Best Of My Love

Album: On The Border (1974)
Charted: 1
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Songfacts®:

  • "Best Of My Love" is often played at weddings and anywhere else one wants to demonstrate affection, but it's really a breakup song: "You see it your way, and I see it mine, and we both see it slipping away." No happy ending here, just a guy who gave it his best, but things didn't work out.

    According to Don Henley, who sings lead on the track, he, J.D. Souther and Glenn Frey wrote some of the lyrics over libations at the Los Angeles restaurant Dan Tana's, where they were regulars. There, they studied women and relationships. Henley says they were "typical, frustrated, young men" at the time.
  • The phrase "Best Of My Love" conveys a powerful sentiment, and the title was used in 1977 for a disco song by The Emotions that also hit #1 in the US, marking the fist time that two different songs with the same title hit the top spot.
  • This is one of several Eagles songs with a contribution from an outside writer. J.D. Souther, who also had a hand in "Heartache Tonight," "New Kid In Town," "Victim Of Love" and "James Dean," wrote it with Glenn Frey and Don Henley.

    Souther and Frey made an album together in 1969 and remained good friends. He wasn't Frey's only talented buddy: Jack Tempchin, who wrote the Eagles classics "Peaceful Easy Feeling" and "Already Gone" was another, as was Jackson Browne, who wrote "Take It Easy."
  • This ballad was the first US #1 hit for the Eagles, but it was just the third single from the album. The first two, "Already Gone" and "James Dean," didn't do much damage on the charts, but "Best Of My Love" found a huge audience, also reaching #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
  • On The Border was the third Eagles album, and like their first two, they started recording it in London with producer Glyn Johns. This time, the band abandoned the sessions and recorded most of the album with Bill Szymczyk. Glyn Johns thought of the Eagles as an acoustic act, and helped them create several hits with this sound, including "Witchy Woman" and "Peaceful Easy Feeling." The band members, especially Glenn Frey, thought they should be rocking harder, and the Eagles eventually found success with rockers like "Life In The Fast Lane" and "Heartache Tonight."

    "Best Of My Love" was one of two that was leftover from the Glyn Johns sessions and included on On The Border.
  • According to Glenn Frey, he came up with the guitar part on this song when attempting to work with a tuning that Joni Mitchell showed him (he and Mitchell were a couple in 1973-1974). He ended up going into a totally different tuning and coming up with the sound.
  • The distinctive steel guitar on this track was played by Bernie Leadon, the band member most influenced by country music.
  • On The Border came out in April 1974, but this song was not released as a single until November and didn't hit the top spot until March 1975. This helped keep the Eagles on the airwaves while they prepared their next album, One Of These Nights, which came out in June 1975.
  • The single was edited for radio, cut to 3:25 from the 4:34 album version.
  • An unusual cover of this song was by the trumpet player Hugh Masekela, who recorded it on his 1977 album, Melody Maker.

