17 songs about not being good enough (2023)

There are times in life when everyone gets together when you feel like you're not good enough for something. Whether it is related to love or not being able to fulfill a dream, not feeling good enough can be a big struggle. Luckily, music has the power to convey that feeling very well, to the point that at times it can overcome it entirely. These are some of the best songs about not being good enough.

„Coast to Coast“ von Elliott Smith

song year:2004

Elliott Smith was a true master at creating songs with great lyrical content. Coast To Coast from their posthumously released album From A Basement On A Hill is a great example of this.

Coast To Coast is a song about not being good enough for someone and that no matter what you try it never satisfies the other party. If you've never heard Elliott Smith before, you owe it to yourself to check out this track.

„Lonely Stranger“ von Eric Clapton

song year:1992

Eric Clapton's Unplugged album is widely regarded as one of the greatest live albums of all time. The song Lonely Stranger on this album is another song about not being good enough.

The lyrics are about someone going through life lonely. He warns the others not to get too friendly with him because of the possible bad outcome. Other people's comments about not being a good person may be true, but they will move on in life anyway.

„Man from Nowhere“ von den Beatles

song year:1965

The Beatles had many hits in their catalogue, and "Nowhere Man" from their album Rubber Soul is a particularly moving song. The track was written by John Lennon who was frustrated at not being able to write a song.

The lyrics show a lonely person going through life with no idea what he wants to do, so he sits back and lives the isolated life. The song raises the question of whether this man from nowhere is like the rest of humanity.

“Creep” is made by Radiohead

song year:1992

Creep is the song that launched Radiohead to mainstream success. Admittedly, it's nowhere near the band's favorite song, nor does it compare to the good music the band has released since their first album. However, this song has a message that is meaningful to many people.

The powerful lyrics paint a picture of a person feeling like they can't keep up with someone else. They do things hoping to get the slightest bit of attention from someone else, to no avail. It also paints a powerful lyrical picture of feeling like an outcast.

"Hurt" von Nine Inch Nails

song year:1994

Hurt is a very famous Nine Inch Nails song and is often confused with oneJohnny Cash Musicdue to the powerful cover art that the artist released towards the end of his career. However, it proves how good this song is when a well-established country star covers a song by an industrial metal artist. Its message really goes beyond predefined genres.

This is a song about someone who is deaf and is questioning the outcome of his life. The song really shows someone in deep depression and when heard in that state it can be very relatable.

"Black" make Pearl Jam

song year:1991

Black is a song from Pearl Jam's hit album Ten, which the band originally had reservations about releasing because it was such a personal song. Thankfully, the band released the song because it has such a powerful message.

Black's lyrics show how everyone begins life the same way, like a blank canvas before a painter touches its surface with a brush. It talks about the beauty of love and the desperation of a love gone wrong and the desire for the love the narrator has for someone to be returned.

„Work In Progress“ von The Dangerous Summer

song year:2011

Work In Progress from The Dangerous Summer's War Paint album has a lot to do with someone feeling it's a work in progress. This is a song that really tells what it's like from the perspective of someone who has lost hope in life.

The powerful lyrics are very realistic about someone losing faith and confidence, and the music accompanies the lyrics with a sense of pensive hopelessness. When you miss the vital necessities needed to build a decent foundation in life, it can be really difficult to see the good in anything.

"Guernica" by Brand New

song year:2003

Brand New is a band known for creating songs full of emotion combined with highly effective accompaniment and musical performance. Guernica from the band's Deja Entendu album is a great example of this.

The lyrics immediately tell the story of someone who, even as a child, always felt forgotten and left out. It's true that the song was written after singer Jesse Lacey lost his grandfather while the band was on tour.

"I Can't Make You Love Me" by Bonnie Raitt

song year:1991

I Can't Make You Love Me is a ballad by Bonnie Raitt about the problems of unrequited love. Anyone who has ever been in a situation like this can probably identify with the words of this song. The track has been covered by artists such as Bon Iver, Prince, Adele and more.

I Can't Make You Love Me perfectly shows how one person can't make another person feel for them. If love doesn't exist, it just doesn't exist, pure and simple. The song was said to be inspired by a newspaper headline in which a man went to court for shooting a woman's car out of emotionUnrequited love. It just goes to show how strong the feeling of love can be, even if it's not immediately reciprocated.

