An Eternal Voice Reflects on the Quiet Triumphs of a Well-Lived Life
There are certain voices, certain artists, who serve as a beautiful, timeless soundtrack to our most cherished memories. The velvety baritone of Johnny Mathis is one of them. By 1979, the year his album The Best Days of My Life was released, he was already a cultural icon, the undisputed “Voice of Romance” whose decades of work spanned the eras from classic pop standards to the burgeoning Adult Contemporary sound. The title track, “The Best Days of My Life,” encapsulates the contemplative warmth of his later career, offering a tender message that resonated deeply with a generation looking back on their own winding paths.
The song was the centerpiece of the album of the same name, The Best Days of My Life, which was released in January 1979 on Columbia Records. While the album itself marked a moderate success—peaking at Number 122 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart and reaching Number 38 on the UK Albums Chart—the emotional power of the track transcends its chart metrics. It wasn’t a massive pop single like his earlier hits or his incredible 1978 duet “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late,” but it was a quiet, powerful statement of personal satisfaction and maturity, fitting perfectly into the Easy Listening landscape of the time.
What makes this song so significant is its profound, yet simple, story and meaning. Penned by Cheryl Christiansen, Arnold Goland, and the album’s producer, Jack Gold, the lyrics speak to a moment of quiet epiphany. Instead of waiting for some grand future event or wistfully looking back at youth, the song offers the comforting wisdom that right now—this present moment—is the time we will one day remember as the “best days of our lives.” Mathis delivers the sentiment with the sincere, almost spiritual elegance for which he is renowned. It’s a beautifully arranged piece, featuring the lush, soaring strings and gentle orchestral sweep that were the hallmark of a great Johnny Mathis ballad, wrapping the listener in a blanket of reflective peace.
For those of us coming into our middle years in the late 70s, it felt like an antidote to the era’s pervasive angst and disco fever. While the world rushed to the beat of “Begin the Beguine” (which, interestingly, was given a disco arrangement on this very same album!), “The Best Days Of My Life” was the moment to slow down, hold a loved one close, and appreciate the enduring beauty of domestic life. It evokes those wonderful, sometimes bittersweet, memories of raising a family, settling into a comfortable routine, and realizing that the daily joys—the small triumphs and quiet moments of connection—are the true treasures. When Mathis’s incomparable voice swelled to hit those high, clear notes, you weren’t just listening to a song; you were experiencing a moment of genuine, tear-in-your-eye gratitude for a life well-lived. It’s a testament to the enduring genius of Johnny Mathis that he could take a simple composition and elevate it to such a level of poignant, timeless emotion. He didn’t just sing the song; he made it feel like a cherished memory we had all somehow shared.