Worst That Could Happen

Album: Brooklyn Bridge (1969)
Charted: 3
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song was written by Jimmy Webb and originally recorded by The 5th Dimension on their 1968 Magic Garden album. Like "MacArthur Park" and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," Webb wrote the song about a love affair that he had with Suzy Horton. They parted ways when Horton moved from California to Nevada, where she became a casino showgirl. When Webb found out she had gotten married, he wrote "Worst That Could Happen," where he comes to terms with the news. He concludes that it's probably the best thing for her, even if it's the worst that could happen to him.

    Horton's marriage didn't last long, and when it fell apart, she returned to California. By this time, Webb's career had taken off and he was romancing Rosemarie Frankland, a former Miss World. Horton and Webb remained friends; in 1993 she married again, this time to Linda Ronstadt's cousin, Bobby Ronstadt.
  • When Johnny Maestro (former lead singer of the Crests) put together an 11-piece band, his managers complained that it would be easier to sell the Brooklyn Bridge than to promote such a large ensemble. The name stuck.
  • After the group recorded two songs assigned to them by Buddha Records and were less than amused with the results, Maestro was rummaging through his LP collection when he spotted this song on The 5th Dimension's Magic Garden album.

Comments: 17

  • Carl from LancasterAt first hearing, this song is fantastic . . . It's only after paying close attention to the lyrics that it becomes melodramatic. I mean really, you love the girl, but you don't want to marry her? Then belly ache that she actually wants a life!!!! Sorry bud, get real!
  • Joe B from Pittsburgh PaDoes anybody know if the Brooklyn Bridge performed at Clarion State College's football Homecoming dance in 1969? The school is located in Clarion PA
  • Kenny Price from Henderson NvThe Beatles Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and John Lennon played backup musicians for Johnny on the Ed Sillivan show.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn April 25, 1961, Johnny Maestro performed "What A Surprise" on the ABC-TV weekday-afternoon program 'American Bandstand'...
    At the time "What A Surprise" was in it's first week on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart, at position #84; seven weeks later it would peak at #33 {for 1 week} and it spent 9 weeks on the Top 100...
    As a solo artist he had two more Top 100 records; "Model Girl" {#20 in 1961} and "Mr. Happiness" with the Coeds {#57 in 1961}...
    As lead singer of the Crests he charted ten times, with "16 Candles" being their biggest hit, it peaked at #2 {for 2 weeks} in 1959...
    In 1969 he made the Top 10 again with the Brooklyn Bridge when "Worst That Could Happen" peaked at #3 {for 2 weeks}...
    Johnny Maestro, born John Mastrangelo, passed away at the age of 70 on March 24th, 2010...
    May he R.I.P.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 15 1968, the Brooklyn Bridge performed "Worst that Could Happen" on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'...
    {See the next three posts below}.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyHere's from obscure trivia:
    On May 24th 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge, which connects Manhattan and Brooklyn, opened to traffic...
    And eighty-five years later on December 21st, 1968 the Brooklyn Bridge entered the Top 100 with "Worst That Could Happen"...
    {See next two posts below}.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 26th 1969, "Worst That Could Happen" by the Brooklyn Bridge peaked at #3 (for 2 weeks) on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart...
    The two weeks it was at #3 the records at #1 and #2 remained the same for both those weeks; #1 was "Crimson and Clover" by Tommy James and the Shondells and #2 was "Everyday People" by Sly and the Family Stone.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 21st 1968 "Worst That Could Happen" by Johnny Maestro & the Brooklyn Bridge entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; and on January 26th, 1969 it peaked at #3 (for 2 weeks) and spent 12 weeks on the Top 100...
    Lead singer Johnny Maestro is a dual member of the Vocal Group Hall of Fame; first with the Crests in 2004 and with the Brooklyn Bridge in 2005...
    R.I.P. Mr. Maestro, born John Mastrangelo, 1939 - 2010.
  • Jordan from Los Angeles, CaThis song is noted for the quoting from Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" from "A Midsummer's Nights Dream", heard at the conclusion of the song. In the 5th Dimension version, The March is heard in the electric organ, while in the Brooklyn Bridge version, the March is quoted by a handful of trumpets.
  • Art from Minneapolis, MnAlways one of the best ever,heard it first in Nam '69. What a beautiful song and awesome job by Johnny. Like to think it got me through a lot...RIP Johnny.
  • Nick from Grand Prairie,I love this song, but I always thought it was funny that the guy was saying that her marrying someone else was the worst that could happen, well, you know, other than actually marrying you myself!
  • Tom from Springfield, OhThis is a song with lyrics that had real life meaning to it. The emotional tug it had on your heart. The easy to remember lyrics gives it a quality and format that is easy to sing over and over again when you want to feel unselfish for the greater good of someone else. A true shame the brooklyn bridge didn't have a longer life span.
  • Stormy from Kokomo, InI first saw Brooklyn Bridge when I visited my good friend Danny Fawcett from Kokomo, Indiana in 1969 at Franklin College in Franklin, Indiana. He was his fraternity's president and set me up with a date for the evening. I don't remember anything about the girl, but I do remember the 11 piece band and how great Johnny Maestro sang!
  • Camille from Toronto, OhThe Brooklyn Bridge version starts out "Girl, I heard you're getting married" and continues on in that fashion, slightly different than the lyrics listed here. The song rocks, but the true clincher comes towards the end when the horns very dramatically hit the first few notes of the "Wedding March" as the singer passionately laments losing this woman to another. Fabulous.
  • Kevin from Syracuse, UtJimmy Webb recorded his own intensely personal version of this fine song. It appears on the CD "Ten Easy Pieces." I much prefer it to the hit version by the Brooklyn Bridge. So does my wife. We were driving through a lonely expanse of Wyoming about a year ago and I put it on the CD player. Now, my wife is not an overly sentimental or emotional person. But I looked over at her partway through the song and saw her wiping away tears. I had never seen her react that way to a song before.
  • Howard from St. Louis Park, MnThe original version was recorded by The Fifth Dimension but it wasn't a hit. The song appeared on an album as a medley with Wedding Bell Blues.
  • Fred from Summit, NeThe Brooklyn Bridge was the joining of two established groups, the Del-Satins and the Rhythm Heritage. At the time, Maestro was fronting the Del-Satins which included Fred Ferrara and Les Cauchi. There were no recordings issued by the then trio, who had only been performing together as such for a matter of months before the Bridge was built.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks

Ron and Russell Mael of SparksSongwriter Interviews

The men of Sparks on their album Hippopotamus, and how Morrissey handled it when they suggested he lighten up.

Kim Thayil of Soundgarden

Kim Thayil of SoundgardenSongwriter Interviews

Their frontman (Chris Cornell) started out as their drummer, so Soundgarden takes a linear approach when it comes to songwriting. Kim explains how they do it.

Band Names

Band NamesFact or Fiction

Was "Pearl" Eddie Vedder's grandmother, and did she really make a hallucinogenic jam? Did Journey have a contest to name the group? And what does KISS stand for anyway?

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17Songwriter Interviews

Martyn talks about producing Tina Turner, some Heaven 17 hits, and his work with the British Electric Foundation.

Amy Grant

Amy GrantSongwriter Interviews

The top Contemporary Christian artist of all time on song inspirations and what she learned from Johnny Carson.

Songs About Movies

Songs About MoviesSong Writing

Iron Maiden, Adele, Toto, Eminem and Earth, Wind & Fire are just some of the artists with songs directly inspired by movies - and not always good ones.