Couldn't Have Been Worse

Song Title: Couldn't Have Been Worse

Click Here to download the MP3 file for Couldn't Have Been Worse

I wrote the lyrics and melody for Couldn't Have Been Worse, but paid Chris Davidson on to perform it for me.

Couldn't Have Been Worse?

Verse 1:
When the silence is broken
you can't take anymore
locked together in a room full of windows
'cause you can't find a door

Like the waves of the ocean disappear
as they crash on the beach
you know that what you do is never good enough
no matter how high you reach

There's too many questions
and not enough time
they can't find a witness
to a victimless crime

This falling in love
is it a blessing or curse?
like a shot through the heart
man, it couldn't have been worse

Chorus:
But my life goes on
time to get back into this game
gotta sweep away all of the embers
from this emotional flame

Always head towards the future
never take a look back
pick myself up off of the floor
should I start to crumble or crack

Verse 2:
I wanna rise from the darkness
feel the sun on my face
look around at all the beauty in this world
and see a happier place

Is it just human nature
or is it part of the plan?
this physical attraction so confusing
between a woman and a man

Behind the layers of riddles
all those secrets and lies
there's a soul to be found
under every disguise

The scars of our love
give a sense of justice perverse
an ever constant reminder
of what couldn't have been worse

Chorus:
But my life goes on
time to get back into the game
gotta sweep away all of the embers
from this emotional flame

Always head towards the future
never take a look back
pick myself up off of the floor
if I should start to crumble or crack

Outro:
'Cause this is it
this is my life
'Cause this is it
this is my own life

Reviews of Couldn't Have Been Worse (overall song: 5.0 out of 10) from the ReverbNation.com Crowd Review service:

I really like the slow strings with the piano and the building of the layers with the guitar and the drums on top. I think that there needs to be more interest as it all the same. The vocals are in tune, but i think they need to be brought forward more.
The instrumentation and chord progression is really interesting, but it feels like there is a little too much going on. The snare hit feels a little out of place, and its somewhat loud compared to the rest of the music. The lyrics are written very well and the way the vocalist sings them is really relaxing, but it could've been sung in a more interesting way and notes could be held out longer.
I like the piano of this song, it sounded really good and made a theme evident in the song. The dynamics in this song were radiating as well, that was a cool thing to hear. The flow of this song was really fluid if I had to say. The synth in this song could have been better I thought here.
Super piano intro. It has a melodious tune with great beats. I really like how it makes me feel. Singer has an attractive vocal range with talent. Lyrics ate nice and so is this song. A great melody that is easy to listen too. Adults will like this. I know I do.
Peaceful piano opening. Strong chords. Beautiful entrance by lead and rhythm guitars. Very harmonically pleasing to the ear. Brushes are needed on the drums. The vocal came in smoothly. Good emotional support on the vocals. The lyrics are strong. The mix is solid. This would be a solid pop ballad. The vocals need to stay emotional throughout. The harmonies were off key. Don't yell, sing.
An acoustic guitar provides a melody admist a keyboard which sustains chords. The vocals use alot of similies in it's lyrics to use it's unattainable sense of love he is feeling of the sensations. the drums have a very slow tempo at a repetitive style While the vocals have a unique phrasing to them, which range from barely above a whisper, using a descriptive sense, to howling out of yearning for understanding love.
The piano in the beginning is very moving. I love the instruments used in this, they sound wonderful! I love how your voice is in harmony with the instruments. The lyrics are written good and I like how it starts slow and then it gets a little faster.
The songs going to need a lot more work. I believe the lyrics and the structure of the words and song in general don't gel. I hear a soft ballad style pop song with a soft voice that sounds similar to Alice Cooper. I don't believe the formula will work.
Long and boring intro the the feel is boring. No lyrics for a long time the sing is not that good and has a sad feel to it. He doesnt seem like he is happy. The beat and background music is not good it really easy and boring. No thought was really taken to get a good song. I could be better but it needs changes to me.
