It Gets Better
Rebecca Drysdale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
where the kids go to get fit,
but her eye's not on the ball at all,
it's on Ms. Foster's tits.
She's got a dirty little secret,
that everybody knows,
she came out but she wishes,
she had left the closet closed!
And here is little Davey,
hiding in the piano room,
playing Wicked, Rent, Chicago, Cats and Brigadoon.
He's hiding from the locker room
and jocks who roam the halls,
where he's safe from wedgies, shiners
and destruction of his balls!
But when they call you weirdos, fags
and rejects, flamers, gays and hags,
baby dykes and homo dykes,
lesbos, homos and queer-bags,
it might seem like it's hopeless and will never be ok,
but listen to the ones who care,
believe them when they say...
It gets better!
One day you'll look back and you won't give a fuck,
when you're swimming through your pussyfall
like Scrooge-fucking-McDuck,
And when you're snatching your first Grammy
Super glammy
Lookin' slick,
it won't be much time
before they get in line
for a chance to suck your dick
It gets better!
It wasn't long tell they told Johnny that he wasn't normal,
when he wore a strapless gown and high heels to his Junior Formal,
but the cool guys they felt passionately that his chosen fashion
was a rationalization for a rash of Johnny Bashin'
Everyone made fun of Shannon,
'cause she kissed a girl,
so she hid her head and closed her mouth
and shut out all the world.
She is brilliant, smart and funny, kind and talented by hey,
it doesn't matter what she is
'cause all she is to them is gay!
But when they call you carpet-munchers, fudge-packers and queens,
lesbians and tranny-Mary's, Lily-Nancy teens,
it might seem like you're different,
weird unusual or strange,
but hang in there 'cause things have always
and will always change
It gets better!
John's a stylist and he's gotten pretty far
now he doesn't get his ass kicked
but his ass kissed by the stars
and when Shannon got to college
she met people just like her
and she realized who the d-bags
and the fuck-heads really were
It gets better!
Jane Lynch, Boy George, Versace,
Adam Lambert, Liberace,
Elton, Tim Gunn, Michael Stipe,
Ellen, Rosie, Wanda Sykes,
Jodie Foster, Linda Perry,
Gandalf the Wizard,
actually a fairy,
Simon Amstell, KD Lang,
Even Brando liked some wang,
Rachel Maddow,
huge muff-diver,
Richard Hatch who won survivor,
Nathan Lane, Truman Capote,
even Obi-Won Kenobi,
Billy Joe from Greenday's bi,
Ricky Martin
big surprise,
Doogie Howser, what a showman,
Dave Hyde-Pierce and all the Romans,
Tommy Tune and Alvin Ailey,
Meredith Baxter, Leisha Haley,
Lohan, Paquin, both are bi,
Boy George and George Takei,
Cher has a transgender child,
George Michael and Oscar Wilde,
Everyone involved in Glee,
One-tenth of everyone you know and me!
All of them were just like you,
it got better for them
and it will for you too!
It gets better!
If you're gay or bi or something in between,
there's no one who is meaner
than a bunch of asshole teens,
but those assholes are the first people that you will soon forget,
when you're living life and learning
how much better it can get!
It gets better!
(oh yeah it gets better)
It gets better
Yeah, yeah, yeah
It gets better!
The lyrics of Rebecca Drysdale's song "It Gets Better" are an empowering message for LGBTQ+ youth who are struggling with bullying and bigotry. It tells the stories of Amanda, Davey, Johnny, and Shannon, who are all experiencing different forms of discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Despite their hardships, the song assures them that things will improve and get better over time.
Amanda, who has a crush on her gym teacher, is struggling with her own feelings of attraction and fear of judgment from her peers. Davey is seeking refuge in the piano room to escape the harassment and violence of the locker room. Johnny is ridiculed for wearing a dress to his Junior Formal, while Shannon is ostracized for kissing a girl. The song acknowledges the abusive language and slurs commonly used against LGBTQ+ individuals, such as "weirdos," "fags," "carpet-munchers," and "tranny-Mary's," and encourages listeners to persevere despite these hurtful words.
The song offers hope and reassurance through real-life examples of successful LGBTQ+ public figures, including Boy George, Elton John, Rachel Maddow, and Ricky Martin, among others. By highlighting these role models, the song aims to inspire young people to embrace their true selves and not let bigotry and intolerance hold them back. In the end, the song delivers a powerful message of love and acceptance, urging listeners to believe in themselves and keep striving towards a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Amanda is in gym class,
where the kids go to get fit,
but her eye's not on the ball at all,
it's on Ms. Foster's tits.
Amanda is in the school gym, where students go to exercise. However, Amanda is not focused on the ball game. She is rather distracted by Ms. Foster's breasts. Amanda is actually a lesbian but she regrets coming out because she feels being in the closet would have been better for her.
She's got a dirty little secret,
that everybody knows,
she came out but she wishes,
she had left the closet closed!
Everyone knows that Amanda is a lesbian. However, she feels that she should have remained in the closet instead of coming out.
And here is little Davey,
hiding in the piano room,
playing Wicked, Rent, Chicago, Cats and Brigadoon.
He's hiding from the locker room
and jocks who roam the halls,
where he's safe from wedgies, shiners
and destruction of his balls!
Davey is hiding from bullies in the piano room. He's playing songs from Broadway musicals to keep him entertained. He hides to avoid getting bullied by the jocks who often bully students in the hallway.
