Better Man (From The Vault)
The Breaker (Little Big Town, 2016) | RED (Taylor's Version) [2021]
«Everybody can identify with the sentiment of this song. A lot of times in life, there are things that you have to walk away from that don’t necessarily feel like the greatest decision to have to make in your life, but sometimes you just know that it’s time to move on, and no matter how hard that is, you just know down in your heart that it’s time to do that. And those are very difficult decisions that we face sometimes in our lives, and this song talks about that beautifully.»
Little Big Town
Table of Contents
Background
«I wrote this song and I keep hearing your voices on it. I know you're making a record – if you want to cut it, great. If not, no big deal.»
Taylor Swift
Taylor revealed in August 2021 that she will be recording her rendition of “Better Man” for the 2021 re-recording of RED, called RED (Taylor’s Version) [2021].
The Secret Songwriter
As reported by Tennesseean, Taylor said the following at a surprise gig at the Bluebird Café in Nashville in March 2018:
«When I would play writers nights, I didn’t have the experience of a writer writing something and then it going out into the world and you hearing it from someone else’s perspective until recently. Little Big Town gave me the opportunity to feel that way, to be at the Bluebird and play a song you’ve maybe heard on the radio. I will always be forever grateful to them for that.»
Taylor Swift
Live Performances
Critical Reception
Commercial Performance
Accolades
Taylor's Version
«The song 'Better Man' is one I originally wrote for the RED album. I remember I was on tour, I wrote it alone in a hotel room, and I was standing in front of a mirror. The first thing that I thought of was, 'I wish it wasn't 4am, standing in the mirror, saying to myself, 'You know you had to do it.' That was an acutal visual from my life that ended up being the first thing I wrote. And then I expanded outward from there. It was a song that I really thought belonged on the album and...there were just too many songs I loved that I had written in that period of time, so some of them had to be left off. I think I chose 'All Too Well' over 'Better Man.' And then later on, years later, Little Big Town ended up recording that song and it went to No. 1, it won CMA 'Song of the Year', it was nominated for a Grammy, it was insane, that was like the coolest thing ever! And now I get to put out my version of it, so pretty cool moment.»
Taylor Swift
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
I know I’m probably better off on my own
Than lovin’ a man who didn’t know
What he had when he had it
And I see the permanent damage you did to me
Never again, I just wish I could forget when it was magic
[Pre-Chorus 1]
I wish it wasn’t 4am, standing in the mirror
Saying to myself, “You know you had to do it”
I know the bravest thing I ever did was run
[Chorus]
Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I can feel you again
But I just miss you, and I just wish you were a better man
And I know why we had to say goodbye
Like the back of my hand
But I just miss you, and I just wish you were a better man
A better man
[Verse 2]
I know I’m probably better off all alone
Than needing a man who could change his mind
At any given minute
And it was always on your terms
I waited on every careless word
Hoping they might turn sweet again
Like it was in the beginning
[Pre-Chorus 2]
But your jealousy, oh I can hear it now
Talking down to me like I’d always be around
Push my love away like it was some kind of loaded gun
Oh, you never thought I’d run
[Chorus]
Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I can feel you again
But I just miss you, and I just wish you were a better man
And I know why we had to say goodbye
Like the back of my hand
But I just miss you, and I just wish you were a better man
A better man
[Bridge]
I hold onto this pride because these days it’s all I have
And I gave to you my best and we both know you can’t say that
I wish you were a better man
I wonder what we would’ve become
If you were a better man
We might still be in love, if you were a better man
You would’ve been the one
If you were a better man
Yeah, yeah
[Final Chorus]
Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I can feel you again
But I just miss you, and I just wish you were a better man
And I know why we had to say goodbye
Like the back of my hand
But I just miss you, and I just wish you were a better man
A better man
(Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I can feel you again)
We might still be in love, if you were a better man
(But I just miss you and I just wish you were a better man)
Yeah, yeah
I know why we had to say goodbye
Like the back of my hand
But I just miss you and I just wish you were a better man
A better man
[Outro]
We might still be in love
If you were a better man
You would’ve been the one
If you were a better man
[Verse 1]
I know I’m probably better off on my own
Than loving a man who didn’t know
What he had when he had it
And I see the permanent damage you did to me
Never again, I just wish I could forget when it was magic
[Pre-Chorus 1]
I wish it wasn’t 4am, standing in the mirror
Saying to myself, you know you had to do it
I know the bravest thing I ever did was run
[Chorus]
Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I can feel you again
But I just miss you, and I just wish you were a better man
And I know why we had to say goodbye
Like the back of my hand
And I just miss you, and I just wish you were a better man
A better man
[Verse 2]
I know I’m probably better off all alone
Than needing a man who could change his mind at any given minute
And it’s always on your terms
I’m hanging on every careless word, hoping it might turn sweet again
Like it was in the beginning
[Pre-Chorus 2]
But your jealousy, I can hear it now
You’re talking down to me like I’ll always be around
You push my love away like it’s some kind of loaded gun
Boy, you never thought I’d run
[Chorus]
Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I can feel you again
But I just miss you, and I just wish you were a better man
And I know why we had to say goodbye
Like the back of my hand
And I just miss you, and I just wish you were a better man
A better man
A better man
[Bridge]
I hold onto this pride because these days it’s all I have
And I gave you my best and we both know you can’t say that
You can’t say that
I wish you were a better man
I wonder what we would’ve become
If you were a better man
We might still be in love, if you were a better man
You would’ve been the one
If you were a better man
[Final Chorus]
Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I can feel you again
And I just miss you, and I just wish you were a better man
And I know why we had to say goodbye
Like the back of my hand
And I just miss you and I just wish you were a better man
[Outro]
We might still be in love, if you were a better man
A better man
Artist | Taylor Swift | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Album | RED (Taylor’s Version) | |||
Backup Vocals | Caitlin Evanson Liz Huett | |||
Released | October 20, 2016 | |||
Re-Released | November 12, 2021 | |||
Written | 2011-2012 | |||
Studios | Kitty Committee (Belfast) Prime Recording (Nashville) Long Pond (Hudson Valley) | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 4:57 (Taylor’s Version) 4:21 (Little Big Town) | |||
Labels | Capitol Nashville Republic Records | |||
Songwriter | Taylor Swift | |||
Producers | Aaron Dessner Taylor Swift Jay Joyce (Little Big Town) | |||
RED CHRONOLOGY | ||||
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![RED (Taylor's Version) [Republic Records, 2021]](https://taylorswiftswitzerland.ch/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/8k-RED-Taylors-Version-1024x1024.jpg)

