What do you think Miserable at Best means?

Mayday Parade: Miserable at Best Meaning

Album cover for Miserable at Best album cover

Miserable at Best Lyrics

Katie, don't cry, I know
You're trying your hardest
And the hardest part is letting go
Of the nights we shared
Ocala is calling and you know it's haunting
But compared to your eyes, nothing shines quite as bright
And when we look to the...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    Lyssiee
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    May 17th 2009 !⃝

    I think this song has to deal with a guy and girl being in a good relationship but the guy having to leave to find out what to do in life. The lines "cause nothing feels like home
    when you're a thousand miles away" and "cause I know I'm good for something I just haven't found it yet and I need it" show the idea of him having to leave. After he leaves he worries about "his girl" being with another guy, and the whole song sort of tears the relationship apart from beginning to end.

    It's kind of ironic because in the beginning she wants to be with him but he needs to go. She cries and doesn't want him to leave but I think he gives her hope with the line "but compared to your eyes nothing shines quite as bright
    and when we looked to the sky it's not mine but I want it" so they'll stay together while he's gone.

    The first chorus part, after he leaves, shows how the guy could start to become paranoid about his girl hanging out with another guy. He doesn't know for sure but it could be possible.

    The second verse slowly tears the relationship down by starting with the line "you're all that I hoped I'd find
    in every single way", stating that he obviously cares for her and loves her, but then the line right after shows that there's something wrong with their relationship, "and everything I would give is everything you couldn't take." This shows that he might think there's a problem.

    Now as the second chorus comes he kind of has an idea that their relationship is over. Because of the sort of "breakdown" of the song (the saddest part to me) shows how much he misses her ("and this will be the first time in a week that I'll talk to you and I can't speak"). He knows that she's with someone by saying, "it's been 3 whole days since I've had sleep cause I dream of his lips on your cheek", and the listener of the song knows it's completely over when he says "and I got the point that I should leave you alone" but he just wants her back.

    The final chorus shows the ironic twist because it states that he knows everything that's happened and now he wants to be with her so he'll be miserable at BEST so as the person said above what will he be at WORST?

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    Lilyyyyx
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    Dec 14th 2008 !⃝

    This song is about a guy loving a woman who perhaps used to love him but either way it didn't work out. It's about knowing that she is with another man, hence the line
    "I bet he gets the nerve to walk the floor and ask my girl to dance, she'll say yes"
    The next part is the saddest part of the song...

    "and thisll be the first time in a week
    Were ill talk to you and I can't speak
    It's been three whole days since if had sleep
    Cause I dream of his lips on your cheek
    And I got the point that I should leave you alone
    But we both know that I'm not that strong..
    And I miss the lips that made me fly.."

    - that verse above pretty much explains itself really. He misses her so much and he hasn't slept for days etc etc...

    And the title miserable at best basically means that if without her he would be miserable at BEST then what would he be at worst?

    Beautiful song.

    Dude x

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Jul 23rd 2012 !⃝

    I disagree with almost all the interpretations. This song is about a guy who is in love with his best friend, but she keeps pushing him away and dating the wrong guys. He says he'll always be there for her but sometimes she just wants him to leave her alone. He knows he will treat her right, but she can't see it. This song basically describes the last two years of my life...I was the girl and my now boyfriend was the guy...but I listened to this song and it made me realize that he was the one for me....beautiful song, makes me cry every time I hear it.

  4. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Sep 8th 2019 !⃝

    A guy loves this girl but he is going on tour with his band. "Ocala is calling." His fans from Ocala, FL are calling.. "And when we look to the sky, it's not mine, but I want it so." "Cause I know I'm good for something, I just haven't found it yet" He wants more in life. Maybe he wants to tour the world and find his purpose on Earth. "And everything I would give is everything you couldn't take." He's trying to make the relationship work, but he couldn't make her happy with all he had, maybe because he's a thousand miles away from her. "Let's not pretend you're alone tonight, I know he's there and." Through out the song it sounds like he sub consciously knew it was going to end, but he didn't want it to end. He loved her so deeply that he's now miserable without her, but he also realizes he can live without her.

  5. anonymous
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    Jul 20th 2018 !⃝

    I relate it a lot to a 5 year relationship I was in, she loved me I found someone who truly loved me, I needed to find myself I had no idea who I was and she had her life so figured out. I broke up with her because I felt I was holding her back, and as I ended it I regretted every second even before I started thinking of leaving her but it was what I had to do it was the hardest thing in a relationship I had been thru, she was my everything, I was so alone and all I could think about is “ she’s not going to wait she begged me to stay and I said hurtful things so she would want to leave. Then of course a month later she wasn’t alone anymore she found comfort in someone else while I found out how cruel the world can be on my own with no one to love me especially like she did. And it haunts me to this day, not as much as it did but it was also about 6 years ago. She loved me like I have always searched for and can never find in anyone else, what was I thinking nothing feels like home without her. She was my home. Now she hates me- a million miles away -her heart is from mine. Because I know I’m good for something, I just haven’t found it yet- I am the same person only better and I couldn’t see that now, I felt like I wasn’t good enough for life itself and i felt like it dragged her down. ( in my head) Idk that song is point on to that point in my life, as is dozens more of there songs! -(when you see my friends)- another.

