Background Notes
Best World is about the bliss of early marriage and the simple things in life. A newly-wed couple is basking in the glow of a future together, enjoying each other’s company, not needing anything more.
Lyrics: A fiercely private person, I started my songwriting journey steering well clear of autobiographical storytelling in my work. Uncomfortable with sharing aspects of my own life, I’d instead draw on the experiences of friends, family and acquaintances to create the characters and scenarios for my songs.
But Best World changed all that. The opening line was inspired by the opening line of the Christmas Song, as I was trying to evoke a cosy atmosphere. But the rest was built off my own life. It was the first time for me to do this, and (likely because of that) I found the lyrics gushing from my pen. It’s hard to suffer from writer’s block when all the material you need is stored in your own memories.
The process changed my lyric writing, freeing me to explore more specific aspects of my life in subsequent songs. The beauty of revisiting various phases of my life in this way was that it became a form of therapy; I finally understood why people write directly from their own experience. And while some of those songs may never be shared, I’ve learned a lot from writing them.
Music: As a jazz song, the AABA form was an obvious choice. The melody for the opening line came fairly quickly, and from there the rest of the melody (and the corresponding chord choices) flowed very easily.
The fourth interval jumps in the verses mean it’s not the easiest tune to sing (as I discovered when performing it). Still, after some experimentation with alternative melodies it didn’t feel right to change it, so I stuck with my original / first draft.
I love this song (even though it’s a pain to sing), and I hope you will too.