It is 1981. You are sitting in a dark theater. The screen flickers to life with a shot of a silver Rolls-Royce gliding through the neon-soaked streets of Manhattan. Then, that piano starts. It is clean, sparkling, and unmistakably Christopher Cross.
Honestly, it is the kind of song that feels like a warm hug from a guy wearing a captain's hat. Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) didn't just top the charts; it defined an entire era of "yacht rock" sophistication. But behind the shimmering production and that famous line about the moon, there is a story of a songwriter who was on top of the world and a collaboration that almost didn't happen.
Most people think of this as just a "Christopher Cross song." It isn't. Not really. It is a Frankenstein’s monster of talent, stitched together by four of the biggest names in music history.
The Night a Masterpiece Was Born at 5 AM
Christopher Cross was a titan in 1981. He had just made history by winning all four major Grammy Awards—Record, Song, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist—in a single night. He was the "it" guy. Naturally, the producers of the film Arthur, starring Dudley Moore, wanted him.
But here is the kicker: Cross was originally supposed to score the whole movie.
The director, Steve Gordon, got cold feet because Cross had never scored a film before. He brought in the legendary Burt Bacharach instead. Bacharach, being the class act he was, invited Cross to stay on and co-write the main theme with him and his then-wife, the brilliant lyricist Carole Bayer Sager.
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The session was intense. Cross has mentioned in interviews that he showed up at Bacharach’s house around midnight. They worked through the night, fueled by creative energy (and probably a lot of coffee). By 5:00 AM, they had the skeleton of a hit.
That Line About the Moon and New York City
If you know one thing about Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do), it is the chorus. “When you get caught between the moon and New York City...” It is whimsical. It is poetic. It also wasn't written for this song.
Carole Bayer Sager had been sitting on that line for years. She had originally co-written it with her ex-husband, the Australian performer Peter Allen. Allen had come up with it while his plane was stuck in a holding pattern over JFK Airport. He looked out the window, saw the moon, saw the city lights, and scribbled it down.
When they were writing the Arthur theme, Sager remembered the line and realized it fit the character of Arthur—a man perpetually stuck between his responsibilities and his whims—perfectly. They called Allen in Australia to ask if they could use it. He said yes, but he wanted a writing credit. That is why the song has four names on it: Cross, Bacharach, Sager, and Allen.
Bette Midler even joked about it at the Oscars, calling it "four on a song."
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Why the Song Still Works (Despite the "Soft" Label)
People love to poke fun at the "soft rock" or "yacht rock" genre. They call it elevator music. But if you actually listen to the musicianship on this track, it's insane.
The band was basically Toto minus a few members. You’ve got:
- Jeff Porcaro on drums (the man had the best "feel" in the business).
- Steve Lukather on guitar.
- David Hungate on bass.
- Ernie Watts on that soaring tenor sax solo.
It’s a masterclass in studio precision. The song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1981 and stayed there for three weeks. It unseated "Endless Love" by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie, which is no small feat.
The Awards Sweep
In 1982, the song took home the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Cross stood on that stage with Bacharach, Sager, and Allen, cementing his place as the definitive voice of the early 80s. It also won a Golden Globe. For a moment, Christopher Cross was untouchable.
The Myth of the "MTV Curse"
There is a common narrative that MTV killed Christopher Cross’s career because he didn’t have a "video-ready" look. While it's true that the visual era changed the stakes, Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) was actually a massive success during the rise of video.
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The real shift was just a change in musical appetite. The world moved from the lush, orchestral arrangements of Bacharach and Cross to the synth-heavy, edgy sounds of the mid-80s. Cross continued to make great music—his 1983 hit "Think of Laura" is a gem—but he never quite hit the stratospheric heights of the Arthur era again.
Honestly, that’s okay. Most artists would trade their whole career for one song that lives forever in the cultural zeitgeist like this one does.
What You Should Do Next
If you haven't heard the song in a while, do yourself a favor and listen to the remastered version on a good pair of headphones. Pay attention to the way the bass interacts with the kick drum in the second verse. It is a level of production quality that is rare in today’s "everything-at-maximum-volume" streaming world.
Beyond just listening, check out the 1981 film Arthur. It’s a bit of a time capsule, but Dudley Moore’s performance gives the lyrics a lot more weight. You realize the song isn't just about being a drunk billionaire; it’s about the vulnerability of a "boy" (as the lyrics say) who is just trying to find where he belongs.
If you’re a songwriter, study the bridge. The way Bacharach shifts the harmony there is a literal lesson in music theory that feels effortless. It’s the best that you can do, indeed.