The Best Is Yet to Come

For other uses, see The Best Is Yet to Come (disambiguation).

"The Best Is Yet to Come"
Song

"The Best is Yet to Come" is a 1959 song composed by Cy Coleman, with lyrics written by Carolyn Leigh. It is generally associated with Frank Sinatra, who recorded it on his 1964 album It Might as Well Be Swing, accompanied by Count Basie, under the direction of Quincy Jones. It was the last song Sinatra sang in public, on February 25, 1995, and the words "The Best is Yet to Come" are etched on Sinatra's tombstone. Though Sinatra made it popular, the song was actually written for and introduced by Tony Bennett. Notable recordings include:

• Tony Bennett (I Left My Heart in San Francisco) (1962)
• Peggy Lee (Sugar 'N' Spice) (1962)
• Sarah Vaughan (You're Mine You) (1962)
• Nancy Wilson (Yesterday's Love Songs/Today's Blues) (1963)
• Frank Sinatra (It Might As Well Be Swing) (1964)
• Blossom Dearie (May I Come In?) (1964)
• Ella Fitzgerald (The Best Is Yet to Come) (1982)
• Diane Schuur (In Tribute) (1992)
• James Darren (This One's from the Heart) (1999)
• Lisa Stansfield (Swing: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1999)
• Stacey Kent (The Boy Next Door) (2003)
• Chaka Khan (ClassiKhan) (2004)
• Tony Bennett and Diana Krall (Duets: An American Classic) (2006)
• Matt Dusk (Back in Town) (2006)
• Michael Bublé (Call Me Irresponsible) (2007)
• Sophie Milman (Take Love Easy) (2009) (feat. Michael Kaeshammer)
• Cherry Poppin' Daddies (Please Return the Evening) (2014)

In popular culture

• The Peggy Lee recording was featured in the film Bernard and Doris (2006).
• In February 1999, James Darren and Avery Brooks sang the song in the final scene of "Badda-Bing Badda-Bang", a seventh season episode of the syndicated science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
• The song was played as a wake-up call for the crew of Apollo 10 on May 22, 1969. The historic day marked the first time that the Lunar Module flew solo in lunar orbit as it made man's closest approach to the lunar surface to date.
• The song was referenced to in the Simpsons episode, "The Bart of War" when Lenny and Carl are arguing over rival youth groups that had both been a part of as kids. Lenny rips out a baseball stadium seat and hits Carl with it with Carl reminding Lenny that he sang at Lenny's wedding, to which Lenny sarcastically retorts that Carl sang "The Best Is Yet To Come" and that it was "real original".