Better Things to Do

"Better Things to Do"
"Better Things to Do"
Single by Terri Clark
from the album Terri Clark
B-side	"Tyin' a Heart to a Tumbleweed"
Released	July 10, 1995
Genre	Country
Length	3:08
Label	PolyGram/Mercury
Songwriter(s)	Terri Clark, Tom Shapiro, Chris Waters
Producer(s)	Chris Waters, Keith Stegall
Terri Clark singles chronology

"Better Things to Do" is a song written by Tom Shapiro, Chris Waters, and co-written and recorded by Canadian country music artist Terri Clark. It was released in July 1995 as her debut single and served as the lead single to her self-titled debut album. It was a Top 10 hit on both the U.S. and Canadian country charts, where it peaked at number 3 on both.

Content[]

"Better Things to Do" is an up-tempo song about a narrator who realizes that she has "better things to do" than to sit around and cry over her ended relationship. At the same time, her man wants her back, thinking she's lost without him.

Critical reception[]

Deborah Evans Price, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, calling it a "good uptempo tune with a solid delivery."^[2]

Music video[]

Terri Clark's first music video was released for the song, directed by Michael Merriman. In the video, Clark is shown playing her guitar out in the desert as her ex is attempting to use a payphone to reach her. Later, she hops into her jeep and drives in circles around him as he pleads for her to come back to him. Eventually she drives off, leaving him in a cloud of dust.

Chart performance[]

"Better Things to Do" debuted at number 72 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of July 15, 1995.

Chart (1995)	Peak position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)^[3]	3
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[4]	3

Year-end charts[]

Chart (1995)	Position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)^[5]	64
US Country Songs (Billboard)^[6]	38

References[]

^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. pp. 95–96. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
^ Billboard, July 15, 1995
^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 2785." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. October 23, 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
^ "Terri Clark Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
^ "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1995". RPM. December 18, 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
^ "Best of 1995: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.

External links[]

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

[whitburn-1] Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. pp. 95–96. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.

[2] Billboard, July 15, 1995

[sc_Canadacountry_-3] "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 2785." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. October 23, 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.

[sc_Billboardcountrysongs_Terri_Clark-4] "Terri Clark Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.

[5] "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1995". RPM. December 18, 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.

[6] "Best of 1995: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.

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hide v t Terri Clark
Discography
Studio albums	Terri Clark Just the Same How I Feel Fearless Pain to Kill Life Goes On The Long Way Home Roots and Wings Classic Some Songs Raising the Bar
Live albums	Terri Clark Live: Road Rage
Compilation albums	Greatest Hits 1994–2004
Notable singles	"Better Things to Do" "When Boy Meets Girl" "If I Were You" "Suddenly Single" "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" "Emotional Girl" "Now That I Found You" "You're Easy on the Eyes" "Everytime I Cry" "A Little Gasoline" "No Fear" "I Just Wanna Be Mad" "Three Mississippi" "I Wanna Do It All" "Girls Lie Too" "She Didn't Have Time" "Dirty Girl" "In My Next Life" "A Million Ways to Run" "Love Is a Rose" "I'm Movin' On" "One Drink Ago"