Better Days

Album

Let Love in

Label

Warner Bros. Records

Genre

Rock

Composer(s)

J.Rzeznik

Entered Chart

Oct 8, 2005

Peak Date

Oct 15, 2005

Released

September 20, 2005

Recorded

Unknown

Catalog #

Warner Bros. Digital

This song is about changing the world and making it a better place. The song was released as a single in September 2005, as America was recovering from Hurricane Katrina and dealing with an unpopular war in Iraq. This hopeful song provided reassurance in a troubling time. >> This was originally commissioned for a Target holiday CD. Instead of the usual rock-style Christmas cover, Goo Goo Dolls frontman Johnny Rzeznik wrote a new tune inspired by the state of American politics. "Right now, I feel as though there's a huge amount of unfairness going on in this country and it's really starting to annoy me," he told MTV News in 2005. "I know I'm not an authority on it, but I just wanted to speak my piece - I don't know if I'm speaking for anyone else, although that would be nice." A few days after it was recorded, someone at CNN heard the track and picked it up as the theme song for the network's coverage of Hurricane Katrina. Let Love In is the band's eighth studio album. Their previous release, Gutterflower, was largely inspired by Rzeznik's divorce and his move to Los Angeles, where he struggled with culture clash. This time around, he wanted to tap into positive energy. "You know, it was a really strange time in my life when we made that record," he said of Gutterflower. "I was really unhappy at the time, but it's like, who cares? I did feel like I was losing sight of what we were supposed to be doing, and now I feel as though I've regained my traction." This was used on the TV shows Cold Case ("Ghost Of My Child" - 2008) and Jericho ("Pilot" - 2006). It was also used in the 2011 movie New Year's Eve. The band collaborated with the NHL's Buffalo Sabres to create a video set to this tune for the hockey team's 2007 pursuit of the Stanley Cup. The clip featured shots of the city and was screened on the HSBC Arena's jumbotron before each playoff game.

And you asked me what I want this year
And I try to make this kind and clear
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days
'Cause I don't need boxes wrapped in strings
And designer love and empty things
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days

So take these words and sing out loud
'Cause everyone is forgiven now
'Cause tonight's the night the world begins again

I need some place simple where we could live
And something only you can give
And that's faith and trust and peace while we're alive
And the one poor child who saved this world
And there's ten million more who probably could
If we all just stopped and said a prayer for them

So take these words and sing out loud
'Cause everyone is forgiven now
'Cause tonight's the night the world begins again

I wish everyone was loved tonight
And somehow stop this endless fight
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days

So take these words and sing out loud
'Cause everyone is forgiven now
'Cause tonight's the night the world begins again

'Cause tonight's the night the world begins again