Songfacts®:

• This uplifting song can apply to any low point in ones' life when there's nowhere to go but up, but a close listen reveals that it deals with a relationship that's on the outs, with the singer explaining that they should reconcile because it can only get better. The logic may be a little flawed, but it's delivered so cheerfully it just might work.
• This was a hit in the UK on three occasions. On its original release it reached #24 on the singles chart. A year later it was re-released after D:Ream supported Take That on tour, and this time it went all the way to #1. Finally in 1997 it was adopted as their anthem by the Labour Party for the General Election when they came to power after 18 years in opposition. It was regarded by Labour as a song of hope after nearly two decades of Tory rule. Despite the BBC refusing to play it because of the political connection, it still managed to reach #19.
• D:Ream were formed by Peter Cunnah (vocals) and Al McKenzie (keyboards). Northern Irishman Cunnah began his career with Ciderboy before moving to London, where he met McKenzie, a successful DJ, at the Gardening Club. McKenzie left in 1993 and Cunnah decided to steer their project into a more pop friendly direction aided by supporting musicians. This proved a successful option as in addition to this song, D:Ream managed four other UK Top 20 hits, "U R The Best Thing" (#4), "Take Me Away" (#18), "Shoot Me With Your Love" (#7) and "Party Up The World" (#20).
• Brian Cox, who went on to become an acclaimed physicist, toured with D:Ream as a keyboard player. According to Cox, from a scientific standpoint, this song doesn't pass peer review. When he appeared on the podcast Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend, he said: "The second law of thermodynamics tells you that things get worse, it's called increasing entropy. So I really should have corrected it at that point."
• When UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed that the country would be going to the polls on July 4, 2024, he addressed the nation outside 10 Downing Street. Delivering the speech in heavy rain, the sound of "Things Can Only Get Better" blaring out of a nearby loudspeaker nearly drowned out his words. The culprit was Brexit protester Steve Bray; in the late 2010s he made daily protests against Brexit in College Green, Westminster. The pun "things can only get wetter" appeared in news headlines.
• D:Ream banned Sir Keir Starmer from using the song in his 2024 election campaign.
  
  "The fact that it's gone back to a political thing, I find disturbing. I was thinking, can we get on with our lives? But now it's come back," Cunnah told LBC. "You question, are we just some sort of protest song on a speaker down at the end of a street? It's like some very odd piece of gravity that you just can't escape."