Max's Sandy Hook Song

As many of you know my son Max writes songs and plays guitar/ukelele.  One year ago today he was moved to write "Better Than This" as a reaction to the tragic, unimaginable killings of school children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.  You can hear the song above.  Max is singing and playing guitar along with Lyla DiPaul on the ukelele.  Their Band "What Are We"  has performed this song in public a number of times this year including at the Takoma Park Folk Festival.  

Though our minds are on the holidays and our plans to celebrate with family and friends,  we can't help but to think of those families that were victims at Sandy Hook...along with others who are innocent victims of such horrible crimes...I will never understand why these things happen...and keep happening.

Max wrote the following about the song:  
"I wrote this song on the night of that terrible day, in response to the confusion I had. Why would anyone want to hurt children for something going on in your mind? In the song, I try to portray as if I am talking to Lanza (it was not determined who was the shooter, at that time) and try to say you "know better than this." It may sound cheesy, but its the message I want to get out."

You can listen to Max performing the song here. Special thanks to Andrew "Steelie" Steele for making this recording.

Lyrics:

Better Than This

©Max Kittner 2012

V1:

you crazy freak

you look so weak

and you know better than this

you look like

you wanna go feel alive

I’ll say you know better than this

Chorus:

Well why do you do this

trying to be a devil

you know you will screw yourself over

Why do you do this

trying to get attention

but now you will be overkill

This is what I call a mess because

you know better than this

V2:

Trying to be the devil

trying to gain a level

that makes you more than this

You are so hopeless

because you are cope-less

who the hell made you this way

maybe it was you

because i wouldn’t shoot

all those little children

Bridge:

I know if I did

I wouldn’t have hid

trying to leave yourself

trying to end in revenge

I know you think

this the end of the brink

no more light for you

because you have went

to darkness

Chorus:

Well why do you do this

trying to be a devil

you know you will screw yourself over

Why do you do this

trying to get attention

but now you will be overkill

This is what I call a mess because

you know better than this

This is what I call a mess because

you know better than this

cause you know better than this