My Happy Ending

Album: Under My Skin (2004)
Charted: 5 9
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Songfacts®:

  • This song is about a breakup, with Avril saying farewell to the happy ending that could've been. The song finds her dumped, looking for answers, and realizing that he wasn't being genuine this whole time. She puts some of the blame on his dumb friends, who she knows talked bad about her.
  • Lavigne wrote this song with Butch Walker, who also produced the track. Walker also worked on the Under My Skin songs "Don't Tell Me" and "Freak Out."
  • Meiert Avis directed the video, which shows Lavigne dealing with the cad she sings about before picking up a guitar and playing the song on a rooftop.
  • In the video and the radio edit, the line "All the s--t that you do" is replaced with "All the stuff that you do."
  • Avril Lavigne made a big impact with her debut album, Let Go, which was released in 2002 when she was 17. "My Happy Ending" was the second single from her next album, Under My Skin, following "Don't Tell Me." Both songs connected with Avril's fans and kept her momentum going. Her later work took more of a pop turn as the punk sound of the early '00s fell out of favor.
  • Renown session drummer Kenny Aronoff played on this track. Speaking with Songfacts, he explained that the track was a last-minute addition to the album, and at first it had a more mellow feel. When producer Butch Walker played Aronoff the song, it was just acoustic guitar, a click track, and a loop. "He brought it up on the console, and now I'm composing the drum part to this song, which sounded kind of acoustic-y and folk-y," Aronoff said. "I said, 'Butch, I always look at myself as a drummer as an actor in a movie: What is my role?' So I asked Butch, 'What kind of a song are we doing here?' He said, 'I want this song to rock harder than anything she's ever done.' But the song doesn't sound like that – it was just acoustic guitar and him singing. So, I pictured myself in a stadium playing with Zeppelin or the Foo Fighters or somebody big, and I come up with this drum part and they literally build the entire song around the drums.

    Now, a million things could have gone wrong, but the song became a hit and was the first single on her record. She had already finished her record, but this happened many times with artists, where you finish the record, and they're feeling like they haven't gotten enough hits. Avril did that, and this song ended up being the golden gem that she had hoped she would have. And the fact that it did so well is like a miracle."

Comments: 18

  • Michael H. from Madison, WiWow, this song reminded me how my relationship with one person I know did not work out. Because it was my mistake that I did not let her listen to me things I have done not to treat her with respect, we decided to go our ways and focus on the positive memories we had as friends during our college years.
  • AnonymousI loved to know who the break was about like which ex?
  • Esskayess from Dallas, TxAnyone who can't identify with this song is either unbelievably lucky or needs to get out more often.
  • Miranda from Columbus, OhTo my ex -- I miss you, I still love you.
    So thank you for nothing, wasting my time. I hope you listen to this and feel bad about what you have done to me. Thank you. I'm out.



    What I mean to say is....amazing song to express feelings.
  • Azalea from Hot Springs, ArThis is exactly how I feel about my ex boyfriend.
  • Savannah from Tulsa, Okthis song is amazing [=
  • Cristina from Long Beach, Cathis is the best song and i am a huge fan of hers she know who she is and is true to herself i love her and i love this song one of the best ever i love the lyrics
    So mcuh for my happy ending
  • Emily from -, MiThis song means means a relationship where he was everything she ever wanted, but it turned out he was using her for fame.
  • Lisa from Oshkosh, WiThis song is great ! I can totally understand her and how she feels. I can really understand her because I have a special someone that (to me) likes two other girls! One my friend and one who used to sit by me.
  • Matthew from Milford, MaDoes anyone here know someone by the name of Rikku McClow Fox?
  • Katy from Portland, Orthis song describes me and my ex boyfriend.
  • Dave from Cardiff, WalesI remember when this came out a lot of critics in the UK likened it to Amy Studt's 2003 hit "Misfit". The two artists do sound the same generally. That period seemed to be the age of the female teen star! This song continued an impressive run of five consecutive UK Top 10 hits for Avril Lavigne - it would be three years before she scored her next Top 10 hit with "Girlfriend"
  • Morgan from Gresham, OrI am really in a situation that is a lot like this song, my ex boyfriend broke up with me over a really stupid reason and mainly just because his friends dont think I'm good enough for him, every guy I go out with always gets crap from their friends about dating me
  • Morgan from Gratnsville, Utthis is an awesome song
  • Ashfree from Fachigo Fake, CanadaI can relate to this song alot!
  • Lisa from Wexford, IrelandThis describes the end of a friendship I had a while back. Its odd, we both loved Avril lavigne too...the line "you've got your dumb friends/i know what they say/they tell you i'm difficult/ but so are they" gets me everytime because its exactly the situation!
  • Joseph from Burlington, WiThis song tells a story about things coming to an end, and the resulting regrets that come form a once percieved good thing being over, bravo Avril for being in touch with your inner person
  • Emma from Telford, UtMy Happy Ending is my fav song in the whole world and i listen to it over 10 times a day and i'm a very big avril fan!!!!!!!!!
see more comments

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