I see myself and the people in my community in the people in this video.

@kevinklampe2350

I Knew There Was Something Different About You Maren. God Bless!

@lorit4320

Such a thought provoking profound message in this beautifully written song. So proud of you Maren.

@geraldruiz2437

How are you doing today Lori T? It's really nice having you on here...I saw your profile on here and i think we definitely are on the same page on many Levels. Trust, Communication, Loving, God fearing, Honoring, Understanding, Patience and Respecting Your Partner. So crucial to provide balance.

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