Ryan Ellis - Better Days Lyrics

Ryan Ellis - Better Days (Music Video)

Better Days Song Meaning, Biblical Reference and Inspiration

Ryan Ellis's song "Better Days" offers a deeply personal and hopeful reflection on faith, struggle, and the unwavering promise of future good. The song opens with an expression of profound gratitude for blessings like family, acknowledging a sense of undeservedness while recognizing God's continuous generosity. The artist highlights God's patience through personal stumbles and learning moments, attributing this grace as the force that maintains humility and guides direction. This initial section sets a tone of dependent faith, rooted in thankfulness and the understanding that strength, hope, and clear vision come from a divine source whose love is unquestionable.

The central theme is captured succinctly in the chorus, a direct and relatable declaration of anticipation: "I guess I'm waitin' for some better days." This isn't a passive wish but is immediately coupled with an affirmation of certainty: "I know I'm gonna see some better days." This duality of present waiting and future assurance forms the core message, reflecting a journey through current challenges while holding onto the conviction of brighter times ahead. The repetition reinforces this hopeful expectation, making it an anchor throughout the song.

In the second verse, a more vulnerable aspect of the artist's journey is revealed, touching on personal struggles with pride and a tendency towards recklessness. This honesty underscores the need for God's "extensive" grace and highlights the difficulty of navigating life's challenges, sometimes feeling stuck in "trenches" instead of experiencing the desired "better days." The verse echoes the sentiment of maintaining hope, keeping one's head and eyes lifted, but admits the gap between intention and execution, acknowledging that some things are "easier said than done." Yet, it firmly reiterates the foundational belief in eventual deliverance, stating that "Every dark night gonna see the sun, sooner or later," linking the present struggle to an assured future dawn.

The bridge serves as a powerful declaration of trust and perseverance. It directly addresses the divine promise of future good ("I know You said they're on the way") and affirms reliance on God's word, regardless of the perceived distance to fulfillment. The line "I guess I'm stubborn so I'll wait" is particularly striking, framing persistence as a determined act of faith. This builds into a rhythmic litany of expected outcomes – breakthrough, healing, freedom, strength, joy, Heaven – emphasizing that the waiting is not for vague improvement but for specific, life-transforming realities that are "still comin'."

The final chorus expands the scope from a personal journey to a collective experience, shifting to "we all gon' see some better days." This transition universalizes the message of hope and shared anticipation. The inclusion of "Hallelujah for some better days" introduces an element of praise, expressing gratitude not just for the future reality but for the very promise and the faith that sustains the waiting. The outro reinforces the theme of waiting with simple repetition, culminating again in gratitude, "Hallelujah for some better days." The music video released on 2024-05-03 visually complements these themes, often depicting scenes of contemplation, journey, and community, reinforcing the personal yet shared nature of the hopeful anticipation for these promised "better days."

The song's message aligns closely with numerous scriptural themes. The acknowledgment of grace despite undeservedness echoes passages like Ephesians 2:8-9 or Titus 3:5. The theme of waiting on the Lord for strength and renewal is central to Isaiah 40:31. The certainty of future hope amidst present struggle resonates with Jeremiah 29:11, which speaks of God's plans for welfare and a future filled with hope, and Romans 5:3-5, which highlights how perseverance through suffering leads to character and hope, a hope that does not disappoint. The declaration of trusting in God's word and promises reflects Hebrews 10:23, which encourages holding unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. The waiting for breakthrough, healing, freedom, and joy points towards the ultimate restoration promised in passages like Revelation 21:4, where sorrow and pain are no more, or the joy found in God's presence (Psalm 16:11). "Better Days" thus serves as a modern anthem of persistent, biblically-grounded hope in the face of personal flaws and difficult circumstances, anchored in the assurance of God's promises and faithfulness.