"Better Than Before" from 'Next to Normal' Act 2

Enjoy! =)
I do not own this song, this music, this musical or anything. I am simply a fan sharing a remarkable piece of work for the enjoyment of other fans.

[@psipumpkin5172]

Watching this song in the actual show is wild because its super wholesome watching the family bond like this, so you're relaxed and happy. And then partway through GABE walks in and just watches them and now it feels super tense because you know he's about to start shit. "He's just standing there... MENACINGLY!"

[@lonelylittledot]

Next to Normal is one of the few shows where I actually like every character. But in this song, my love for Natalie reaches the highest point. On one hand, she is a bitter, sarcastic little shit. On the other, it's heartbreaking how much she longs for Diana to love her. Her character is just so well-written!

[@turtlenatlie]

My favorite part is "Your life has kind of sucked I think" and Natalie goes "You've got it!! Yay hooray!!"

[@amelonnamedkate1400]

Natalie's bitter sarcasm is heart breaking but also a little funny

[@hannamouse1]

I mean, her mum came home and was like "who are you?"

[@tamarajoy06]

Diana: And who is that little chubby girl? Dan: Thats Natalie. Natalie: This sucks!

[@webcomix]

"You're getting it, you've got it Di, HOORAY!" "Your life has kind of sucked, I think." "You've got it, yay, hooray."

[@EllieSvitKona]

"I'll bet you know these shiny things!" "They must be tacky trinkets from, I guess, Atlantic City?" "Actually, Di, they're our wedding rings." "It's going well!"

[@abbyaltenberger9688]

We saw the painted desert, the Grand Canyon, and Aunt Rhonda. And Nat learned what her middle finger meant...

[@vampireknox]

"Well, that's how I remember it, so that's how it'll be!" :D

[@stephpiano2908]

This song breaks my heart

[@stephpiano2908]

I'm still broken tbh

[@headhole1934]

@@stephpiano2908 honestly, same

[@AnotherStolenHour]

"Here's a flower from our wedding, it was such a sight to see. And the ceremony, everything we'd hoped." "Um, Dad?" "Well, that's how I remember it! So that's how it'll be." "It was raining. It was Portland. You eloped. *snicker* I mean, Portland."

[@ChefDear]

In addition to "I Am the One" or "I'm Alive", this is arguably one of the most powerful songs of this work. Memory is very powerful, and even more so is the notion of a family.

[@allaboutroy7399]

DR. MADDEN] The memories are there somewhere Find some pictures you can share Keepsakes of the life that's there behind her Keep it light at first that's best Careful that she's not distressed When the time's right tell the rest Remind her, you'll find her [DAN] So let's start with something small Something personal and pretty I bet you'll know these shiny things [DIANA] They must be tacky trinkets From I guess, Atlantic City? [DAN] No, actually, Di, they're our wedding rings [NATALIE] It's going well [DAN] Here's a flower from our wedding It was such a sight to see And the ceremony everything we'd hoped [NATALIE] Um, dad [DAN] Well, that's how I remember it So that's how it'll be [NATALIE] It was raining, it was Portland You eloped, I mean Portland [DAN] It's an open book to write here It's a life we can restore We can get back what we had and maybe more Maybe get us back to better than before Here's the year we drove the west We hit the highway in the Honda And I took pictures everywhere we went We saw the painted desert The Grand Canyon and Aunt Rhonda And Nat learned what her middle finger meant Here's the first house that we owned On Walton Way, we loved that place Then we built this one on land that we both chose And here's a pic of all of us With smiles on every face And the photoshopping hardly even shows [DIANA] You're standing by a lake with all these ducks And who's this little chubby girl? [DAN] That's Natalie [NATALIE] This sucks [DAN] Gonna get us back to normal Gonna get us back to good Gonna get back what we had and maybe more Gonna get us back to good times And forget the things we should Gonna get us back to better than before We can get things back to better than before [NATALIE] Alright, fine Here's the headline in the paper When you freaked out at the market Here's the house on Walton Way after the fire [DAN] Natalie [NATALIE] Here's the damage to the Honda When you showed me how to park it [DIANA] Did we crush somebody's cat beneath the tire? [NATALIE] Yes, ours Here's dad at my recital And we're wondering where you are [DIANA] I remember this, I made it to the school [DAN] Wait, you remember? [DIANA] It was the year of too much lithium I hid out in the car [DAN] Yes [DIANA] And your swim meet just last year, I'm in the pool [NATALIE] So you are [DAN] You're getting it, you've got it Di, hooray [DIANA] Your life has kind of sucked, I think [NATALIE] You've got it, yeah [NATALIE/DAN/DIANA] Hooray, hooray, hooray [DIANA] Gonna get back what I lost there Gonna find out who I was Gonna open up the gates and let it pour [DAN] And if memory makes things better Well, memory always does Gonna get us back to better than before [DAN/DIANA] Make everything much better than before [NATALIE] Won't anything be [NATALIE/DAN/DIANA] Better than before? [DIANA] I guess it must be [DIANA/DAN/NATALIE] Better than before Better than before

[@vanniagallegos3374]

Does someone else love the way Diana says "ducks"? no? just me? ;-;

[@AnotherStolenHour]

Ahha. "And Nat learned what her middle finger meant." XD && "Here's the damage to the Honda when you showed me how to park it." "Did we crush somebody's cat beneath the tire?" "Yes. Ours." (:

[@weebof]

'who's that little chubby girl?' 'that's natalie' 'this sucks.'

