Better Life

## Video

"**Better Life**" is the seventh song from *Arlo the Alligator Boy*. It is sung by Ansel as he teaches Arlo about his life as a successful businessman and how he learned to change to fit in.

## Lyrics

My old neighborhood of Seaside by the Seashore.

It's run-down, and decrepit, and dirty, and poor.

Much like I used to be,

But no longer, you see...

Like a phoenix from the ashes...

I rose up into me!

I'm a self-made man, I'm an entrepreneur

Gonna brag a little bit. 'cause I made it so far

I got dollars in my whiskers

I got dollars in my ears

I got dollars in my bloomers

I got dollars in my tears

My money runs deep like a meg in the sea

Like a foreign emissary, you can't come after me

All my real-estate movers know I say "Get rent!"

Got more diamonds than a rock mine,

More stakes than a tent!

*I know what you're thinking. How does this apply to me?*

You gotta change yourself

You got to un-strange yourself (Strive for a better life)

A better li-li-li-li-life

A better li-li-li-li-life

You gotta make yourself,

Or else you're gonna break yourself (Strive for a better life)

A better life, better life, better li-li-life

A better life, better life

Look at that face, we can hide that chin

I can loan you this hat, it was made in Berlin (Oh-oh-oh-oh)

Try these trousers on, they are made out of wool

By a sherpa on Mount Everest who spins yarn like a fool!

What I'm starting to see is a fine young sir (Oh-oh-oh-oh)

Who can walk the streets and conquer the world

One more thing that would help a gator out:

This suit and tie make it clear, no doubt!

You gotta change yourself, (Oh yeah)

You got to un-strange yourself (Strive for a better life)

A better li-li-li-li-life

A better li-li-li-li-life

You gotta make yourself,

Or else you're gonna break yourself (Strive for a better life)

A better life, better life, better li-li-life

A better life, better life

From where I stand, (Where I stand)

On my perch in all this land

I see a lost young man

Who needs to make a plan,

And if you hear me,

Let me know you understand!!!

You gotta make yourself! Whoo! (Strive for a better life)

Don't break yourself, break yourself, yeah! (Strive for a better life)

Better li-li-li-li-life!

Yeah, yeah!

Break yourself!

Get it, get it!

Yeah!

## Trivia

* The song's lyrics subtly foreshadow Ansel's identity as a birdman:
	+ Ansel's piano has the monogram of a bird in the headboard, and the black keys are coated bright gold.
	+ "Much like I used to be" represents Ansel being bullied in his childhood.
	+ "Like a phoenix from the ashes, I rose up into me" represents him hiding his true self to fit in with the normal world, dedicating his life to gaining power so he would have enough to "tear it all down".
	+ "I'm a self-made man, I'm an entrepreneur" refers to Ansel passing himself off as a normal human being in order to become successful.
	+ "Like a foreign emissary, you can't come after me" reflects on how he's abnormal and is not like the others, specifically being half-human just like Arlo.
	+ "You gotta change yourself/You got to un-strange yourself" represents Ansel literally changing himself to look normal, given his half-bird appearance looks "strange" to the human folk.
	+ "What I'm starting to see is a fine young sir/Who can walk the streets and conquer the world" refers to Ansel literally becoming empowered with his successful lifestyle to the point it's the only thing he cares about.
	+ "On my perch in all this land" refers to something a bird stands on, another vague reference to what he really is. He says the same thing while standing atop the library chandelier, something which can only be accessed by either a ladder or flight, the latter most likely.
	+ When the final chorus begins, Ansel takes a white-gold feather out of nowhere and puts it on Arlo's hat. Said feather is most likely from his wings, given that both are the same color.
* Ironically, Ansel's message is to not break oneself, but he says the opposite as one of the final lines. This subtly foreshadows Arlo's actual breakdown after Ansel disowns him, which happens right after the song ends.
	+ In addition, Ansel's line "You gotta make yourself/Or else you're gonna break yourself" foreshadows the climax where he actually does break down, upon being confronted by Arlo at the Met Gala and seeing him get captured by Ruff and Stucky and dragged away.
* When Arlo's face appears in the reflection of the model of the envisioned city expansion, it visually foreshadows Ansel giving Arlo the idea to rebuild the boardwalk in the end and make it his new home.
* The song can be seen as a more selfish parallel to "Beyond These Walls":
	+ Both are sung by a Beauregard member (Arlo and Ansel).
	+ Both start with the singer playing an instrument crucial to them (Arlo's box guitar, Ansel's grand piano).
	+ The former song is about Arlo's desire to see the outside world, New York specifically, while remaining true to himself; the latter is a more self-centered song about changing one's outside in order to fit in with the outside world.
	+ In the former, Arlo mentions people saying he belongs with him and accepting his alligator appearance; whereas the latter mentions Ansel was bullied for his bird-man appearance and literally made himself into a businessman to fit in.
	+ The former song is more soft-sounding with a pop theme, while the latter is more loud and brash-sounding with a Broadway theme. In addition, the former ends quietly, while the latter ends loudly.