178 Meanings
Add Yours
Share
Q&A

Miserable at Best Lyrics

Katie don't cry, I know, you're trying your hardest
And the hardest part is letting go
Of the nights we shared
Ocala is calling
And you know it's haunting
But compared to your eyes
Nothing shines quite as bright
And when we look to the sky
It's not mine but I want it, so...

Let's not pretend like you're alone tonight
(I know he's there, and)
You're probably hanging out and making eyes
(While across the room he stares)
I'll bet he gets the nerve to walk the floor
And ask my girl to dance
She'll say yes....
Because these words were never easier
For me to say, or her to second guess
But I guess that I can live without you, but
Without you, I'll be miserable at best

You're all that I hoped I'd find
In every single way
And everything I would give
Is everything you couldn't take
'Cause nothing feels like home
You're a thousand miles away
And the hardest part of living
Is just taking breaths to stay
'Cause I know I'm good for something
I just haven't found it yet
And I need it

So, let's not pretend like you're alone tonight
(I know he's there, and)
You're probably hanging out and making eyes
(While across the room he stares)
I'll bet he gets the nerve to walk the floor
And ask my girl to dance
She'll say yes...
Because these words were never easier
For me to say, or her to second guess
But I guess that I can live without you, but
Without you, I'll be miserable at best

And this'll be the first time in a week
That I'll talk to you and I can't speak
It's been three whole days since I've had sleep
'Cause I dream of his lips on your cheek
And I got the point that I should leave you alone
But we both know that I'm not that strong
And I miss the lips that made me fly

So, let's not pretend like you're alone tonight
(I know he's there and)
You're probably hanging out and making eyes
(While across the room he stares)
I'll bet he gets the nerve to walk the floor
And ask my girl to dance
She'll say yes.....

Because these words were never easier
For me to say or her to second guess
But I guess that I can live without you but
Without you, I'll be miserable
And I can live without you but
Without you, I'll be miserable
And I can live without you,
Oh, without you, I'll be miserable at best
Questions and Answers

Ask specific questions and get answers to unlock more indepth meanings & facts.

178 Meanings

Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.

Cover art for Miserable at Best lyrics by Mayday Parade

Ok kiddies, lets see what this song really boils down to.

First, this is being sung to a girlfriend, the status of the relationship questionable as of this moment. Ocala is a city in Florida, where the band hails from. He is moving there and is asking Katie to not cry. Even though the city is bright, he still finds the light in her eyes brighter. The first stanza ends with him saying how he wants the sky, aka wanting more out of life.

The chorus comes next. Here, he knows that while he is away, she will be with another guy. She will be willing to move on from the singer, which breaks his heart. The words flow from his lips about his leaving, and she keeps second guessing, wondering if this is truly the right thing. He knows he can be without her, but he will not be happy.

Next up, verse II. He says how she is everything he wanted, and everything that he would give is what she couldn't take, most likely his heart and soul. He feels lost without her, and to keep living, he must keep breathing, which he finds to be rather laborious and tiring. He feels like a deadbeat, and knows that he can do so much more with his life, as he tells her that he needs this. It can be inferred from here that he feels inadequate and needs to become what he feels is a man before he can be with her.

After the chorus comes the verse III. It shows how she leaves him speechless whenever they talk and how he cannot stand the thought of someone else kissing her and it keeps him up at night. He knows that he is becoming a nuisance and knows that he should stop pestering her, but he cannot bring himself to sever all ties. He knows this is slightly pathetic, but he will not stop and is just going to go on with how things are going.

This is an anthem to missing someone who you were once very close to, and not fully being able to let go of the past, even though you were the one who tore the relationship apart. It is slightly possessive and jealous, as the speaker gets more and more distraught as the song progresses. However, a wonderful piano-driven ballad and definitely worth the 5 minutes and 16 seconds to listen.

My Interpretation

They're from Tallahassee not Ocala! Have you not listened to any other Mayday Parade songs? Lol

Lol Tallahassee and Ocala are very close to eachother so it's really not a mistake worth freaking out over. The POINT is that he had to leave, doesn't matter where he's going away to.

Cover art for Miserable at Best lyrics by Mayday Parade

The guy in the relationship told her that he needed space, he needs to find himself, but he knows he's made the worst mistake he could ever make. Throughout the song he then realizes that she was he needed to find and now it's too late. He told her to move on, but she hasn't. Hence "Katie, don't cry I know you're trying your hardest and the hardest part is letting go. Of the nights we share.." He needs her, he wants her, but she's just over the bullshit that he put her through. But he still gets that giddy, butterflies in the stomach feeling when he looks at her, when he thinks about her. But he realizes that he told her to move on and that's where he went wrong because he can't take it.

"And I got the point that I should leave you alone But we both know that I'm not that strong And I miss the lips that made me fly"

That's my interpretation.

You are completely right about this....my boyrfriend and i just broke up like a week ago and he told me he dont wanna let me go, but he needs to figure everything out in his life. So I very well agree with your interpretation.

Not Valid
Cover art for Miserable at Best lyrics by Mayday Parade

Yeah, I'm sure that it's Jason singing the opening line. I know for a fact that he sings the breakdown though. Tear-jerker of a song. I totally know what they are singing about, I recently got out of a relationship, and I have to think about her with someone else. It was for the best, doesn't make it hurt any less.

