One Direction was a revolutionary band during the years of 2010 and 2016. When Simon Cowell connected the five on the show “X Factor”, no one had a clue what was to come.
Despite placing third on the X Factor, Simon Cowell signed the up and coming boyband to his record label, Syco. The five young men dropped two albums with pop vibes in 2011 and 2012, simple songs about love and parties, but their third album is where fans really felt they found their voice.
Midnight Memories was released in 2013, and had a significantly more rock and roll vibe than the two previous albums. However, a couple songs still felt more pop-influenced, most especially the song “Better Than Words.”
“Better Than Words” is a song about a relationship that cannot be described merely through words. As Hans Christian Anderson said, “where words fail, music speaks.” Band member Liam Payne thought of a unique way to write the verses — using exclusively song titles.
The song begins with an electric guitar melody, quickly followed by a whoop and a whistled line. Band member Harry Styles then goes into the first verse, describing :
Better than words
More than a feeling (Boston, 1976)
Crazy in love (Beyonce, 2003)
Dancing on the ceiling (Lionel Richie, 1986)
Liam continues the verse:
Every time we touch (Cascada, 2005)
I’m all shook up (Elvis Presley, 1957)
You make me wanna (Usher, 1997)
How deep is your love (The Bee Gees’, 1977)
God only knows (The Beach Boys, 1966)
Baby (Justin Bieber, 2010)
All of the songs referenced are about love and relationships. The original chorus then goes on to say:
I don’t know how else to sum it up
’Cause words ain’t good enough
There’s no way I can explain your love
The second verse’s song references were a little more sensual:
Better than words
You drive me crazy (Britney Spears,1999)
Someone like you (Adele, 2011)
Always be my baby (Mariah Carey, 1995)
Best I ever had (Drake, 2009)
Hips don’t lie (Shakira, 2005)
You make me wanna (Usher, 1997)
One more night (Maroon 5, 2012)
Irreplaceable (Beyonce, 2006)
Crazy (Gnarls Barkley, 2006)
This second verse follows the theme of the song even more so than the first in that the lyrics don’t really make sense together. The first verse’s songs integrate into more complete thoughts, whereas the second verse is just songs.
The bridge is very simple, and does not incorporate other songs:
Everyone tries
To see what it feels like
But they’ll never be right
’Cause it’s better
This follow-up is similar to the second verse in that the thoughts expressed are choppy, once again tying to the theme that the singers’ love is better than words. Despite not being a single or getting a music video, “Better Than Words” became a fan favorite. At the time, Liam was dating Sophia Smith, a former classmate.
But fans were generally more interested in the relationship between Harry and Louis, speculating that the two may have dated in secret for several years.
All of the boys drifted through multiple relationships during their time in the band. While most of their songs were about love and relationships, the creative writing style of “Better Than Words” stood out to fans. As the band’s music continued to evolve, “Better Than Words” was their final pop-influenced song, as future albums gave off more of an alternative, indie vibe. But “Better Than Words” is still beloved to this day.
One Direction disbanded four years ago, but all five members have successful solo albums. As they continue to grow in their music abilities, I hope they will always remember the fun behind the making of “Better Than Words.”
