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Better Days
COPYRIGHT JUNE 27, 2006 Ben Burton

V1
Gas is going up across the country
Greyhound's getting harder to afford
Been to spots I hear are always sunny
When I arrive the rain begins to pour
V2
I don't complain coz no one said it's easy
Living loose can be it's own reward
But living on a shoestring makes me queazy
Potted meat is all I can afford

CHORUS
But I'll get by, 'til better days
I'll sell some cans and eat a big buffet
On the other side, should be better days
I just hope he pays a decent living wage
V3
Been in towns of every stripe and color
The good, the bad, the ugly all the same
One alley's not much different from another
Not many left where they don't know my name
V4
I saw a dog, no tags beside the highway
He tailed me back to my cardboard hut,
I liked him coz he listened to what I'd say
One day he got run over, that dang mutt

But I'll get by, 'til better days
I'll sell some cans and eat a big buffet
On the other side, should be better days
I just hope he pays a decent living wage

BRIDGE
I left my old life behind
Too much pressure all the time
No family now, to go and see
Thirteen years out on the road
But Lord, doncha know I'm free

But I'll get by, 'til better days
I'll sell some cans and eat a big buffet
On the other side, there's better days
I just hope he pays a decent living wage

TAG
Hear those church bells ringing
The choir inside is singing
Somehow I get the feeling...it's for me



[This message has been edited by Ben F (edited 08-09-2006).]

This is maybe not my favorite of what I've seen of your songs, but it's still really good. Definitely a country song. The part that really caught me was the chorus, very well written. I do agree with Pete too, the end is a little random, little too mysterious for the rest of the song, but overall, I give it an A. =)

Hey Ben:

I thought this was great. Many good lines. Worked for me fine the way it is, though whoever sings it has to introduce a feeling of irony in the last line of the bridge.

This is a keeper, in my opinion....

Scott

Hi Ben

I'm not sure I understand the 'potted meat'
is that stew? jm

Yeah Pete, that was funny.

v

Thanks Pete

I did catch his confusion and tried to send him in the right direction. Maybe we should buy him the coke. jm

Yo Pete,
Poor guy's been beaten down for so long, he's forgotten alot of stuff. PLUS, I'm TRYING to be original, for Heaven's sake! And I've never heard of anyone mentioning monetary pay on the other side. But, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, Pete didn't see the wry humor.
Why must you always hurt me so deeply, Pete?
Ahemmmm....Er, I'll take over here, Ben.
Oh, I see it is you, my good fellow. So Watson, I heard from the Yard that the game is now afoot, to which I say, "On, King! On you huskies!!
Holmes

Ard,
Hey, I'm glad the end was mysterious. I have finally achieved it! Growing up, Poe was my idol (writers-wise), and to be able to walk in his company is, well, hard to put something this emotional into words.
I guess I should thank my English teacher, who was a VERY large lady, plus all the little people, Tom Thumb, Regis Philbin, the Lilliputians, Paul & Randy Newman, and the Heidelburg twins, for giving me the drive to persevere in an extremely difficult medium. Speaking of mediums, Ehrich Weiss spoke to me a few nights ago, and he told me.....oops, sorry, that will have to remain a mystery!
Hey, seriously, thanks for your time and comments.
Ben
ps This was not one of your favorites and STILL gets a TEN?!? Oh....I get it...on a one hundred scale....gee, thanks alot Vark!

Hi, Scott
Hey, I appreciate that. Had my worries of this one being panned far & wide (which could yet happen!).
Did you mean the last line of the tag??? Although, now that I look at it, there is some definite irony in that last bridge line.....
Thanks, bud.
Ben

JM,
I guess they're still making potted meat. I read a book about a serial killer long ago and he mentioned eating alot of potted meat on the run. Mentioned the ingrdients. I then remembered when I was very yound, Daddy used to put it on crackers and he, my brother and I would eat it. VERY spicy, but not bad. Well, the day after reading that 20 or more years later, I went straight to the store next morning, and he was telling the TRUTH.
Pig snouts, cow stomach lining...that's all I remember. Just a can of animal refuse, basically. No idea where the "potted" came from...."rotted" would be more like it! But I think Vienna sausage (which my sisters ate sometimes) has alot of the same junk. Now, go lose your lunch!
Ben

Double thumbs up on this one Ben.

No 'nits' at all.

Thought to ask you, since it seems to be my mind set this week, ( asking Calvin about Danelions in a Jelly Jar and will be talking to Stan about Best of the Deal) but if you don't have music to this one (hopefully a melody that can be out on cassette or CD it is the 2000's LOL!)maybe I could at least put it to guitar.

Nothing fancy, I am pretty limited to my guitar playing and have always said I use the instrument to accompany me, but something decent IMVHO.

Let me know, (E-Mail Moi.)

Douglas

Ben -

Good story and wonderful chorus. As to the potted meat, how about pork 'n' beans as a more universally recognized substitute? Just a thought. cue

Hey, Doug
Thanks, man. I'll say I was (am) happy with how this one went, cause I honestly barely remembered it when I saw it this afternoon. I couldn't get to sleep last night, got mad, got up & wrote this. Wound up oversleeping, getting dressed like the fireman, yada, yada.
So, NO, a TUNE was the furtherest thing from my mind last night. You have my blessing to musicize it. Show me what you got!!!
Ben

Hey, Cue!
You are probably right. I'm gonna check with a few other people. Just asked a thirty year old gal, and she said she has had it...."gross". I really like to try to put something in my lyrics to make people say, "Huh?". I'm guessing potted meat is about the cheapest thing you can get.
Thanks alot. Glad you liked it.
Ben