For Better or Worse Lyrics - Great Gatsby, The

For Better or Worse Lyrics

Daisy

For Better or Worse

[DAISY BUCHANAN]
For better or worse
For the rich or for the poor
My husband has delivered on the rich part
But the better, I'm not sure

And then to learn my soldier has returned
It's a blessing and a curse
Is it for better or for worse

To have and to hold
Till death do us part
So certain that my soldier had been lost
And with him half my heart
I spoke those words to gain security

It was maybe a mistake
And the only choice to make

And so I built a home beyond my childhood dreams
I built the perfect place to stay
Locked away

For better or worse
When we came out east
I learned that it is not what feels the best
It is what will hurt the least
And when I thought that I might start again
Got the thought out of my head
Had a child with him instead

I knew I had to build a home and make it last
And fill it up with all the reasons
Not to think about the past
We danced with those soldiers like they were ghosts
We kissed them with unspoken last goodbyes
So certain that they were gone
We mourned them and then moved on
Hoping half a heart's enough to build upon
For better or worse
My vows have been made
I'm smart enough to know that I'd lose everything
If I ever strayed
All the while, my husband has his fun
And the roles are not reversed
It's for the better, and the worst

A melody drifting across the bay
A song of a summer from long ago
A chorus that amplifies
Every last compromise
What good comes from knowing that he survived
What good comes from knowing what he became
To know there's an open door
Where there wasn't one before
And I wonder what he'd do
If I walked through


Lyrics Meaning and impact of "For Better or Worse" by Original Broadway Cast of The Great Gatsby - A New Musical.

For Better or Worse Lyrics video by Original Broadway Cast of The Great Gatsby - A New Musical
Original Broadway Cast of The Great Gatsby - A New Musical singing the 'For Better or Worse' lyrics in the music video.

Song info:

  • Featuring Artist(s): Original Broadway Cast of The Great Gatsby - A New Musical
  • Composer: Jason Howland
  • Writer: Jason Howland, Nathan Tysen
  • Release Date: June 28, 2024
  • Musical Genre: Broadway, Theatre
  • Album: The Great Gatsby - A New Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
  • Track #: 7
  • Language(s): English
  • Mood: Reflective, Melancholic, Resigned
  • Tags: Marriage, Regret, Love Triangle, 1920s

Song meaning.

Original Broadway Cast of The Great Gatsby - A New Musical performing song For Better or Worse
Performance of 'For Better or Worse' by Original Broadway Cast of The Great Gatsby - A New Musical in the music video.
“For Better or Worse” is Daisy Buchanan’s confession — a soft, slow unraveling of a woman who’s locked herself into a gilded cage and is suddenly reminded there may still be a key. With Gatsby's return, Daisy’s carefully curated life in East Egg — rich, stable, and emotionally starved — begins to crack. This haunting ballad unfolds like a diary entry, tracing her internal war between duty and desire, comfort and authenticity.

The lyrics in the song are taken from traditional Catholic marriage vows, which emphasize the importance of remaining together even in times of struggle. Daisy and Tom, married in the 1920s, included these vows in their union. However, Daisy's life was not improving in every aspect, and she felt trapped by her marriage, unable to leave because she feared that doing so would lead to ruin.

Daisy had assumed that Jay had perished in the war, yet she could never truly love Tom, as her heart still belonged to Gatsby. She convinced herself that Jay's death was necessary to ease her transition into married life with Tom, but eventually, she realized that Tom was far from ideal. Her comfortable yet unsatisfying life with him forced her to settle for mediocrity.

Daisy found herself fixated on the past rather than contemplating alternative futures. She recalled the final days before the soldiers departed for war, and this nostalgia made her fear losing everything Tom had provided—wealth and security—even as it further distanced her from genuine happiness. Gatsby's mansion across the bay became a potent symbol of his longing and relentless pursuit of their shared past.

The sweet memories of a summer spent with Gatsby before the war serve as bittersweet reminders of the compromises Daisy has made. Her marriage to Tom, along with the attendant wealth and social standing, came at the cost of her true feelings for Gatsby. The chorus of the song amplifies her internal struggle and dissatisfaction, underscoring how each compromise has gradually distanced her from the love and fulfillment she truly desires.

