The Best

"The Best" is a powerful anthem of ultimate adoration and devotion. On its surface, it's a passionate love song where the singer expresses that their partner is superior to anyone they have ever met. The lyrics use strong, definitive language like "You're simply the best, better than all the rest" to convey a sense of absolute and unwavering love. The singer feels completely captivated, 'stuck on your heart,' and would rather face death than be separated from their beloved. It speaks to a love that is not just emotional but also a source of strength and identity, as expressed in the line, 'Take my heart and make it strong.'

Beyond romantic love, the song has been widely interpreted as an anthem of empowerment, excellence, and self-respect. It embodies the idea of recognizing and celebrating the 'best' in any aspect of life, whether it's a person, an achievement, or even one's own potential. This universal message of striving for and acknowledging the pinnacle of quality has allowed the song to transcend its original context and become a motivational anthem for sports, personal triumphs, and celebrations worldwide. The song's hidden meaning can also be seen as an ode to self-respect, celebrating the choice to be with a partner who recognizes and affirms one's own value.

The narrative begins with a call to a lover, a summons ignited by a deep, burning need. This person responds with a wild and electrifying presence, providing everything the narrator requires. They bring not just fleeting moments but a future filled with promises and a world of dreams. Their connection transcends the physical; the lover speaks the 'language of love' with a profound understanding that feels undeniably right. This connection empowers the narrator, compelling them to entrust their heart to be made strong.

The central theme crystallizes in the resounding chorus: this person is unequivocally the best, surpassing everyone the narrator has ever encountered. It's a definitive, absolute statement of their supreme place in the narrator's life. This feeling is so profound that the narrator feels 'stuck on' their heart, hanging on every single word they utter. The thought of being torn apart is unbearable, a fate worse than death, highlighting the depth of this attachment.

The second verse delves deeper into this immersive love. Within the lover's heart, the narrator sees the beginning of every night and day, suggesting their entire existence revolves around this person. Looking into their eyes leads to a feeling of being blissfully lost and washed away, a surrender to the overwhelming emotion. The ultimate sense of security and belonging is found in the lover's arms, a place so perfect that no other could possibly compare.

The song features a pivotal bridge that shifts the emotional tone, introducing a sense of vulnerability and dependency. Each time the lover leaves, the narrator starts to lose control, feeling shaken to the core. They become a 'Fender,' an instrument played with skill, trembling at the lover's touch. This dependency is not a weakness but a testament to the lover's profound effect. The bridge culminates in a plea for the lover to take their heart and make it strong, reinforcing the theme of finding strength through this powerful union before launching back into the triumphant, declarative chorus, solidifying the song's ultimate message of unparalleled love and adoration.

"The Best" was originally written by Mike Chapman and Holly Knight. Initially, it was offered to singer Paul Young, who declined it. The song was then first recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler and released in 1988 on her album Hide Your Heart. Tyler's version achieved moderate success, charting in countries like Norway, but it failed to make a significant impact in the UK or the US.

A year later, in 1989, Tina Turner covered the song for her seventh solo album, Foreign Affair. However, Turner didn't just re-record the song; she made it her own. She approached songwriter Holly Knight with specific requests to alter the track. Turner felt the song was missing a bridge and asked for one to be written (the section beginning "Each time you leave me I start losing control..."). She also requested a key change to add more dramatic lift and power towards the end. These changes, combined with a new, polished pop-rock production by Dan Hartman and Turner herself, and a memorable saxophone solo by Edgar Winter, transformed the song. Turner's version, released as a single on August 21, 1989, became a global phenomenon and one of her most recognizable signature songs.

"The Best" employs a relatively simple and effective rhyme scheme that contributes to its catchy, anthemic quality. The verses primarily follow an AABB or ABCB pattern, using straightforward, perfect rhymes (e.g., "fire"/"wired", "need"/"dreams"). The chorus is built on a memorable couplet: "You're simply the best / Better than all the rest," which is a simple, powerful rhyme that anchors the song's central message. The subsequent lines in the chorus rhyme "met" with "said" and contains the non-rhyming line "I'm stuck on your heart", which breaks the pattern slightly before the rhyming couplet "apart"/"heart" (if we consider the previous line). Rhythmically, the song is set in a standard 4/4 time signature with a moderate, driving tempo characteristic of arena rock. The lyrical rhythm is direct and conversational, with the vocal melody often starting just before the downbeat, giving it a sense of urgency and momentum. The chorus features a strong, emphatic rhythm, with the words "simply the best" landing squarely on the beat, making it easy to sing and clap along to. This rhythmic stability, combined with the soaring vocal melody, creates the song's uplifting and powerful feel.

