“The Best Day”
George Strait
Written by Carson Chamberlain and Dean Dillon
Radio & Records
#1 (3 weeks)
April 14 – April 28, 2000
Billboard
#1 (3 weeks)
April 22 – May 6, 2000
Turn of the century George Strait deserves a fresh look.
He put out so many interesting singles around this time, from “We Really Shouldn’t Be Doing This” and “Meanwhile” to “Murder On Music Row” and “Don’t Make Me Come Over There and Love You.”
I was incredibly dismissive of “The Best Day” back in the day. It felt so sappy to me right out of the gate. But listening to it as a father and grandfather instead of a college kid, I’m deeply moved by the raw emotion in Strait’s voice as he sings about his son.
It’s such an emotionally healthy relationship, too. No pathos or tension here. Just a dad taking a genuine interest in his son, spending quality time with him, and modeling how to be a good husband when he grows up.
It’s a masterclass in parenting, and a damn good country record, too.
“The Best Day” gets an A.
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I love this song. One of my personal Strait favorites, because I think of all the time I’ve spent with my dad doing things together, like fishing, going for motorcycle rides, attending motorsports events, and sailing. My dad is still my favorite person to talk to and hang out with, and I’m so fortunate to still have him around. This song hits me in such a real way.
I absolutely adore this song. It’s one of the most heartwarming and endearing country songs I know, and I love how it portrays a healthy, positive relationship between the father and son all the way through. It also gives me that warm and comforting feeling every time I hear it because it always reminds me of happier times when my parents and I were taking trips to Lancaster and York, Pennsylvania all throughout late 1999 and the year 2000. As soon as I hear that opening piano, it feels like I’m back in Pennsylvania during the Winter in late ’99 or early 2000 with the comfort of still having all of my parents around and just being happy. Things had gotten a bit rougher for me at school as an awkward autistic teen, but I always felt happier and safer whenever I did special things together with my parents during that time, and I still look back on those times very fondly.
I also thought this song was a bit sappy the first couple times I heard it. To me, it was definitely something different coming from Strait that I wasn’t used to at the time, since he had released mainly songs about love or love gone wrong up until that point. The only other time I remembered hearing a father son relationship song or family centric song from him was “Love Without End, Amen” which had been ten years earlier when I was only five (I had not yet rediscovered the excellent “So Much Like My Dad” yet). I eventually grew to really like it though. I especially remember thinking it was neat that the boy in the song also turned 15 in the second act of the song, since I also turned 15 in 2000 when the song was still climbing the charts. I remember one day my step dad was singing along to the song in the car as he was driving me to school in May of 2000, after it had already been out for a good while. When it was over and the DJ said it was George Strait, he was actually surprised to learn it was George singing the song, which also surprised me at the time, since I thought he would’ve already known. But knowing that it was a different kind of song than what he usually sang, plus that fact that Strait’s voice had matured a bit and deepened with age by this time, I can see where he was coming from.
Of course, the song always reminds me of the wonderful times I had with both my dad and step dad, as well, and not a day goes by that I don’t wish that I could still do things together with them or do things together as a family like we still did not too long ago before I lost them. Both my dad and step dad were also the ones who had the most genuine interest in my love for country music, and I always wish I could still have good conversations about the music with them or reminisce about great memories I have with them that involve a certain song, artist, or album. I just miss being able to talk to them, period.
This song also brings to mind another thing I miss hearing in mainstream country nowadays, which is feel good, family centric country songs such as this (Phil Vassar’s “Just Another Day In Paradise” and some of Lonestar’s songs also come to mind, or to go back farther, some of Paul Overstreet’s singles). Besides new traditionalist country, attention for female country artists, and songs with mature/sensitive subject matter, it seems like “family country” is another aspect of mainstream country that’s gone by the wayside ever since bro-country took over in the next decade. Though by the middle of the 2000s I was growing tired of such songs, I now find them refreshing since it seems like kids and families are rarely ever sung about in mainstream country anymore. I hardly ever follow or pay attention to what’s on the charts anymore, so take my comments for what they’re worth, but I still get the feeling it’s still mostly stuck with the usual tired themes of country lifestyle pride, mentioning trucks and alcoholic beverages as much as possible, hookup songs, and angry break up songs.
Also, I couldn’t agree more that late 90s and early 2000s George Strait deserves more appreciation. Some of my most favorite songs and albums of his came out during that period, and I consider that era of his career to be one of my sweet spots when it comes to Strait and his music. I especially really love “Meanwhile,” as well, and really wish that one had also gone to number one. “What Do You Say To That” is another one of my all time favorites that seems to be very underrated these days. That one is a fine example of George at his smooth and elegant best, imo. I also consider his self-titled album from 2000 to be his most underappreciated album (besides 1992’s Holding My Own).
I’m afraid my impression of this song is consistent with how you felt about it as a college kid and how I felt about it as a college kid. I gave it a fresh listen tonight and to paraphrase Jo Dee Messina: “sorry man…just…nothing!” Arrested development on my part given my failure to reproduce? Probably part of it, but whatever the case I’m gonna have to be the wet blanket on this song and this era of George Strait generally where I thought he was overstaying his shelf life. I’ll admit to having a lingering chip on my shoulder over the fact that I couldn’t turn on my radio for five minutes in the summer of 1999 without having the dreadful “Write This Down” shoved down my throat.
Even as someone who is partial to tender memories with family and friends and have my own “best day of my life” associations with my dad, nothing about this performance gave me the tingles or rose above the predictable formula. This song was an instant replay of Boy Howdy’s “They Don’t Make ‘Em Like That Anymore”…but less catchy.
Grade: C-
“Murder on Music Row” also contributed to my agitation with King George in this era. It struck me as little more than self-indulgent gatekeeping. In retrospect, it was probably more likely that it was Alan Jackson’s hobby horse and George probably went along with a “yeah, whatever” shrug, but consistent with my review of the Hag’s song yesterday, I’m not a big of fan of songs that exist primarily to cast shame on “the other guy”.
This is one of many songs that demonstrates just how consistent George Strait was as a recording artist. I don’t regard this as a great song, but it certainly was very good. Somewhat akin to Kevin’s current experience, back then I was listening to it as a father and grandfather (and nowadays as a great grandfather). I too find that I am moved by the raw emotion in Strait’s voice as he sings about his son. This is a definite B+ in my book.
Hard for me as a kid who lived going fishing with his dad to numerous fishing holes, including Big Winnie in northern Minnesota and Lost Land Lake on Wisconsin, not to feel this song. Those special trips did feel like the best days of my young life. Perhaps I over-value those memories because I lost my dad to pancreatic cancer when I was 12 years old.
As a father of two teenage boys now, I do thrill at the opportunity to share other touchstone teen-events with them that I missed experiencing with my own father.
I guess that means I cannot be terribly objective with this Straight single because perspective matters.
I will, however, echo appreciating Strait’s sentimental sincerity in his vocal performance. He is still a master of phrasing and emoting.
Next to what I said about singing patriotic songs, executing overtly sentimental songs well is just as challenging and fraught with risk.
When does sincerity become saccharine? When does a memory go from from being heartfelt to Hallmark? When does too-close emotional sharing crossover to manipulative and cliche exhibitionism?
I think Strait stays on the right side of those divides throughout this hit song.
It just might be easier to stick to singing about neon lights, barstools, and jukeboxes.