"If I'm Unworthy" by Blake Mills

song year:2014

If I'm Unworthy is a powerful Blake Mills song that has a very deep meaning. If you want to experience the full power of the song, it's worth seeing Blake Mills live as his performance and guitar are quite convincing.

If I'm Unworthy is a song that raises the question of whether or not the narrator is worthy of someone else's feelings. He also asks if the person in question deserves the feelings the narrator has for them. Relationships are indeed two-way, but we don't always deserve the attention and feelings of others.

„El leproso moderni“ by Frightened Rabbit

song year:2008

From Frightened Rabbit's acclaimed Midnight Organ Fight album, The Modern Leper has a slightly uplifting message, despite the lyrics being written from the point of view of someone who doesn't feel good enough. The song portrays a couple in love, despite the flaws they feel they have with themselves.

This song is a great reminder that love in its truest form is complementary. You don't have to be a perfect person to be loved by someone else. It can be a little disconcerting when someone reciprocates love despite their flaws, but that kind of love will eventually help the other grow.

„Loser“ dos Beatles

song year:1964

"Loser," from the hit album With The Beatles, is another John Lennon song about someone who feels like they're not good enough. The text shows a person who has lost love and is very sad inside, despite the happy expression on his face.

This song is very relatable for anyone who has gone through depression but has not been able to express their true feelings. Emotions are often compressed and hidden under a mask to appear happier. That way, people don't get overwhelmed by the emotions of others. However, this is one of the main fallacies of depression, but the cloud of emotions often makes it impossible not to perceive it as a fallacy.

"Bear Bear With Me" von Wilco

song year:2007

Taken from Wilco's acclaimed album Sky Blue Sky, "Please Be Patient With Me" is a beautiful song about someone keenly aware of moments when they fall into depression.

The lyrics seem to depict those moments of meeting a new person and warning them of the potential personal dangers that the other person may encounter in associating with them. Please Be Patient With Me is a song that beautifully expresses the phrase: It's not you, it's me.

"Misunderstood" by Wilco

song year:1996

Another Wilco song that perfectly expresses the feeling of not being good enough is the song Misunderstood from the Being There album. Composer Jeff Tweedy often has a somber tone in his lyrics, and Misunderstood is a classic example. The song has a melodramatic musicality that erupts in a harsh finale.

Misunderstood has lyrics about someone who never made it out of his hometown and is stuck in the partying, deplorable lifestyle while constantly longing for a different life. Anyone who has been to this place knows exactly what Jeff Tweedy is talking about.

„The Great Pretender“ von The Platters

song year:1955

As is often the case with songs from the 1950s, the music on The Great Pretender initially suggests that theThe song is about something happy. Of course, a closer look would reveal something else that goes along with the message of the song.

Sometimes people feel like they need to put on a mask and pretend to be someone they are not just to placate others and not be a social burden. It is important to reach out and express yourself because everyone experiences this feeling in one way or another.

"Sit, Wait, Wish" by Jack Johnson

song year:2005

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing was a huge hit for the singer-songwriter.Jack Johnson. The song earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and was certified Gold by the RIAA.

The song tells the story of someone who, despite his advances, fails to get another person to love him. Allegedly, Jack Johnson wrote the song for one of his friends who was spending his time endlessly pursuing a woman in hopes that the song would give his friend some perspective on the situation.

"Perfect" by Alanis Morissette

song year:1995

Perfect is a song from Alanis Morissette's hit 1995 album Jagged Little Pill. The song is about someone who only gets love when they're perfect. The song appears to have been written from the perspective of a father-son relationship.

Often childhood experiences (both good and bad) play a large role in the problems adults face later in life. One of the greatest challenges as an adult is doing the shadow work necessary to unpack those experiences and learn to live a life triggered by those experiences.

The best songs about not being good enough, final thoughts

Whether it's just a small lack of confidence ortotal depressionhidden behind a smile, the feeling of not being good enough is a feeling that connects people. If you feel like you are not good enough, these songs can surely help you. However, always remember that there is usually always someone who will listen, listen and be a friend. You don't have to fight alone.

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