Songfacts®:

• "Better Days" is a gentle country-blues song that breezes in with an uplifting, optimistic message about cherishing the good times because they can be oh-so fleeting.
  
  And I wasn't loved well as a younger child
  So I'll pray these better, unstable days, they stay awhile
  
  Zach Bryan encapsulates a sense of yearning for those moments of peace and happiness.
• Bryan acknowledges the exhaustion and frustration that often accompanies life's struggles ("I'm so tired of wasting it away"), yet he remains ever-hopeful, convinced that better days are just around the corner.
  
  Gonna find the time to realize
  I'm in deep on better days
  
  It's a sentiment that rings true, like the reassuring voice of a friend telling you to hang in there.
• The song also references a woman who once offered words of encouragement, reminding us that past experiences can provide strength during tough times ("She always told me there'd be times like this"). This figure serves as a comforting presence for Bryan, even as he grapples with feelings of unworthiness ("But I've never known quite what I deserve"). The woman isn't necessarily a romantic partner. She could be a family member, a friend, or even a combination of people who have supported Bryan throughout his life.
• John Mayer helped produce the track and also added some guitar licks, a muscular twangy solo midway through, and harmonies. Mayer's contribution brings a sense of camaraderie, as if his guitar is lending a supportive shoulder to lean on, offering a different perspective on the struggle.
• When Zach Bryan casually tweeted that he preferred Kanye West over Taylor Swift, you could practically hear the collective gasp of the Swifties. They took to the internet, reacting with a hurricane of emojis and disapproving quotes. Soon enough, Bryan was on social media rowing backward in an apologetic attempt to steer clear of the wrathful storm he'd unwittingly conjured.
  
  But the Swifties weren't done with him yet. A few months later, they were back, this time offering a more specific critique: some of Bryan's own songs, they claimed, sounded suspiciously familiar. Eerily, Swift-ily familiar.
  
  A case in point is "Better Days," which American Songwriter described as bearing a "striking resemblance" to Swift's Speak Now track "Dear John."
  
  Rolling Stone, ever the voice of nuance, pointed out that the similarity is likely due to John Mayer's distinct guitar playing style, as he is featured on "Better Days" and was the subject of "Dear John."