Better Version

Album: Leave A Whisper (2003)
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Songfacts®:

  • One of Shinedown's earliest songs, "Better Version" is an autobiographical one for their lead singer, Brent Smith. He says his favorite lines in it are:

    I am not perfect and I don't claim to be
    And if that's what you wanted
    Well then I'm so sorry


    He was in his early 20s when he wrote it; the song explains how he's not looking to change, just to become a better version of the person he already is.
  • When Smith recorded his vocal, Shinedown's producer, Bob Marlette, noticed something: When Smith sang "better version" it sounded like "batter, batter." Marlette made him enunciate so the lyric was understandable. It took Smith a while to get it.
  • "Better Version" is part of Shinedown's debut album, Leave A Whisper. Brent Smith wrote it with their bass player Brad Stewart. Producer Bob Marlette also has a songwriting credit on it.

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