    -EZ-

  6. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Feb 26th 2018 !⃝

    What I got from this song was that for some reason the guy needs to leave and at first Katie or his girl really is upset. Then I feel like after a while he realizes she is moving on. He hasn't so what he means by miserable at best is that without her, the least he can say is that he will be miserable , putting it as nice as possible or at best. i can relate to this honestly.My ex is moving to Louisiana and i'm breaking. my life has been pure hell without him and i know that once he leaves he is going to find someone else and i will only be a memory and will be miserable at best.

  7. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Mar 28th 2016 !⃝

    This song is brilliantly upsetting, my interpretation is probably desperately trying to sync with my situation. But I've loved the same girl for 3 years since we started High School. We started off as good friends, became really good friends and then drifted apart.
    I think that this song addresses how the writer loves a girl but because he couldn't tell her when they were close, the girl ("Katie") has moved on.
    I don't think the girl is with another guy ("I'll bet he gets the nerve to walk the floor and asks my girl to dance") yet, but the writer worries about how he's missed his opportunity with the girl because he couldn't tell her how he felt. Now, because she's moved on, he knows he has to too, but he can't, because he still loves her. ("The hardest part is letting go")
    In the end he knows they will never be together, which leads to him being miserable at best without her.
    I miss Emily, but I know I have to move on, and my jarred interpretation of this song is helping me do that. Thanks for reading :)

  8. anonymous
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    Jun 7th 2014 !⃝

    The song was written by Jason to his fiancee at the time before the band wanted to leave on tour, which he left the band before that happened. Jake, the drummer did not write or sing in the original version of this song.

  9. anonymous
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    Mar 27th 2012 !⃝

    Jake Bundrick doesn't sing at all in this song, he lip syncs. It's about Jason Lancaster's ex. :)

  10. anonymous
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    Mar 7th 2012 !⃝

    i think this is about a guy who went to war in Ocala, *ocala is calling* he is writing a note to his girlfriend (katie) While he is gone she cheats on him, and he knows. The first line *katie dont cry, I know youre trying your hardest and the hardest part is letting go* is sarcasm, he knows shes not upset hes not there because she has another guy to replace him.He misses her and knows he has to move on, but he loves her.

  11. anonymous
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    Jan 13th 2012 !⃝

    It's about a guy moving to Ocala and the girl cheats on him but he still loves her and with out her he'll be miserable at best

  12. anonymous
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    Nov 2nd 2011 !⃝

    The drummer didn't write it and he only sings because Jason Lancaster is no longer in the band so :P

  13. anonymous
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    Jun 7th 2011 !⃝

    My friend told me this song was written by the drummer for his ex-girfriend when they broke up, hence the fact he also sings in this song.

  14. anonymous
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    Apr 15th 2011 !⃝

    I believe the beginning of this song is her feeling bad about cheating on the guy while he's away, but there's a hint of depressing sarcasm from the narrator between the lines. I think the "Katie" in "Miserable at Best" is based on either lead singer Derek Sanders girlfriend, or former lead guitarist and backup vocals Jason Lancaster's girlfriend (I can't remember, I think it's Jason's girlfriend though). Obviously, as mentioned above, he still loves her and he can't function without her.

    Very sad, but amazing song.

  15. anonymous
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    Apr 1st 2011 !⃝

    This song is about the longing of a relationship that cannot be. Written actually by the bass player for the girl. The beginning, "Katie don't cry...You're trying your hardest, and the hardest part is letting go." The writer knows that he and Katie both have to move on towards new things in their lives because it wont work. It's not so much a break up song as it is a, "I am going to miss," you song.

  16. anonymous
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    Mar 18th 2011 !⃝

    this song confuses me more and more with everytime i think about it. sure the first meaning that comes to mind is, "oh, break up song. boy loves girl but shes moving on and hes not. hes misserable." okay im confused by the beginning lyrics. "katie dont cry i know youre trying your hardest and the hardest part is letting go." why would she be sad if shes the one moving on? isnt he saying that hes going to be misserable without her and shes moving on? why would she be crying? i feel as if their is a part missing to this song. like a lost chapter.

  17. anonymous
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    Feb 9th 2011 !⃝

    i agree with Heartless about the war theory, because just past half way when he sees her in the grocery store his heads shaved, if anyone noticed.

  18. anonymous
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    Dec 29th 2010 !⃝

    This is what my friend and i believe. The song itsself is about the guy who wrote it and his girlfriend (whose name isn't Katie). He was going off to the military, and the Ocala Military base (ocala is calling) and they were together for 4 years. He was only gone for 4 months and she cheated on him, and so the beginning is sarcasm "Katie don't cry, i know, you're trying your hardest, but the hardest part is letting go of the nights we shared, ocala is calling"

    The song is pretty much how he can't trust her again, even though he loves her so much. That she promised that everything was going to be okay, she still ended up cheating"

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