But when they call you weirdos, fags
and rejects, flamers, gays and hags,
baby dykes and homo dykes,
lesbos, homos and queer-bags,
it might seem like it's hopeless and will never be ok,
but listen to the ones who care,
believe them when they say...
When people use offensive names to describe you, it can seem like there is no hope for anything good to happen. But it's vital to listen to people who care for you and believe it when they say things will get better.
It gets better!
One day you'll look back and you won't give a fuck,
when you're swimming through your pussyfall
like Scrooge-fucking-McDuck,
And when you're snatching your first Grammy
Super glammy
Lookin' slick,
it won't be much time
before they get in line
for a chance to suck your dick
It gets better!
One day you will be successful and ultimately won't care what others who used to bully you have to say. You will succeed in your field and be successful, and those who used to bully you might even become admirers.
It wasn't long tell they told Johnny that he wasn't normal,
when he wore a strapless gown and high heels to his Junior Formal,
but the cool guys they felt passionately that his chosen fashion
was a rationalization for a rash of Johnny Bashin'
When Johnny, a boy, wore a strapless dress to his school formal, the other boys began to bully him. They thought his choice of clothing was a justification for them to bully Johnny even more.
Everyone made fun of Shannon,
'cause she kissed a girl,
so she hid her head and closed her mouth
and shut out all the world.
She is brilliant, smart and funny, kind and talented by hey,
it doesn't matter what she is
'cause all she is to them is gay!
Shannon was bullied by other students when she kissed a girl. She began to isolate herself from the world, hiding who she truly was from people who only saw her as a lesbian. Despite her talent, intelligence, and personality, it didn't matter because the only thing others saw was her sexuality.
But when they call you carpet-munchers, fudge-packers and queens,
lesbians and tranny-Mary's, Lily-Nancy teens,
it might seem like you're different,
weird unusual or strange,
but hang in there 'cause things have always
and will always change
It gets better!
When people call you derogatory names, it can feel like you are different or unaccepted. But history shows that over time, things will change, and you will be accepted for who you are.
John's a stylist and he's gotten pretty far
now he doesn't get his ass kicked
but his ass kissed by the stars
and when Shannon got to college
she met people just like her
and she realized who the d-bags
and the fuck-heads really were
It gets better!
John is a successful stylist and no longer gets bullied like he used to. Shannon, too, met people like her at college and realized that she was surrounded by awful people who used to bully her. All of this to say that things will get better, and you will find acceptance.
Everyone involved in Glee,
One-tenth of everyone you know and me!
All of them were just like you,
it got better for them
and it will for you too!
It is likely that your favorite celebrities or someone you know had been in your shoes at some point in their lives. They found acceptance and happiness, and so will you.
If you're gay or bi or something in between,
there's no one who is meaner
than a bunch of asshole teens,
but those assholes are the first people that you will soon forget,
when you're living life and learning
how much better it can get!
It gets better!
Being a teen is difficult, especially when being bullied because of your sexuality. However, those who used to bully you will soon become insignificant. As you continue to learn and live your life, it gets better, and you'll find happiness and acceptance.
(oh yeah it gets better)
It will get better.
It gets better
It gets better.
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yes, it gets better.
Contributed by Gavin A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Olive Mahon
This video got me through some of the roughest times in high school. So glad to see its still up. Life definitely got so much better for me after I graduated
RagingAlcohol
I used to watch this video very very often when I was in middle school, back when I was closeted. I was terrified of how I would be treated if I was open with who I am. In high school I came out as “not straight”, and was clearly gender non conforming. It wasn’t until just last year that I was able to come out as non-binary, asexual, and “gay”, as I use it as a blanket term. I hate labels but I’m basically here to say that this helped me have the courage to explore my sexuality and gender identity at a younger age (this came out when I was twelve). I’m forever grateful.
TPRJones
I can't sing along with this song. I have had it on my MP3 player in rotation since mid-2011 and it comes up about once a week and I've heard it hundreds of times and I love it and know it by heart and yet even still right around "it got better for them and it will for you too" I get too overcome with emotion and choked up to finish singing along. I am not normally an emotional person. There's just this one thing that gets to me every time - this song - and I can't thank you enough for making it.
Christian Sweeney
I wish this was around when I was 16. This song is AMAZING!!! Thank you for making this.
Mike Hawk
This song came out when I was 15, and my brother showed it to me after a scooterslide attempt that he didn’t know about. I listened to it every day for six years. I’m now 26. It’s gotten better. I still get choked up when I listen to this song.
TPRJones
Still the best damn music video I've ever seen. No matter how many times I watch it I still tear up a bit at how perfect it is.
Tea with Tams
This is so amazing. Every time it comes up in my feed I share. I will never not share. Thank you for this message.
Lady Spacesis
I needed this song so much in high school. It got me through a lot of dark moments and i hope it still does for many others.
John Avitable
Aww man, 10 years later, turning 30 in 2 months, remembering when this came out shortly after I graduated high school. You're right, it does. I was laying in bed unable to sleep last night sort of reflecting and realizing that my 30's AREN'T going to suck, and this song started playing in my head. I don't know how this doesn't have even close to a million views, but it would do my heart good to see this blow up again.
Leather Elf
This is where I come when things get thick and hard to get through. With the events @Pulse I needed to hear this again. The fight goes on. Thank you Rebecca. I am going to shed some tears and listen to this again.