...Well, Better Than the Alternative

Lore & Background

The song originated in 2016 from an emotional connection to the Netflix series Stranger Things, focusing on Millie Bobby Brown's portrayal of Eleven. Wood began performing it in early 2017 under the title "Still Pretty (Millie Rolls a 7)". After his second studio album Self-ish, Wood would jokingly refer to a fictional daughter named Millie, later revealing he was referencing Brown. When writing material for The Normal Album, Wood considered this song the easiest to produce due to having demos made long in advance. He renamed it "...Well, Better Than the Alternative", stating its relevance to the song's meaning and his preference over the former title. It was revealed as the fifth song on the tracklist in May 2020.

The composition is upbeat, with avant-pop piano melodies juxtaposing the lyrics. Its instrumentation builds throughout, climaxing during the final chorus with Wood's vocal performance described as taking on an anguished energy. The song was produced by Jonathon Maisto, and Wood noted its tonal difference from his other work. The song's meaning is intentionally ambiguous; some lyrics act as conceptual red herrings to obstruct Wood's intention, making fan interpretations varied.

The music video was released alongside the single on June 26, 2020. It begins with footage of Wood playing a video game, transitioning into a painted rendition with a shadowed figure behind him. Throughout the song, Wood and the figure are depicted in various actions with paintings overlaying them as a filter-esque animation. During the bridge, Wood offers a game controller to the figure, resulting in the two interacting together. The video was created by Will Wood and Chris Dunne in collaboration with Sorin Michaels, a subscriber of Wood's Patreon. Dunne filmed scenes of Wood in his unfurnished home, which had key frames painted over by Wood and Michaels, who used EBsynth to apply the handmade paintings to live action footage.

Reader's Guide

"...Well, Better Than the Alternative" represents a pivotal moment in Will Wood's transition from earlier theatrical work to the more polished pop structures of The Normal Album. Its origins as a fan-inspired piece about Stranger Things demonstrate how external media can spark creative processes, while the song's eventual renaming reflects Wood's evolving artistic priorities. The music video's innovative use of EBsynth—applying handmade paintings to live footage—showcases a low-budget yet visually striking approach that engaged Wood's Patreon community directly in the creative process. The song's intentionally ambiguous lyrics, described as containing conceptual red herrings, have encouraged diverse fan interpretations, contributing to its lasting discussion among listeners. Its upbeat yet anguished vocal delivery highlights Wood's ability to blend contrasting emotional tones, a hallmark of his style. The track's production by Jonathon Maisto and its inclusion of multiple instrumentalists (saxophone, bass, guitar, drums, viola) underscore the collaborative nature of the album. As the third single from The Normal Album, it helped define the album's thematic exploration of normalcy and its alternatives.

Did You Know?

• The song was originally titled 'Still Pretty (Millie Rolls a 7)' and inspired by Millie Bobby Brown's portrayal of Eleven in Stranger Things.
• Wood jokingly referred to a fictional daughter named Millie after his second album, later revealing it was a reference to Brown.
• The music video was created using EBsynth to apply handmade paintings to live action footage of Wood.
• Sorin Michaels, a Patreon subscriber, was hired to create the animation style after sharing fan-made animations with the community.