I greatly enjoyed the beginning instruments, heavy on the piano. Unfortunately the vocals are a bit too drawn out and melancholy. I actually felt depressed listening to the song. It was hard for me to understand the lyrics (which felt a bit too poetic for a commercial song) because of the overriding sense of depression.
I like the start of the song. Everything comes together perfectly. i like the edge of the song. it sounds a bit country. There has to be a different singer. i could hear it for a while but then it starts getting kind of boring. i like the instruments mostly. Maybe adding another instrument could make it sound better than it does.
I like the steady calm soothing instrumentals that start off this song. The interlude is longer than most but it is appropriate for this kind of song. The deep calm voiced vocalist has a great voice. The lyrics are strategically aimed to reach our hearts. The singer sounds alot like "James Blunt". He can be a great singer with practice. I loved this song all in all though.
Very sucky opening. The beat seems very depressing. I feel there is just this long period of silence before he starts singing. Then he seems so emo! He can't sing very well, and the lyrics aren't catchy. I can't seem to click with this song. He changes his style of singing g throughout the song to much!
I like how this song builds up the introduction. The piano's melodies blend in and rides along a smooth yet slow tempo. This song has that 80's feel to it and is very mellow. The instrumentals are the best part of the song. The lead vocalist need to sing with more passion. He has no emotion either. Song lyrics have meaning which tells you an interesting story. More work is needed here especially on the vocals and harmony.
Cinematic instrumentals introduce the song and they are absolutely beautiful and really make a great first impression for the listener! The song then leads into the chorus and the vocals are great, but I feel as if there needs to be a more powerful and emotional sound. The lyrics are well written, but once again need a stronger spine to match up with the expectations created by the intro.
I don't think the opening instrumentals flow together as well as they could. The lyrical content seems a bit cliche. I have used all of the metaphors in other songs, and when they are stung all together, it sounds pretty cheesy. It feels more like a demo than a finished piece. The vocals are a bit too whispery and it makes for and odd sound. Try to use not as commonly used metaphors, go for something unique and creative that people havent heard before.
If only this type of piano can be shown into different songs now a days. The medley sways with every beat and every tune. The notes they're playing but it's nothing new. I can't remember the last time It should always be playing on the radio too. The harmony is way too good not for it to be.
Well written lyrics. They put great effort into it. Nice vocals throughout. I wish there was more thought into the instruments and sound. Too simple. Needs more drums, guitar, piano, violin, something. If it was more upbeat and engaging, I would consider hearing more. Not blown away, but interested.
This song seems like it is going to be a great song. The artist seems confident, mature and very wise. The lyrics of this song is dead on spectacular. This song really puts me in a great mood. This song makes you want to dance and never stop. The instrumental and melody of the song is very in tune with one another. This song is a success.
The singer came in on a dramatic note and his voice seems to have some interesting characters to it. However, i felt like the lyrics came out at a monotonous tempo and the flow never added up for the bulk of the song. When it changes up in tone for the chorus and bridge sections that is a nice change and yet it is just monotone sound with a higher pitch of voice then. The song felt like a loop of boring sound and I could not get into it. I think the lyrics are actually quite interesting and creative, the framework and performance delivering them did nothing for me, however.
I absolutely love the piano melody along with all the other sounds gelling in. The voice of the vocalist is perfectly auto tuned, and it has the perfect amount of echo. The lyrics are profound. I love the harmonies. I love the lyric ' I wanna rise from the darkness and feel the sun on my face.' Simply beautiful.
The introduction is amazing and you just sense that this song is gonna be good and is going to be the right song for you. The lyrics show that it is a great and powerful song that was shown through the lyrics. The slow paced music shows that you can listen to all day. The conclusion is good as the song gets annoying.

