Written about Ray Davies's failing marriage, the song originated during the Low Budget sessions.

[1] "Better Things" was penned by Ray Davies in New York City about the "impending split" from his second wife, Yvonne.

Initial copies came with a bonus 7" containing live versions of "Lola" and "David Watts" recorded on American tours in 1979 and 1980.

Although "Better Things" missed the top 40, it did reach #46 and was their first charting single since "Supersonic Rocket Ship" in 1972.

In September 2010, Ray Davies released See My Friends, an album of reworked classic Kinks songs, which contains a duet of "Better Things" with Bruce Springsteen.