Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)

Album: Arthur Soundtrack (1981)
Charted: 7 1
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  • Once in your life you find her
    Someone that turns your heart around
    And next thing you know you're closing down the town
    Wake up and it's still with you
    Even though you left her way across town
    Wondering to yourself, "Hey, what've I found?"

    When you get caught between the moon and New York City
    I know it's crazy, but it's true
    If you get caught between the moon and New York City
    The best that you can do
    The best that you can do is fall in love

    Arthur he does as he pleases
    All of his life, he's mastered choice
    Deep in his heart, he's just, he's just a boy
    Living his life one day at a time
    And showing himself a really good time
    Laughing about the way they want him to be

    When you get caught between the moon and New York City
    I know it's crazy, but it's true
    If you get caught between the moon and New York City
    The best that you can do (the best that you can do)
    The best that you can do is fall in love

    When you get caught between the moon and New York City
    I know it's crazy, but it's true
    If you get caught between the moon and New York City
    The best that you can do (the best that you can do)
    The best that you can do is fall in love

    When you get caught between the moon and New York City
    I know it's crazy, but it's true
    If you get caught between the moon and New York City
    The best that you can do (the best that you can do)
    The best that you can do is fall in love

    When you get caught between the moon and New York City
    (I know it's crazy) Writer/s: Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, Christopher Cross, Peter Woolnough Allen
    Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 9

  • Jeff from BostonDuring the last couple choruses of the song, the word "caught" is sustained in a swelling backing vocal track over "the moon". As a result, it always sounded to me like the lyric at that point becomes, "If you get caught between *God* and New York City". Unintentional, but it makes for a nice poetic twist as both God and the moon represent aspiration or inspiration compared with the worldly reality of New York City.
  • Jessica from UsaI hate to burst flight attendant, Susan Lina's bubble, but the lyrics, "When you get caught between the moon and New York City" were originally written for an unreleased song that Peter Allen and Carole Bayer Sager wrote in 1976, entitled "The Moon and New York City". Carole took the lyrics from the song and added it to "Arthur's Theme" and voila, a new song was born! Those were the only lyrics that Peter contributed to "Arthur's theme". Here is the copyright record for the 1976 song from the United States Copyright Office's website:
    The moon and New York City. w & m Peter Allen & Carole Bayer Sager.
    Type of Work: Music
    Registration Number / Date: RE0000891094 / 2003-12-31
    Renewal registration for: EU0000679870 (CA/PAu 318-213) / 1976-05-10
    Title: The moon and New York City. w & m Peter Allen & Carole Bayer Sager.
    Copyright Claimant: Irving Music, Inc. & Woolnough Music, Inc. (PWH)
    Variant title: The moon and New York City.
    Names: Allen, Peter
    Sager, Carole Bayer
    Irving Music, Inc.
    Woolnough Music, Inc.
  • Sam from RaleighAll of this stuff about Christopher Cross on here, but no mention of his comeback in the 1990s, when he switched to rap, hired those two kids to dance in his videos, and changed the spelling of his name to Kriss Kross?
  • Dan from VancouverTowards the end of the song, the lyrics sound like "When you get caught between DAWN and New York City"
  • Texas Mike from Texas The love of my life was killed when this song was number one. I can’t put a connection together, if there is one.
  • Emmalyn from Cagayan De Oro City, Philippinesi always heard these song in the radio but i always take it for granted, but when sumtyms a man from the past well always remind me through these song...i miss him so much,
  • Cynthia from Scranton, PaThis is a beautiful song. I'm gonna name a son Arthur one day.
  • Sara from Silver Spring, MdThe song is in the musical The Boy From Oz about the life story of Peter Allen the songwriter known for his marriage to Liza Minnelli. Liza was
    in the film but never sang it. The line in the chorus "When you get caught"... was Allen's only line from a song he and Bayer Sager wroter years earlier but never finished.
  • Enrique from Lima, PeruThis song was produced by Michael Omartian, the same guy who produced his multi-awarded album SAILING.
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