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The Best

by Daniel Weinstein

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about

This is a song about forgiveness.

Years ago a friend's father had died. He was deeply upset because he couldn't bring himself to respect his father saying that he'd failed as a father. It was clear that he did not believe that his father had done his best. I said 'maybe not, but he probably did the best he knew how". That phrase made a difference to my friend and, perhaps, allowed him to look at his father in a different way. It stuck with me ever since.

This is also my story and possibly every parent's story. We all fail to some extent. We all could have done better and wish we had. But we all did what we knew to do. We can only hope that it was enough.

lyrics

The Best
Daniel Weinstein

Verse 1:
We started talking about nothing at all
we shared a bit of something and I started to fall
A little bit in love I guess I answered a call
Made her more than a friend

So we got married in a rush of youth
Feeling so free, playing fast and loose
I always meant well you know that's the truth
But I stuffed it up in the end

Chorus:
Wish I could say that I did my best
But it's simply not true
I could have done a whole lot better
If I'd known what to do
I did as much as who I was at the time would allow
I'd like to think that whatever I did I did the best that I knew how

Verse 2:
We brought you home your mum and me
You entered our house turned two into three
So I went to work thought my job was to be
Bringing home big buckets of security

Who knew back then what a father should be
Who knew what a little boy or girl might need
I learned too late what I needed to see
More than anything you needed more of me.

Chorus:
Wish I could say that I did my best
But it's simply not true
I could have done a whole lot better
If I'd known what to do
I did as much as who I was at the time would allow
I'd like to think that whatever I did I did the best that I knew how

Bridge (omitted from this version):
That's not to say that I didn't try
That's all I ever did and that's no lie
If I didn't live up to the standards I had
I never thought that I was doing all that bad
The only life I've known has been in my own skin
I've never been the man I wish I'd been

Chorus:
Wish I could say that I did my best
But it's simply not true
I could have done a whole lot better
If I'd known what to do
I did as much as who I was at the time would allow
I'd like to think that whatever I did I did the best that I knew how

credits

released October 9, 2021
Words and music by Daniel Weinstein
Arranged and produced by John Vallins
Vocals by Daniel Weinstein

license

all rights reserved

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about

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Daniel Weinstein Mitchells Island, Australia

I started writing songs in my late 60s and have written quite a few. During lockdown in 2020 I happened upon a beat up old blue journal that I recognised from my travels in the early 70s. In it I discovered, much to my surprise, 7 completed songs and at least a dozen songs in progress that I'd completely forgotten. Now I can confidently say I've been a songwriter for over 50 years. ... more

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