Tina Turner's version of "The Best" is a masterclass in pop-rock production and powerful vocal delivery. The song's arrangement is significantly more robust than the Bonnie Tyler original. It builds from a relatively restrained opening to a full-blown anthem. Musically, it employs a classic 80s rock aesthetic with a strong, steady drum beat, shimmering keyboard pads, a driving bassline, and clean electric guitar chords. The most notable musical addition is the powerful saxophone solo performed by Edgar Winter, which provides a blistering, emotional instrumental break following the bridge, a common feature in 80s power ballads. Turner's vocal performance is central to the song's impact; her signature raspy, forceful, and emotive delivery imbues the lyrics with a profound sense of sincerity and passion. Lyrically, the song uses direct address ("I call you," "You come to me") and declarative statements ("You're simply the best") to create a sense of intimacy and conviction. The repetition of the main hook in the chorus makes it incredibly memorable, a key feature of an anthem. The key change requested by Turner after the bridge is a classic technique used to heighten the emotional climax of the song, lifting the final choruses to a new level of energy.

Tina Turner's cover of "The Best" became a monumental global hit and one of her most iconic songs, solidifying her status as a superstar. While it peaked at number 15 in the US, it reached number 5 in the UK and was a top-five hit in numerous other countries. Its legacy far surpasses its initial chart performance. The song was famously adopted by Australia's National Rugby League (NRL) for its promotional campaign in 1990, featuring Turner herself. This campaign is considered a landmark in sports marketing, credited with transforming the image of rugby league into family-friendly entertainment. The song's association with the NRL was so strong that Turner re-recorded it as a duet with Australian singer Jimmy Barnes in 1992 for a new campaign. It has also been embraced as an unofficial anthem for the Rangers Football Club in Scotland. The song became a personal theme for world champion boxer Chris Eubank and was a favorite of legendary Formula One driver Ayrton Senna, to whom Turner once dedicated a live performance. Beyond sports, it has been used in numerous advertisements for brands like Pepsi and Applebee's, and featured in TV shows, most notably in a touching scene in the series Schitt's Creek. The track is a staple of Turner's compilations and live shows, and it stands as a timeless anthem of excellence, love, and resilience, inextricably linked to her powerful persona.

The lyrics of "The Best" utilize powerful metaphors to convey the depth of the singer's devotion and the transformative power of their love.

• Language of Love: The line, "You speak the language of love like you know what it means," is a metaphor for a deep, intuitive, and authentic emotional connection. It suggests a communication that goes beyond words, a profound understanding that makes the relationship feel true and right.
• Fortification of the Heart: The plea, "Take my heart and make it strong," is a metaphor for finding strength and resilience through love. The heart, typically a symbol of vulnerability, is offered up to be fortified by the partner, suggesting that the relationship is a source of empowerment and security.
• Existential Anchor: The lyrics "Deep in your heart I see the start of every night and every day" and "in your eyes I get lost, I get washed away" use imagery to symbolize that the lover has become the center of the narrator's universe. They are the beginning and end of everything, a force so powerful it can cause a complete, willing loss of self in the best possible way.
• Instrument of Emotion: During the bridge, the line "You're the Fender, I'm the trembler" is a distinct metaphor. A Fender is a famous brand of electric guitar, and a tremolo bar (often called a 'trembler') creates a vibrato or 'trembling' effect. Here, the narrator is the instrument, and the lover is the one who 'plays' them, causing them to tremble with emotion and lose control, highlighting the powerful physical and emotional effect the lover has.

The most significant recurring motif in "The Best" is the lyrical phrase that forms its title and emotional core: "You're simply the best, better than all the rest." This phrase is the song's central hook and appears in every chorus, acting as a powerful, unwavering declaration. Its repetition drills the central theme of ultimate adoration into the listener's mind, making it the most memorable part of the song. The word "best" itself is a recurring motif, appearing multiple times to emphasize the superlative nature of the subject. Another recurring phrase is "Better than anyone," which further reinforces this idea of supremacy. The phrase "I'm stuck on your heart" also repeats in each chorus, serving as a motif for deep, unshakable attachment. The title itself is so impactful that the song is often misremembered as "(Simply) The Best," a title that was later adopted for some compilation albums and duet versions to reflect its popular moniker.