Little Big Town, who hit it out of the park in 2015 with “Girl Crush,” a song that’s in a league of its own, which went #1 Country, charted on Adult Top 40, and was immediately added to my personal list of all time favorites, has a new song out, “Better Man,” written by “The Queen of Everything,” Taylor Swift, whose clever lyrics and male/female heartbreak is perfect for Little Big Town’s moody, intense delivery.
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
A breaking heart. A haunting voice.
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 long. Almost five-minutes. Probably could have used some editing in the wailing and repetition dept.
“Better Man” captures a moment in time–the breakup, or breakdown, of a love relationship–the sadder emotions that accompany that behavior likely touching a nerve for anyone who has experienced a difficult, unhappy or unsatisfying relationship with someone they care deeply about.
Told from the woman’s point of view (as Taylor Swift is wont to do), and because the song is so raw, it brings to mind 1981’s“Seven-Year Ache” written and performed by Roseanne Cash, a classic of relationship introspection and missed opportunities.
These are the kinds of songs women listen to, songs that embody the misery of their break up, to help them along in the process. Done well, they are touching, and both “Better Man” and “Seven-year Ache” are done well.