About
Better Days appeared as a B-side to Old Before I Die, written by Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers. It leans into late-90s Britpop energy with driving guitars and swagger that echoed the sound of Oasis and Blur.
Little documentation exists on the recording itself, but fans have read it as an early experiment between Williams and Chambers; a story of disconnection and restless escape. The lyrics hint at a relationship breaking down and the need to move on, filtered through sharp, ironic humour. One of the lines is "My guitar is out of tune, even that's highly strung."
I hate that one… I'm really embarrassed about that line now.Robbie Williams
Williams later joked about one of the song's self-referential lyrics during a live Q&A, showing his typical mix of honesty and humour.
Though it never appeared live, Better Days remains a snapshot of a crucial creative moment: the first outlines of the writing partnership that would define Williams' solo career. Gritty, melodic and distinctly 1997, it captures a young artist still shaking off the past and chasing his own sound.
Lyrics
I think the sooner the better
Cause the time is right to find a better day
I'm an angry young man
Man I wish I was young
My guitar is out of tune even that's highly strung
And the words we didn't say last night
Shook the world to the core
We had nothing to say last night
We'd said it all before
And I say
Lonely times and lonely tears
Will fade away when you disappear
The time is right for me to stray
I'm gonna find a better day
Kickin off cause it suits me
I'm gonna leave the country
And the time is right to find a better day
Makin sense of my past now
I'll only love when I want to
Cause the time is right to find a better day
Maybe I didn't love you
Maybe you loved her less
Would you have preferred it
If I'd have worn the dress
Cos I say
Lonely times and lonely tears
Will fade away when you disappear
The time is right for me to stray
I'm gonna find a better day
Lonely times and lonely tears
Will fade away when you disappear
The time is right for me to stray
I'm gonna find a better day
No where to run to baby
No where to hide
I got no where to run to baby
And nowhere to hide
Credits
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Vocalist
Robbie Williams -
Songwriter
Robbie Williams, Guy Chambers