You don’t need to throw a stone very far to find endless songs about break ups and getting even, jealousy, wishing the other person the worst, vengeance, hate, anger, betrayal, you name the break-up emotion on the dark side . . . . What you rarely–if ever–hear is a song about wishing the other person the best.

Snow Patrol’s You Could Be Happy is a meditative song, with an almost lullaby-like quality, that considers the break up, all the regrets of things he wished he hadn’t said. How he was the happiest he had ever been with her, but it was obvious from how she walked away, she wasn’t. And yet, because he really does care about her, he wants her to do all the things she felt she couldn’t do with him. Take the big bite out of the world. Even if it all makes her happy and he never sees it. If there’s a lovelier take, more poignant, and sweet, on a break up, please let me know. This one is a winner in so many ways.

You could be happy, I hope you are
You made me happier than I’d been by far

Somehow everything I own smells of you
And for the tiniest moment it’s all not true

Songwriters: Gary Lightbody / Jonny Quinn / Nathan Connolly / Paul Wilson / Tom Simpson

There are a number of videos of this song but no “official music video” that I saw. There is a nice German take (just like a music video), a lyric video (not official), and the one at Royal Albert Hall that I’m playing below. Check out some of the others (especially in case the one below doesn’t show up! 😉 as we know sometimes happens) and because the one below has a different song ending, which I may not be a fan of because, well, less is more—sometimes (it depends on what it is, doesn’t it?).