Cover art for Miserable at Best lyrics by Mayday Parade

his new band's name is Go Radio [www.myspace.com/wearegoradio], they're pretty good, fun, and catchy, Jason is a great artist!

Cover art for Miserable at Best lyrics by Mayday Parade

And this will be the first time in a week That I'll talk to you and I can't speak It's been three whole days since I've had sleep Cause I dream of his lips on your cheek And I got the point that I should leave you alone But we both know that I'm not that strong And I miss the lips that made me fly

amazing. touching. gorgeous. love it.

You posted my favorite part of the song. :')

Cover art for Miserable at Best lyrics by Mayday Parade

the song is about breaking up, & trying to let go of that person even though if it means you'll be miserable without them

Cover art for Miserable at Best lyrics by Mayday Parade

This song is so beautiful. I thought at first that this song was a sequel to "One Man Drinking Games".

I would hope that it's not about his fiancee' cause it's about leaving the relationship. And her finding someone else. "Let's not pretend like your alone tonight, I know he's there." Not a very good g/f. That's also why I thought it was a single. Cause in OMDG he talks about her being the "Angel sent to save someone else." Idk, it just kinda fits to me. Wonderful song though, this and "You be the...." are probably the best on the album. Really great work, and I will SOO miss Jason too.

Cover art for Miserable at Best lyrics by Mayday Parade

'I guess that I can live without you, but without you I'll be miserable at best' .. that's one amazing line. So, I'm thinking he wrote this song when they were on tour ('nothing feels like home, you're a thousand miles away'). It's pretty easy to picture the guy sitting in a hotel room reminiscing over the love of his life. No wonder they're engaged now - this song probably is what won katie back.

I think this song is really easy to relate to when you get out of a deep relationship with someone and you still really want to be with them, but circumstances dictate otherwise. You think you can live without the person, but in reality you know that without em, you'll only be miserable at best.

Cover art for Miserable at Best lyrics by Mayday Parade

the song is about a guy breaking up with his girl friend who he loves very much but he has to let it go because because she likes someone else, "And when we look to the sky It's not mine, but I want it So let's not pretend like you're alone tonight I know he's there And you're probably hanging out and making eyes While across the room he stares I'll bet he gets the nerve to walk the floor And ask my girl to dance" He wants "the sky" to be his but he knows its not. as in he wants her to love him like he loves her or like she used to love him.

"She'll say yes, because these words were never easier For me to say, or her to second guess"

He knows that she loves someone else and the other guy likes her too & she would take the other guy instead of him, & hes talking about when he says I Love you or any thing else like that, and how she isnt sure if he means it.

"But I guess that I can live without you But without you I'll be miserable at best" If thats really what she wants he will let her go but it will leave him miserable

"You're all that I hoped I'd find in every single way And everything I could give Is everything you couldn't take Cause nothing feels like home You're a thousand miles away" to him she was everything he would ever want, everything he did to make her stay everything he did for her still couldnt get her to stay she never liked it that much anyway and now he feels empty, hes missing a big part of him his "home" and she feels so far "a thousand miles away"

"And the hardest part of living Is just taking breaths to stay Cause I know I'm good for something I just haven't found it yet But I need it" he dosent even feel like he wants to live, its hard for him to find the strength to breath he knows that he did good things, and that he has to be good for something, he cant be useless but he dosent know what the could be, he needs to know what hes good for.

"So let's not pretend like you're alone tonight I know he's there And you're probably hanging out and making eyes While across the room he stares I'll bet he gets the nerve to walk the floor And ask my girl to dance" he knows that hes there, he wans he to stop acting like she has found another he knows that they are probably flirting and that she has forgotten all about him already. he knows that he will ask her to "dance" as in ask her out.

"And this will be the first time in a week That I'll talk to you and I can't speak It's been three whole days since I've had sleep Cause I dream of his lips on your cheek" he finally has the chance ot talk to her and he cant find anything to say because he knows that she has already moved on even after all that they had, she stopped caring. he hasent slept in the days thinking about her and what shes doing with him.

"And I got the point that I should leave you alone But we both know that I'm not that strong And I miss the lips that made me fly" not he just wants to ignore her and let her do what she wants to, but they both know that he wants to talk to her and see her. He misses her kiss

Cover art for Miserable at Best lyrics by Mayday Parade

my boy friend did this same thing to me so I can completly understand the lyrics. we broke up because he didnt know if he wanted to be with me. It meant everything to me when I would say "I love you" but it started to mean less and less to him... 3 days after we broke up he was already interested in another girl. we had gone out for 1 year and 4 months. later I found out that he was interested in her before that, he lied to me about what he was doing when we were on a break but I knew there was somethignelse ther, It would have been easier if he told me that he was going for another girl. I know I can do better than him because of all that he has doen and all that he has lied about but I will always love him, even thought now he has started to hate me..I will always miss who he used to be, and how he used to treat me. I wanted to just ignore him but im not strong enough to just leave him alone like he has so easily thrown me out of his life. All I could think about was him and her, it made me so sick. I need to mean something to someone, I wish it could be to him. he could get over me so quicky because he already had someone else in line