The impact
The aftershave
The European cigarettes

The taxi
The alcohol
That lingers on your breath

The lipstick
The street lamp
The woolen overcoat

The front desk
You tell yourself
It isn't over yet

Second best, oh, second best
I can learn to live with this
Plus, I really need a rest
After all, what's wrong with second best
What's wrong with second best

The motel
The distances
Cave into kisses, cold and wet

Familiar exchanges
Like needle pulling thread

The empty movements that once were so inspired
Desperate attempts to fan the flame without the fire

The mattress creaks beneath
The symphony of misery and cum
Still, we lie jerking back and forth
And blurring into one

Second best, oh, second best
I can learn to live with this
Plus, I really need a rest
After all, what's wrong with second best
What's wrong with second best


Lyrics submitted by dan.

Second Best Lyrics as written by David Shannon Bazan

Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Second Best song meanings
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32 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    "It's about humping." (heard it from the man himself)

    mimicryon May 01, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think this song is about the wife who has realized that her husband has been cheating on her and she hasn't told him yet that she knows.. so they're still going through the motions of marriage (including sex). She's trying to tell herself that she can fake her way through the marriage, she can be second best to the girl that is stealing her husbands affection.

    juan_the_owlon May 17, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I'm pretty sure this song is just about meaningless sex. There's no indication at all that it's about a married couple, or anyone cheating on his/her partner.

    I believe it's just about a lonely man ("aftershave," "cigarettes," "alcohol") picking up a prostitute ("lipstick," "streetlamp," "woolen overcoat") and going to a motel ("the front desk").

    "Second best" refers to meaningless sex; it's second to love. The speaker is lonely and looking for a connection, and love would obviously be the best form of that connection, but he's settling for sex, which is second best.

    The second verse just describes how empty sex can be without love.

    NothingSongon March 15, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    yes don't you love it when he gets all crass (the dryest tone ever).

    DesignedToHideon May 02, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    lol

    dr.jacobon May 04, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this is sick!

    holysweeton May 04, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    what a great cd. i'm glad i could help some people out with providing the lyrics

    dan.on May 04, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    if by sick you mean cool, "holysweet," then i agree. if you mean sick as in offensive, i also agree - the fact that there are people who have relationships like this one is repulsive. but that someone wrote a great song about it is not.

    mrsillypantson May 05, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    mrsilly i think i love you. anywho, "dan." i'd be gladder if you had checked the lyrics sheet in your cd before you put them on this site =)

    DesignedToHideon May 09, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think this song is about the wife who has realized that her husband has been cheating on her and she hasn't told him yet that she knows.. so they're still going through the motions of marriage (including sex). She's trying to tell herself that she can fake her way through the marriage, she can be second best to the girl that is stealing her husbands affection.

    juan_the_owlon May 17, 2002   Link

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