Good Days
Song Meaning

“Good Days” is about clinging to hope in the middle of emotional chaos: SZA has described it as an acknowledgment that everyone is “shattered and stretched beyond our means,” with the song offering “a sliver of hope” rather than certainty 1. Lyrically, it finds her feeling like she’s losing control of her life and weighing whether to end a draining relationship so she can grow, continuing themes from her CTRL album 2. Despite the despair, biblical references to Jericho and Job frame her as broken but still holding onto faith that better days are ahead 3 4.

The meaning

At its core, “Good Days” is SZA’s own admission that the song isn’t a triumphant statement of certainty. In her words, it’s about “not being sure .. not sure hope is still a thing, not sure better is coming, not sure any of it even matters,” an acknowledgment that “we’re all in the same ugly chaotic beautiful existence” 1. That tension between doubt and hope is the emotional engine of the track: she’s called it a reminder that a “sliver” of hope, “not even a whole lot,” is sometimes all a person needs to keep going 1.

Underneath that broader philosophy is a very specific relationship story. Across the verses, SZA sings about feeling like she’s losing control of her life and considers walking away from a lover in order to grow 2. She reflects on “wasting” herself on someone who “don’t care,” and the pre-chorus lines about trying to keep from “losin’ the rest of me” and having “a war in my mind” capture that anxiety over time spent in a relationship that isn’t reciprocated 4. The song works, in part, as SZA trying to move away from that accumulated negativity by remembering better times and looking toward the future instead of dwelling on the past 1 2.

The biblical imagery in verse two deepens the sense of a woman at her breaking point who is still choosing faith. When she sings “feelin’ like Jericho,” it echoes the ancient city whose walls came crashing down, suggesting her own defenses are crumbling 4. The Job reference, a figure who endured immense suffering while maintaining his faith, reads as SZA holding onto belief even while burdened by emotional struggle 3 4. Together, these allusions reinforce that she’s felt broken and has been carrying her “cross to bear alone,” yet is still oriented toward hope rather than despair 3.

Musically and structurally, the song mirrors this emotional arc. The cascading guitars are read as echoing the buildup of negativity SZA is trying to overcome, while the song’s overall calm, spacious production reflects the peace she’s ultimately searching for 4. Jacob Collier’s outro vocal, repeating “always in my mind,” has been interpreted as placing blame on the former lover for the intrusive thoughts still lingering in her head, tying the song’s romantic thread back into its larger meditation on being haunted by the past 4.

By the third verse, SZA pushes toward resolution: she says she doesn’t miss her ex, doesn’t miss his texts, and chooses not to respond, framing the song as a step toward reclaiming agency rather than staying stuck in regret 4. Released amid the uncertainty of 2020, “Good Days” resonated widely as a kind of sonic escape, turning SZA’s private soul-searching into something closer to communal comfort, a mixture of joy and sadness that listeners could sit inside of 4 5 6.

Last updated 2026-08-05