it gets better

Track twelve on I, penultimate before golden state of mind and also released as a single.

The move is partner-as-sun, reversed: she’s his ray of sunshine, but today she’s cloudy, and the job is to warm her back. The whole album moves west, forward, u-ward: I is defined by propulsion. This is the track that pauses and just holds someone. The language scales up as the song settles in: ray of sunshine, then light of my life, then north star on a lonely Pacific, then nurturing our garden / warming up our family through the dog days of winter. The metaphor gets more grounded and domestic the more it opens out.

Then the bridge refuses to close: it gets better / it will get better soon gives way to maybe tomorrow looped until the word loses its edge. It’s not a promise, it’s a rhythm. The maybe is doing real work, the song knows it can’t guarantee the weather turns, only that you can stack maybe until it starts to feel like evidence.

Pairs with see you again? (who isn’t here) and sunlight (brightness as choice). Nagamag reviewed the single. See also Catalog.

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You're my ray of sunshine
Don't you be cloudy
Darling so bright, what's getting you down?
I'll cheer you up
And warm ya, make it all better
Ray of sunshine
Will you come around?

It gets better
It will get better soon
It gets better
It will get better soon
Ooo ooo
Ooo ooo
Ooo ooo
Ooo ooo ooo

You're the light of my life
Moon on the water
My north star on a lonely Pacific
You're my ray of sunshine
Nurturing our garden
Warming up our family
Through the dog days of winter

It gets better
It will get better soon
It gets better
It will get better soon

Maybe tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow
Tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow
Maybe tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow
Tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow
Maybe tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow
Tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow
Maybe tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow
Tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow

Ooo ooo
Ooo ooo
Ooo ooo
Ooo ooo ooo