Fitting Finales-Better Off Alone

Better Off Alone
(Smith)


Seven times married
Seven times divorced
A hard core troubadour
But with a heart that's made out of stone
He can write you a good song
Makes you feel like you belong
But in the end he cannot change
Perhaps it's best that he remains

He's better off alone, staying par for the course
He says that things will get better
When she knows that they won't

So she says that she is leaving
She got her bags packed, ready to go
Contrary to rumor that the 3rd time wasn't the charm
As she goes back to the city
And leaves the old boy down on the farm

She's better off alone
Staying par for the course
She thinks that things will get better
When she knows that they won't

I played the game of love
And lost out in the end
Once the fascination's gone
And  that she doesn't even wanna be friends
That's the way it goes
Being alone, this I know
I rather not have her stay
If we're both gonna be miserable

We're better off alone
Staying par for the course
I think that things will get better
When we both know that it won't

(So bye bye)

(C) 2015 TE Music Emporium

This song is in three different settings.  The first verse is about the breakup of Steve Earle and his wife.  Earle is one of the best songwriters out there and you may not like the politics he does but he speaks his mind.  I think he wrote a song called Better Off Alone off the latest album.  Being a musician does bring stress and strains on any type of relationships, I know that all too well myself although I'll never see myself married seven times let alone one.  The second verse is when the inspiration for Pawnshops For Olivia came out here to see if she can handle a winter here in this state and ended up getting phenomena that lasted till March our last time together.  The winter was somewhat mild  (10 above) but it wasn't for her.   The third verse, part of that was lifted from I Wanna Make You Mine.  The original version that you hear on the album, the last line is I rather not have her stay for that my life is an open road but a later recording with Rod Albaugh behind the control board has the revised line I rather have her stay if we're gonna be miserable, which works better in context of the song.   In life there's people that have to have somebody in their life, no matter how toxic it can be, or perhaps maybe they can get along.  For myself and the failures of me not comprising and too set in my ways, I'm better off alone, no matter how much I say otherwise.