Comments: 18

  • Duane D from KutztownI absolutely agree with Ron from Pensacola. No-one "gets the best of my love" in a break up. That would be past tense - "you got the best of my love". This is a plea to keep giving - "I know you were trying to give me best of your love". The relationship has not yet failed, nor is it destined to fail. With tears i can tell you that countless times in our nearly 36 year marriage I could have Sung this song - there were whole years it was torture, but I wouldn't trade a moment of it to escape the pain and notch a failed relationship. To this day we often misunderstand each other but we know we are getting the best of each other's love...
    So the song then continues right through the fade out o-o-o-ohhhh, sweet darlin' you GET the best of my love [you get the best of my love],
    O-o-o-ohhhh sweet darlin' (ev'ry night and day) you get the best of my love...
  • Meghan K from New HampshireTo Lorena, not sure how old this thread is, but I just want say how much your comment about this song touched me. I’m so sorry to hear of the passing of your son. Your strength and being able to talk about it is so inspirational. I’m so sorry to hear that The disease of addiction sunk its teeth into him. I just wanted to let you know that there’s a heart in New Hampshire that feels for you. I’m sure your son was an amazing person and you certainly are an amazing woman being able to discuss the passing of your son while also offering such a great advice to others.
  • Andrew from Las Vegas"Two different songs with the same title hit the top spot." How about Venus?
  • Lorena from New Bern, NcHey y'all, I've always loved the sweet, mellow tone of this song but it has taken a different meaning to me. This past November my son passed away at the age of 30. His alcohol addiction caused him to finally succumb to liver, kidney and heart failure. He was in and out of rehab, hospitals and detox centers with some periods of staying sober, only to fall back with old friends (dark crowd) and begin drinking again. He did always try in his way to give us the best of his love, as much as he could and we gave him ours. He was sweet and wonderful, but he was in such pain towards the end, that no amount of love was ever enough, the only thing that helped him was the alcohol, he was so far gone and we could both see his life slipping away. You can imagine how worried for him we were and all the sleepless nights wondering how he was. When I sleep I dream of his sweet face- if I could go on sleeping.... I don't worry for him anymore as he is resting in peace. I hope I haven't put a damper on this song. it is so beautiful and Don Henley's voice is gold. The reason I chose to share is to let you know there is so much help out there. Please, if you have any kind of addiction seek help, seek help, seek help! There is no shame in asking for help to get better, your family needs you.
  • Mrcleaveland from Cleveland,I agree with oldpink below. How could anyone play this at a wedding? This is a sitting at the bar at 2 a.m. crying-jag getting ready to drunk-dial song. Don't lyrics mean anything? Reminds me of when Born in the USA came out and a lot of people sang along like it was an anthem to national pride and it was pretty much the opposite.
  • Camille from Toronto, OhWhat sets this song apart from a lot of other break-up songs is its casual sound. Most break-up songs are the firey, I-want-you-to-burn-in-hell-for-what-you-did-to-me tunes. "Best of My Love" has a resigned sound to it. Mentally and emotionally this couple has already gone their separate ways. All that's left is for them to physically move apart. The singer doesn't wish any ill-will towards his lover and takes the high road by saying he knows they were both trying but it wasn't enough. So some maturity there.
  • David from Honolulu, HiAnother brilliant lyric of this song: "That same old crowd was like a cold, dark cloud that we could never rise above". Really a sad song when you think about it...a song that was co-written by J.D. Souther, Glenn Frey & Don Henley. This was The Eagles' first #1 record, as someone mentioned above.
  • Mayank from Ranchi, IndiaThis is the best love song there was, the best love song there is, and the best love song there ever will be. Its amazing. Used to be my favourite song at a time but is now my second favourite. Great guitar, tune, vocals and lyrics. Just too good. The best tune ever.
  • Tony from Eugene, OrOn further reflection,not a torch song, but a post-mortem, bittersweet to the max.
  • Tony from Eugene, OrPlayed my guitar rendition of this one on my first real date with my future wife--she sang harmony. That fond memory aside, I really believe it's about a guy who can't let go of a failed relationship (what my parents' generation called a "torch" song). It kinda blew my mind to find out that it's used as a wedding song.
  • Paul from Detroit, MiThe most sleep inducing song of all from The Eagles. I absolutely detest this song.
  • Ron from Pensacola, FlI have to disagree with some of the above which makes the song lyrics seem like a relationship that has no happy ending, the truth is the people aren't at the end of the relationship yet and the singer is making an effort to save the relationship rather than lose it.
  • Rufus from Victoria, CanadaI once spent a weekend with a group of close friends at a southern ontario beach in the dead of winter (staying in a lovely cottage, not camping) and this song was on the radio all the time while we whiled away the time playing risk and walking in the snow under the influence of some mellow intoxicant. great memories.
  • Oldpink from New Castle, InIt really is strange that this would be used at weddings, since - as always - Henley's lyrics are clear enough that you need not peak at the CD booklet.
    Why in the world would any thinking person want a breakup song for a wedding reception.
    Duh!
    Whatever, though, it really is a beautiful, nicely filled out by Leadon's steel guitar, even if it is quite sad.
  • Marc from Springfield, MbThis is one of Glenn's personal favourites from the Eagles; and he has good reason too.
    Great song to relax to and it's very easy to drift away to sleep on a warm summer's day...
  • Liz from Smallville, KsThis is a cute song. I know it's about breaking up but it's so sweet. I love it
  • Mike from Atlanta, GaThis was coming out about the time I was leaving my wife's cousin! I really loved her, and I had a crush on her from the 8th grade. I finally got to date her from my senior year through Freshman year in College. But, I finally chose the right one! I'm sure I got the right one. We have been married for 31 years! Mike
  • Guy from Woodinville, WaOnce again, billiant eveocative lyrics from our boys: "Beautiful faces and loud empty places, look at the way that we live, wastin' our time on cheap talk and wine, left us so little to give."
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