[@DragonPrincessAoife]

3:50 - 4:02 is my fave part of this song. I'm not usually a fan of the sort of operatic style of some of Diana's songs, but for some reason that verse won me over.

[@rhen280]

"I mean come on, Portland."

[@cars.wasser]

0:50 but why aren't they wearing their wedding rings? Don't think about it. You'll cry

[@min-leemacdonald763]

Lactose Intolerance Actually, it's probably because they're "cheap trinkets" that they bought to elope with. It's been 19 years, they've likely bought more expensive rings since then to wear in their place. If they'd taken the rings off due to a failing marriage, they wouldn't be together in a memory box...

[@cars.wasser]

Min-Lee Macdonald I mean, I'm no expert on wedding rings, but if people DO upgrade their rings, don't they usually put them on display with pictures or something? But, you are probably right

[@min-leemacdonald763]

Lactose Intolerance Really just depends on the family, tbh. Some would frame it, maybe with their wedding vows, and put it on display. Others may squirrel it away with other precious mementos; a childs first sock, keys to their first house, etc.

[@JayWalkerOnline]

Carly Ann My sister and her husband got married with a three dollar bag of copper rings from an art supply store where they kept losing them, but eventually upgraded to silver rings with their birthstones--they keep their last two rings in a little letterbox under their bed with a few other mementos.

[@gamercore5216]

Metal isn't good when getting electrocuted

[@destinycolville3328]

I relate to Natalie so much in this musical. so much.

[@879SCSP]

"And Your Swim Meet Just Last Year...Im In To Pool" "So You Are..." LOL XD

[@kharrisgtr917]

Where'd these fucking tears come from?! damn it!

[@ianrose6218]

I really hate to say this, because he's ultimately hurting just as much as anyone else, but Dan really went from caring but not sure how to show it to straight up deceptive in this song. Combined with his part in "It's Gonna Be Good (Reprise) where he refuses to acknowledge Gabe's death and pushes Diana to go through ECT a second time just so she'll forget it AGAIN, I get some really icky vibes from all but the end of his Act 2 arc that barely anyone else seems to discuss.

[@jasonl888]

I think i may the only person in the U.S. to ever play Dan for two different guilds.. in two different cities.... I was so blessed.. Im looking for number three..

[@arandomqueerfanpeep7655]

Nice

[@aznboiofpower]

This song is amazing! It's one of my favorite songs of the musical.

[@vivalavieboheme14]

omg i got chills when she said she was gonna find out who she was! :)

[@TaylorTheUnicorn]

It was portland i mean portland

[@asnalelo.165]

everytime he calls her Di I'm just like 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

[@muppmanda7]

Remind her. You'll find her. (:

[@RIPLEYTHEBAND]

Aww!

[@yoyoeldas]

Could someone explain the Portland joke in this song? Didn't quite understand that.

[@CaptainQuirky]

+yoyoeldas I think it's that the Dad was romanticizing the wedding as some big, wonderful day, and the daughter is undercutting him, mocking "you eloped to Portland on a rainy day... Portland," the joke being that Portland, Oregon is not a very grandiose, glamorous location for a honeymoon

[@broadwaydude2378]

it says that the artist is Aaron Tviet.....isn't he one of the only ones (other than Henry) not in this song?

[@jazmynbloomfield-nishimura7640]

This is only Jenn Damino, Alice Ripley, Bobby J. Spencer

[@asnalelo.165]

i know it's so weird, on spotify TOO, in only 18 of 37 songs are the correct artists credited...spotify are like saying I've Been is a Diana solo and that There's A World is a Dan solo... it's so weird i hope they fix it and i wonder why it is like that

[@madaleinedrake801]

I fucking love Nat

[@AustinNebbia]

@lilstales You're not alone. My dad actually calls this the "Kermit the Frog" song. Lol

[@XDeadweightX]

5 stars and two thumbs up man lol deep it up k..

[@juliastaat]

Wait... This isn't Legally Blonde...

[@arandomqueerfanpeep7655]

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[@anastapatsak]

I'm crying 😂

[@miccityson]

anastapatsak Haha are you having a quarantine Next to Normal moment too

[@anastapatsak]

@@miccityson yeees, quarantine style, i was on the treadmill and I listened to the whole thing while crying my eyes out lol

[@K.Bernice]

@webcomix ahahahahahaha! lmafo!

[@aznboiofpower]

Why are the two top comments just lyrics from the song? How original...