“Been Better” by The Dead Century – A Song Feature

 

     A burst of rapid-fire guitar launches the intro with urgency, soon propelled forward by power percussion. The intro of “Been Better” lasts 27 seconds, approximately the same length as the outro that showcases the guitar skills of The Dead Century. In between resides a Trojan Horse - a convincingly engaging framework harboring a somber theme. The band accurately describes it as “an upbeat, guitar-driven Rock song that’s full of angst, joy, and yearning,” but not in equal parts.

 

     Lyrically, “Been Better” unfolds as a telephone conversation, with most of the reflections coming from the person on the other end of the line. She is struggling within circumstances that are outside of her control and stretch beyond her personal world. The lyrics are included at the bottom of this post. While she admits patience is required and expresses gratitude for the call, any suggestion of faith in the future fades with her closing confession: “… between you and me, this shit better get better soon.”

 

    It’s significant that Minneapolis serves as the home base for The Dead Century, a city shaped in recent months by political conflict, federal law enforcement presence, and the lingering aftermath of civil unrest. The band notes that “Been Better” was originally drafted during the difficult days of the 2020 lockdowns, but was only recently recorded in Minneapolis. The song’s lyrical message feels as timely now as ever. The band’s explanation is more interesting:

  The very first draft of this tune was a product of those hyper-anxious early days of the covid lockdowns, basically pre-history at this point. It took some serious revisions to find its way here, but (alas?) the song still hits our ears with the same kind of urgency—that better days are on the way, but also that sh*t better get better soon.

  Here’s to the triumph of hope and kindness over experience!

 

     The members of The Dead Century are Nick Check (guitar, vocals), JP Check (bass), Austin Peterson (lead guitar, vocals), and Robert Muehlbauer (drums, vocals). Nick and JP are brothers.

     “Been Better” by The Dead Century

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Website: https://www.thedeadcentury.com/

Lyrics of “Been Better” by The Dead Century
She’s been living on her own since the summer
She’s not distraught, just a little distracted
Said “Lover, let me count the ways”
And the list came up a little shorter than expected
 
And since you asked
She said “I guess I’ve been better
You know it’s been a rough few months
And I don’t know when that’s going to change”
 
You know the last time was an absolute trainwreck
Well, she’s so grateful that that’s been established
The sugar crash was almost as cruel as the come down
And in any case those feelings just vanished
 
And since you asked
She said “I guess I’ve been better
You know it’s been a rough few months
And I don’t know when that’s going to change
Well I’m alright
Just under the weather
I’m stuck here and holding out hope
That we’re gonna see better days”
 
Everyone tells you that time’s going to conquer the pain
But tell me how long has it been now and how much has changed
You keep moving forward but every day just feels the same
But what can you do when the only solution is wait
And wait, and wait
 
She says “Anyways, thanks for the phone call
It’s cool to talk to an interested party
There’s comfort in community, there’s solace in the solitude
And in theory that should be enough for me”
 
And since you asked
She said “I guess I’ve been better
If time is what fixes things then I guess
There’s not much left I can do
I’ll do my best
Keep up with the patience
Yeah, but between you and me
This shit better get better soon”