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Re: Stupid Question: Better
Today I was coming to work and Better started playing on the radio.
Long time since I paid attention while listening to the song.
The lyrics got me confused, but perhaps it's my English:
"All that I wanted was
Now I know you better
You know I know better
Now I know you better"
My problem of interpretation: what's the deal with "All that I wanted was"?
Does it mean that all that was wanted doesn't exist anymore?
It feels to me like there's something missing, like
"All that I wanted was [something]".
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: Stupid Question: Better
I agree with Russ. To me it's almost about healing and forcing your self to stop thinking a certain way.
It's like a thought process that gets interrupted by another thought almost contradicting it.
Almost like Axl stopping himself from using a cliche because he's changed his mind...
It's like it was going to be "All that I wanted was...you" or "All that I wanted was...love" or whatever...but the very sentence itself is interrupted with "Now I know you better, you know I know better" - because he's evolved from the point of just reminiscing to realising the nature of the other person makes it impossible.
I could be wrong about that, but that's how I took it.
It's also a theme that's sort of touched on in other places in Chinese Democracy too. For example in TWAT:
"Yeah there was a time, I didn't want to know it all, I didn't want to know it all, I don't want to know it now. I would do anything for you. There was a time I would do anything for you....there was a time"
It's interesting how the song in general seems to be about how he was betrayed and double standards the girl has, but it remains true that while he doesn't like to think about it anymore there was a moment where his love was true and he would have given her anything.
Or that's my take anyway....to me a lot of the album is about reliving pain and finding ways to heal from it....also in Madagascar which is about finding a way back from hurt and having hope....or in Street of Dreams which analyses the idea that what he's in love with no longer even exists because he was wrong about her or whatever...to me there's a lot of related topics on the album.
- Me_Wise_Magic
- Rep: 70
Re: Stupid Question: Better
I always got a similar reaction from listening to Better and some of the other tracks on CD. There was defintely some hard feelings about people that were reflected in the song writing and shown on record. Axl probably just wanted a heavy rock song or it could of had more depth to it other the obvious bunch (:slash: , Stephanie, other relationships, etc etc). Since Axl has stated that it's one of his favs on the record.
- Me_Wise_Magic
- Rep: 70
Re: Stupid Question: Better
Yeah, I think Russ is spot on right about it. It comes from frustration, like "whatever..."
Monkey, I have the same feeling and interpretation of the songs on CD, and I think it's really genuine and truthful.
Thanks guys!
By the way that wasn't a stupid question. Nothing is wrong with trying to interpret a song and trying to understand why lyrics were structured a certain way or how the artist felt during the process of writing & recording it. Makes for great discussion!
Re: Stupid Question: Better
ottosporteman wrote:Yeah, I think Russ is spot on right about it. It comes from frustration, like "whatever..."
Monkey, I have the same feeling and interpretation of the songs on CD, and I think it's really genuine and truthful.
Thanks guys!
By the way that wasn't a stupid question. Nothing is wrong with trying to interpret a song and trying to understand why lyrics were structured a certain way or how the artist felt during the process of writing & recording it. Makes for great discussion!
Thanks for that! Funny thing is I've questions like this all the time! Gonna start asking them! 
- Me_Wise_Magic
- Rep: 70
Re: Stupid Question: Better
Go for it! I personally think it helps understand a particular piece of music better. No problem good sir!
