Better Way
| "Better Way" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Ben Harper | ||||
| from the album Both Sides of the Gun | ||||
| Released | 2006 | |||
| Recorded | 2006 | |||
| Genre | Raga rock, blues rock | |||
| Length | 3:59 | |||
| Label | Virgin Records | |||
| Writer(s) | Ben Harper | |||
| Ben Harper singles chronology | ||||
|
||||
"Better Way" is a song by singer-songwriter Ben Harper. It is the first track on disc two of his 2006 album Both Sides of the Gun, and was released as the album's first single. A live version of the song appears on Songs for Tibet: The Art of Peace, a compilation album by various artists supporting Tibet.[1] The song also served as a campaign song for Barack Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign.[2]
Themes
"Better Way" voices and seems to reflect Harper's frustration and dissatisfaction with the American political system. A few music journalists have compared the song to John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance".[3] Noting the songs are similar because they both express anger at current problems, but do not address how these problems were created or how they will be solved. That said, Harper does sing in this song that "I will look this world straight in the eyes", suggesting that he will not be put off by the obstacles that the powers of the world throw at him.