Below is an acoustic version of Couldn't Have Been Worse by Douglas Haines.

Reviews of the Douglas Haines version of Couldn't Have Been Worse from the ReverbNation.com Crowd Review service (overall score: 6.2 out of 10):

I like the guitar on the song. The lyrics sounded personal. The vocals support everything that the song is about. I would buy this song. The track is very laid back but strong at the same time. Very good job in creating this song. Thank you.
Intro makes me nostalgic. His voice is great, I think he would be appealing to many. The lyrics are poignant and painful. The blending of voices is amazing. I want to buy this song, it's so sweet. It would be a great song for a romantic comedy about a long distance couple.
This modern country song has a sad but uplifting story that is told through the eyes of the singer. The singer is portraying the lyrics in a sharp and dry manner which gives the song a roughness to it. This song has a basic two strum guitar back track, which works in its favour as the singer over powers the guitar making it very unoticable.
Immediately I was thinking of a specific hit pop song from the later half of the 2000's. I feel like the intro was trying to imitate that theme. Sadly, the vocals are far too overpowering compared to the music in the background, and their is no point of instrumental intonation. It's a fairly bland song overall, but it feels like it's leading up to something bigger, yet it never does.
It starts out with a soothing melody. Its lyrics talk about people dancing and signing. His voice is also soothing and I hear a lot of chorus and only one guitar in the beginning. The song is very slow paced not fast at all. It is super easy on the ears. And Its east to sing a long to. It sounds like a sad song.
The slow melody intro is such a great way to start off a random country singer in the middle of the song. i wonder if the singer is singed by a label, this song so good on many differnt levels. i like the chorus very relatable lyrics. i wonder if the artist considered a special loved one in mind.
This is not the kind of genre of music I would listen to, but overall the song is good. They lyrics have meaning and they are not repetitive. The singers voice is not too bad. I like the acoustic guitar in the background. It would be a good song to hear when turning on the radio or going to a festival and hearing these guys play.
I do not like the voice of the main vocalist. This is a song I would not purchase on ITunes or Amazon because its very important to me that the voice be appealing to me. The lyrics seem very basic and don't go too into depth at all.
The lyrics to this song was expressed with so much meaning and just so unique. The artist had a raspy vocal tone and that worked amazingly for this song. The singer collided with the melody in a perfect way. The guitar was a winning factor to this song as well.
His voice is a bit raspy, which is very impressive. It has an older style to it. He sang the song with a beautiful tone. Almost ghostly. The backup singer harmonized very well with the lead very well. The guitar definitely set the mood for the song with its eerie sound. Very impressive song!
Very nice guitar opening, beautiful! watch your mix, it's noisy and I hear white nose in the background. you want to quiet that down. The singer sounds like Neal Diamond, if Neal Diamond had a good voice. I like the chord changes, and the pretty folkish harmonies. I hear this being sung around a camp fire. very sweet and beautiful. I think the artist is well suited for this genre. I can't hear him singing with a full rock band. Beautiful lyrics.
This song speaks to me emotionally, the lyrics tug at my heart strings, and I like that from a song. I enjoy the light guitar playing and little instruments because with them I think they would overpower the lyrics. It speaks about love which everyone can relate to, and it is innocent and consoling. I would listen to this on a day I might want to feel better. I think it can really appeal to most anyone, despite what genre they prefer.
This song sounds like a song that I already know, which is a bit bad for originality, but the song is very nice. It makes me feel calm, and the lyrics talk about there being "too many questions and too little time," and are very original. The singer really sounds like he has been through what he is singing about, and makes me very calm and sad. The song is really good, and the tempo is very slow which is good. The singer is also very melodic and deep.
Slow paced intro which invited your voice in quickly. The guitars had a nice, subtle tune which was relaxing. Great vocals, i loved the alliance between the voices all together. Maybe adding drums or other instruments to this piece would make it more interesting. It was a mellow song, kind of something i'd listen to if i couldn't falls asleep... Great lyrics though! They were sweet and kind. I would suggest adding different variety of instruments.
Opening guitar riff very familiar- not sure how original it is. Country vocals pretty generic, not sure that I would be able to pick this artist out of a lineup, even if he does have a nice tone. Not sure where I would listen to this song. Uplifting lyrics but doesn't connect on a personal level.
The singer's voice and style reminds me of ballads from the 1960's. This song is very soothing and calming. The words in this are very thoughtful and philosophical. I like when they add the extra voice to the background. This song is deep and very powerful. I would love to hear this song again. In conclusion, this is a lovely and great song. Thumbs up!
Very nice begining, it makes sense of the lyrics that have been related in this piece. A walk in the park, just taking time out for yourself to think, that is the feeling I have picked up in this song. A very warm and sad notion.
Instantly attached to the acoustic guitar. Very beautiful image of the beach in the beginning. He's in love & is very good at expressing it. The chorus gives me goosebumps. His voice & lyrics are both equally gorgeous. Great style of music. I could listen to this song in almost any place or situation.
The instrumental was very soothing and sounded really great. The artist has a pretty nice voice. Not sure of the Genre but the song itself was nice. Would like to know the artist to see who has the beautiful voice. Seems like he accomplished something.
The intro is very calming and the guitar is played very well with a deep, rich sound. The vocals that transition the song from the intro are very strong and clean. The vocals are loud relative to the guitar but it works with this song. The lyrics are well-thought-out and meaningful. They are sung beautifully. The chorus sung with a melody and a harmony make for an excellent country song.
The song begins with simple and quaint guitar plucking. It sounds like a folk song that has some blues elements. The lyrics are very thoughtful and depressing. It talks about falling in love, and the pains that go along with missing that love. The only accompaniment other than the simple guitar playing in the background is some other vocals that are layered behind the lead singer. It has deep and smart lyrics, the song is raw and doesn't leave anything hidden.
This song is great I love it. The chorus, melody and instrumental is excellent. I do really like the guitar playing that is beautiful. I am certain that the song was a classic I do not know it but, I really do enjoy it. The song has a very nice singer in it his voice is like a angel in the nights sky. I cannot believe that it is so cool i did not think someones voice could be so harmonic.
A solid song. The instrumental accompaniment is compelling, the melodies well-shaped. It sounds as though the vocalist stumbles on their lyrics. Although the vocals are expressive, it is ruined by what is probably the rapidness of the lyrics or it could be due to the structuring of sentences. Otherwise, other aspects of the song and music are of a high quality.