“Good” by Better Than Ezra

"Good" was Better Than Ezra's calling card in February 1995, the lead single Elektra pulled from Deluxe, the album that became the band's major-label debut. Kevin Griffin wrote it, words and music, sometime in late 1990 or early 1991, when he'd just graduated from LSU and started the band, and it lived in their set lists for years before it finally came out as a single.

The bones are simple by design: four chords and a strong key change, a design inspired by Bob Dylan's way with three-chord songs and by R.E.M. and the Pixies. What he wanted to get at was the upside of a breakup, the things you carry out of it once the hurt fades and the dust settles, what you learned and how you grew. So it plays as a farewell with no bitterness in it, and a chorus that sounds almost relieved.

Dan Rothchild produced and recorded it. It went all the way to number one on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart, reached 3 on Album Rock Tracks and made it to 30 on the Hot 100.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.