Musical and Lyrical Construction:

The song is quiet, intimate, and devastatingly honest. The orchestration — subtle strings, gentle piano — creates a hushed stage around Daisy’s inner monologue. She isn’t singing to anyone; she’s finally speaking to herself.

Crucial Lines and Symbolism:

“I built the perfect place to stay / Locked away”: Daisy has achieved the American Dream in form — wealth, a home, a family — but it’s a prison of her own making, where security stifles emotion. “We kissed them with unspoken last goodbyes”: A chillingly poetic line referencing the wartime farewells. Gatsby was one of the “ghosts” who returned, unsettling the life Daisy tried to move on with. “I learned that it is not what feels the best / It is what will hurt the least”: A thesis line for Daisy’s entire worldview — a survival mechanism masked as wisdom.

The Dilemma:

Daisy doesn't frame her marriage as love or happiness, but as obligation. The vow “for better or worse” becomes a haunting refrain — she upholds it, but at the cost of her heart. Gatsby’s reappearance forces her to confront the past she buried beneath pearls and dinner parties.

Which songs share same conflict between love and duty?

Thumbnail from For Better or Worse lyric video by Original Broadway Cast of The Great Gatsby - A New Musical
A screenshot from the 'For Better or Worse' music video, capturing the mood and meaning of the song.
  1. "As Long As He Needs Me" from Oliver!: Nancy sings of unwavering loyalty to an abusive partner. Like Daisy, she clings to a promise despite pain, portraying how emotional dependence and societal roles can entrap women.
  2. "Send in the Clowns" from A Little Night Music: A late-in-life reflection on choices, regrets, and timing — this song mirrors Daisy’s self-aware melancholy and the realization that she might’ve missed her only shot at real happiness.
  3. "Maybe This Time" from Cabaret: Though more hopeful, this number also sits at the crossroads of love and self-deception. The singer clings to a belief in change despite repeated emotional losses — not unlike Daisy’s fleeting wonder, “What if?”

Questions and Answers.

Why does Daisy call Gatsby’s return “a blessing and a curse”?
It reopens emotional wounds she tried to seal. Gatsby's presence represents what she once wanted, but can no longer easily claim without destroying the life she built for safety.
Is Daisy trapped by love or by society?
By both. She chose wealth and social standing when Gatsby was gone. Now that he’s back, she realizes those choices were dictated by fear and societal expectations, not personal truth.
What does “hoping half a heart's enough to build upon” mean?
She married Tom with only part of herself. The other half was lost with Gatsby — or never truly given to Tom. It’s a metaphor for compromise in marriage and emotional survival through self-fragmentation.
Scene from For Better or Worse track by Original Broadway Cast of The Great Gatsby - A New Musical
Visual effects scene from 'For Better or Worse' enhancing the experience of the song words and music.

Which awards and chart positions did composition Achieve?

“For Better or Worse” has been highlighted in Broadway reviews as one of the musical’s most emotionally complex solo numbers. While not yet individually awarded, it has earned a strong fan reception for its lyrical elegance and the nuanced portrayal of Daisy as more than just Gatsby’s dream girl — a woman torn between what she has and what she lost.

Fan and Media Reactions.

Critics and fans alike have praised this track for finally giving Daisy a voice and inner life. Rather than just the object of Gatsby’s obsession, she emerges as a tragic figure of her own making.
This song is what the novel never gave us — Daisy’s heart, broken and beating in real-time.
@JazzAgeFeminism
She’s not a villain. She’s just trying to survive in a system that punishes women for changing their minds.
@PearlsAndPain
I was not prepared for how real this would feel. Every line is a whisper of regret wrapped in lace.
@BroadwayWistful
We always asked what Gatsby would do for her. Now we finally hear what she did to survive without him.
@ValleyOfAshesClub
Daisy’s final line hit like thunder: “What good comes from knowing what he became?”
@EastEggEcho


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Musical: Great Gatsby, The. Song: For Better or Worse. Broadway musical soundtrack lyrics. Song lyrics from theatre show/film are property & copyright of their owners, provided for educational purposes