Best Of All Time Lyrics, and What the Song Means
Best Of All Time is out now. Here are the words, and a few notes on where they came from.
The full lyrics
We're the best of all time
I used to shy away from controversy I kept my heart underground You used to hide out in the shadows like me I saw you dancing with doubt
You make me feel something baby Lighting up the dark The world is going crazy Again
So heal with me baby Ride it to the stars I'm thinking maybe We can make it new
Ooh just imagine what a thrill it would be To make them all surrender Dive into forever with me
All night You make me a believer Hands high A supersonic fever My my A legendary team When we get together we're the best of all time
All night I'll give you my attention Spotlight We'll turn it to eleven Damn right A legendary team When we get together we're the best of all time
We're the best of all time We're the best of all time
People never thought we'd make it this far But now we're breaking the cage Guess they don't know the fire we start And now they're feeling the flames
You make me feel something baby Lighting up the dark The world is going crazy Again
So heal with me baby Ride it to the stars I'm thinking maybe We can make it new
Ooh just imagine what a thrill it would be To make them all surrender Two of us is better Dive into forever with me
All night You make me a believer Hands high A supersonic fever My my A legendary team When we get together we're the best of all time
All night I'll give you my attention Spotlight We'll turn it to eleven Damn right A legendary team When we get together we're the best of all time
Written by SHAB, Bonnie McKee and JHart. Produced by Damon Sharpe.
The title is plural, and that matters
"When we get together we're the best of all time."
Not me. Us. If you read the title as a brag you have the song backwards. It is about what two people are capable of that neither one is alone, and I mean that as widely as it can be taken. A partner, a friend, a sister, a room full of people at a show.
The first verse is about recognizing someone
I used to shy away from controversy I kept my heart underground You used to hide out in the shadows like me I saw you dancing with doubt
That is two people who have both been keeping quiet, finding each other. "Dancing with doubt" is the line I am proudest of on this record, because that is exactly what it looks like from outside. Somebody moving, and unsure.
I kept my heart underground for a long time. I had reasons. This verse is what it feels like when you meet someone who did the same and stopped.
"The world is going crazy, again"
That word is doing work.
Again. Not for the first time. I was eight when I left Iran and I have been watching the world do this for my entire life. The song does not pretend otherwise. It just refuses to make that the ending.
The second verse is the fight
People never thought we'd make it this far But now we're breaking the cage Guess they don't know the fire we start And now they're feeling the flames
This is the one that made the song for me. Everyone has a version of it. Someone decided early what you were capable of, and they were wrong, and the good part is not proving it to them. The good part is that you stopped needing to.
Where the Persian part is
In the strings.
Listen to the pre-chorus, the "so heal with me baby" section. The violins are where the Persian sensibility lives on this record. It is not a sample and it is not decoration. It is the part of me that does not translate, carried into an English-language pop song, arriving intact.
What I want it to do
I want you to play it loud.
I have written songs to be sat with. This one is not that. It is a reminder to dance, and I need that reminder as much as anyone.
FAQ
Who wrote Best Of All Time? SHAB wrote it with songwriters Bonnie McKee and JHart. It was produced by GRAMMY-winning producer Damon Sharpe.
What does Best Of All Time mean? It is about the people who lift you up when you need it most. The title is plural: "when we get together we're the best of all time." It refers to what two people are capable of together, not to SHAB alone.
What is the line "dancing with doubt" about? It describes recognizing someone who is moving through life while unsure of themselves, the way SHAB had been. The first verse is about two people who had both kept quiet finding each other.
Is Best Of All Time about a romantic relationship? SHAB has said it covers family, partners, friends and anyone who reminds you of your strength. It reads as a love song and is not limited to one.
Where can I listen to Best Of All Time? It is out now on all major streaming platforms, and the official music video is on YouTube.
Best Of All Time is out now. Listen · Watch the official video
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