Does anybody else really, REALLY hate "Best Time of Your Life"?

FettFan

FettFan

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Back in 1973 when the CoP moved to the Magic Kingdom, sponsor General Electric (in a bold advertising move commonly known as "tragically missing the point") commissioned the Richard and Robert Sherman to pen a new song for the attraction. And thus, this song was created:

This song was a poor fit for Carousel of Progress, as it didn't accentuate progress. GE's frame of mind was "to heck with TOMORROW. Who actually NEEDS progress? They need to buy GE appliances and buy them RIGHT NOW."
Also...(this is completely subjective) I would say that for a Sherman Brothers song, it's extremely weak and...strangely unpleasant. Compared to the rest of their works, which have a whimsical flow and charm to them, "Best Time" is just....there. I mean heck even "Miracles From Molecules" (a song praising the work of Monsanto scientists back before Monsanto turned into the agricultural division of Weyland-Yutani) had an aire of the fantastical about it.

It also doesn't help that you can too-easily substitute the lyrics of "Best Time" with "You're gonna die! You're gonna die now! This is the last night of your life!"...heck even hearing the electronic version on Tomorrowland's area music makes me feel a tad bit ill.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
I don't know what to say... It is my fondest memory of my first visit to WDW and my daughters as well. Of course it fit, when you take into consideration that it is sung at each level of the show. It clearly states that the time you are in are the best time of your life. If nothing else it states that you can make your life good no matter what is happening. In many ways it is far more positive then GBBT, which only promises good times at a later date. Both have immediate and special meanings, but, to say it didn't fit. For once, I am practically speechless.
 
FettFan

FettFan

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Goofyernmost said:
Both have immediate and special meanings, but, to say it didn't fit. For once, I am practically speechless.
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Well, the show has traditionally been about "look how far we've come" between eras and (to borrow from Men in Black) "Imagine what you'll know tomorrow."

"NOW is the best time of your life!" sounds like a cookie-cutter high school graduation speech delivered by a valedictorian who just wants to hurry up and get to the afterparty. It just doesn't have the same sense of inspiration that GBBT has.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
FettFan said:
Well, the show has traditionally been about "look how far we've come" between eras and (to borrow from Men in Black) "Imagine what you'll know tomorrow."

"NOW is the best time of your life!" sounds like a cookie-cutter high school graduation speech delivered by a valedictorian who just wants to hurry up and get to the afterparty. It just doesn't have the same sense of inspiration that GBBT has.
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Sorry, maybe not for you, but, it had a huge inspirational message for me. Perhaps, we are both over thinking it though.

The real reason that the original was written was because GE wanted to highlight their advancements in home appliances and how far they had come and how far they were still going and getting you to buy their brand. In the later version "Best Time", it was because GE decided that they didn't want people to wait until tomorrow to buy an electric stove or whatever, but to get out there and get it now. The final, current version, is just to satisfy the nostalgic soul and realign it with the original show. So you see there never was any "inspirational" message at any time. It was a musical sales pitch and we all fell for it. Personally, I like the music, words and feel of Best Time better. You're welcome to like GBBT better, but, lets not go all crazy trying to find inspiration other then to go out and buy an automatic washing machine, cause that was the whole complete message. It was just a question of when we went out and bought it. Now or Tomorrow!
 
F

figment5002000

Member
FettFan said:
Back in 1973 when the CoP moved to the Magic Kingdom, sponsor General Electric (in a bold advertising move commonly known as "tragically missing the point") commissioned the Richard and Robert Sherman to pen a new song for the attraction. And thus, this song was created:

This song was a poor fit for Carousel of Progress, as it didn't accentuate progress. GE's frame of mind was "to heck with TOMORROW. Who actually NEEDS progress? They need to buy GE appliances and buy them RIGHT NOW."
Also...(this is completely subjective) I would say that for a Sherman Brothers song, it's extremely weak and...strangely unpleasant. Compared to the rest of their works, which have a whimsical flow and charm to them, "Best Time" is just....there. I mean heck even "Miracles From Molecules" (a song praising the work of Monsanto scientists back before Monsanto turned into the agricultural division of Weyland-Yutani) had an aire of the fantastical about it.

It also doesn't help that you can too-easily substitute the lyrics of "Best Time" with "You're gonna die! You're gonna die now! This is the last night of your life!"...heck even hearing the electronic version on Tomorrowland's area music makes me feel a tad bit ill.
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I think you interpid the song wrong. The song is not about dying and or ignoring the future. The song is about living in the here and now and taking adventange of what we have. After all the future will be the present at some point in time. I think you need to listen to the song again.
 
TubaGeek

TubaGeek

God bless the "Ignore" button.
What the song IS about, as GE paid for it, is how amazing NOW is and how NOW is the time to buy new GE appliances.
This is a fact.

HOWEVER, I like to ignore that fact and see it as something of a joke. No matter how advanced we think we are, we'll just laugh at ourselves 20 years down the line.
 
rkw

rkw

New Member
"The world's forward marching and you're in the parade" is a great line (GE marketing notwithstanding). We're heading for the future, but at the same time living life fully and celebrating what we currently have. Carpe diem and all that.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
rkw said:
"The world's forward marching and you're in the parade" is a great line (GE marketing notwithstanding). We're heading for the future, but at the same time living life fully and celebrating what we currently have. Carpe diem and all that.
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I guess the whole thing completely hinges on what was going on with us at the time that it was first heard. For me, at the time, it truly was one of the best times of my life. Even though I knew what it was supposed to convey, it struck a strong cord with me, personally, at the time. As did, I might add, GBBT years later when I was in need of something to tell me that tomorrow would be better. Both were great "earworm" songs, but, my heart still lies with the "Best Time" for very personal reasons.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
Sage of Time said:
Marty Sklar and the Shermans dislike it, for what it's worth.
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Worth nothing at all. Marty (Because of loyalty to Walt) and the Shermans were forced to change a song that they felt could not be beat. They were wrong, but, as a tribute to the Sherman Bros. they once again hit it out of the park with a song that had meaning to the people paying for it and those of us that heard it without that bias.
 
Worldlover71

Worldlover71

Well-Known Member
I like both songs now. My first experiences with the CoP included Now is the Time. I had no idea there was a different song. Then, as a teen I got the Disney: A Legacy in Music collection which included There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow. I told my mother there was a mistake in the notes. She said no, that's the song. I said no, it isn't. It took us a while (pre-internet) to realize we were both right. Both are catchy and feel right to me.
 
flynnibus

flynnibus

Premium Member
Another way to put it... what do you think Disney would replace it with today? Do you really trust them to IMPROVE upon what is there?

I don't. See... Spaceship Earth.
 
Sage of Time

Sage of Time

Well-Known Member
Goofyernmost said:
Worth nothing at all. Marty (Because of loyalty to Walt) and the Shermans were forced to change a song that they felt could not be beat. They were wrong, but, as a tribute to the Sherman Bros. they once again hit it out of the park with a song that had meaning to the people paying for it and those of us that heard it without that bias.
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Oh, I disagree. These are the people that know the thematic intent of the parks at the best level because they created it. Their opinion matters a TON.
 

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