The Best Is Yet To Come

Album: It Might As Well Be Swing (1964)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Frank Sinatra is brimming with confidence in "The Best Is Yet To Come," letting the lady know that life may be good for her at the moment, but after she lets him in, it will get a whole lot better. She's tasted the wine, but when they get together - and he's sure they will - they'll drain the cup dry.
  • This was the last song Frank Sinatra performed in public. That performance took place on February 25, 1995, the last day of the Frank Sinatra Desert Classic Golf Tournament. Three years later, he died of a heart attack; the phrase "The Best Is Yet To Come" was etched into his gravestone.
  • This is one of those jazzy, big band songs that sounds like a standard from the 1960s but is actually from the 1960s, well into the rock era. Frank Sinatra still had a huge audience that wanted to hear this type of music, and he obliged with songs like "Fly Me To The Moon," "Luck Be A Lady" and "That's Life."
  • "The Best Is Yet To Come" was written by the team of Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh, who also wrote Sinatra's 1957 classic "Witchcraft."
  • The song was first recorded by Tony Bennett, who introduced it on his 1962 album I Left My Heart in San Francisco. Frank Sinatra popularized the song with his 1964 rendition, collaboration with Count Basie's Orchestra and arranged by Quincy Jones.
  • Michael Buble covered "The Best Is Yet To Come" for his 2007 album Call Me Irresponsible. Others to record it include Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, Buddy Greco, Blossom Dearie, Ella Fitzgerald and Rosemary Clooney.

    The song works well for a female singer because there's no reference to gender in the song - the love interest is addressed as "babe."
  • James Darren, who recorded the song for his 1999 album This One's From the Heart, sang it with Avery Brooks that same year on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the episode "Badda-Bing Badda Bang."
  • Tony Bennett's version was the wake-up song for the Apollo 10 crew on May 22, 1969.
  • The actor and jazz enthusiast Jeff Goldblum released a cover of "The Best Is Yet To Come" featuring Scarlett Johansson in 2025. His version is arranged in a bossa nova style, departing from the brassy version made famous by Sinatra. Goldblum plays piano on the song, a talent he developed before he started acting.

Comments: 1

  • Loretta Jeznach from FlThe Best Is Yet To Come was etched in his headstone Frank Sinatra's that is
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Janet Jackson

Janet JacksonFact or Fiction

Was Janet secretly married at 18? Did she gain 60 pounds for a movie role that went to Mariah Carey? See what you know about Ms. Jackson.

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)Songwriter Interviews

The Brazilian rocker sees pictures in his riffs. When he came up with one of his gnarliest songs, there was a riot going on.

James Bond Theme Songs

James Bond Theme SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the 007 theme songs?

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

Tanita Tikaram

Tanita TikaramSongwriter Interviews

When she released her first album in 1988, Tanita became a UK singing sensation at age 19. She talks about her darkly sensual voice and quirky songwriting style.

The Girl in That Song

The Girl in That SongFact or Fiction

Billie Jean, Delilah, Sara, Laura and Sharona - do you know who the girls in the songs really are?