Behind Liam Payne’s Ingenious Idea for “Better Than Words”

There have been an uncountable amount of great love songs released over the decades. All of them have something unique to say about matters of the heart. Liam Payne was more than aware of this when he sat down to write “Better Than Words” for One Direction. Alongside his co-writers, Payne delivered a song made up entirely of song titles. The end result is a powerful declaration of an indescribable love. Uncover the meaning behind this track, below.

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Behind Liam Payne’s Ingenious Idea for “Better Than Words”

Better than words, more than a feeling
Crazy in love, dancing on the ceiling
Every time we touch, I’m all shook up
You make me wanna-, how deep is your love?
God only knows, baby

The love this fivesome was experiencing at the time of writing was so hard to describe that they had to look to other methods. Payne came up with the ingenious idea of borrowing song titles to help convey their emotions.

Each verse starts off with the title of this song, which is followed by a list of other memorable tracks. Boston’s “More Than a Feeling,” Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love,” and “Lionel Richie’s “Dancing on the Ceiling” for example.

“What if the rest of the song was just lyrics from other songs,” Payne reportedly said during the writing session, via his co-writer John Ryan. “Songs in general, you’re just sort of waiting for an idea to bonk you on the head. And if you’re sort of winking at it, laughing at it — we were probably joking, ‘What if [the next line was] ‘More than a feeling?’ Well, that would actually be tight!’”

Music is a strong emotive force. Melody has an easier time conveying a feeling than words do most of the time. Payne and his cowriters capitalized on that idea for these lyrics.

“Better Than Words” is one of Payne’s best contributions to the band. Like the songs they reference in the lyrics, this track has become a classic in the One Direction sphere. Revisit this hit, below.

Better than words
You drive me crazy
Someone like you
Always be my baby
Best I ever had, hips don’t lie
You make me wanna…one more night
Irreplaceable
Crazy, we’re crazy

Everyone tries
To see what it feels like
But they’ll never be right
‘Cause it’s better, it’s better, it’s better

Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia