How Vanessa Williams’ Biggest Hit Mirrored Her Career Trajectory

It doesn’t happen that often. But now and again, an artist’s biggest hit somehow ties into their story in a way that makes it an extremely fitting triumph. Vanessa Williams knew that phenomenon to some extent when she topped the charts in 1992 with the song “Save The Best For Last”.

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Although she didn’t write it, the song’s message of happiness after a long period of trials and tribulations dovetailed with her story. Her lovely, lived-in performance of the song only made the connection to her life that much stronger.

Rising from Controversy

Vanessa Williams’ career was synonymous with scandal for way too long. In July 1984, less than a year after being named the first Black Miss America winner, she resigned her title. Nude photos of her leaked out without her consent, forcing her decision.

One could argue that the hullabaloo surrounding all this gave Williams more recognition than the average pageant winner. Nonetheless, it was still something that stuck with her as she began a music career in the late 80s. She was positioned in the R&B lane, but she actually did best when tackling ballads.

In 1991, Williams’ second album, The Comfort Zone, arrived on shelves. After a pair of uptempo songs were released as the first two singles, she chose a ballad for the next release. It was “Save The Best For Last”, which would give Williams her first and only pop No. 1.

“Best” Intentions

“Save The Best For Last”, written by the team of Phil Galdston, Jon Lind, and Wendy Waldman, had been offered to several notable female singers. All had passed. Perhaps Williams realized that there were subtle lyrical connections to her own life in there.

Luckily for Williams, the song might not have been so suitable had not Waldman entered into the songwriting mix. Galdston and Lind had the title and melody in place. But the idea that they had for the lyrics was sarcastic and downcast. The title referred to the narrator complaining that their significant other was leaving as the final act of their relationship.

Waldman spun it on its axis 180 degrees and gave it a happy ending. The song ended up detailing a romance that finally found fruition after years of one party missing what was right in front of them. With Williams’ singing the undulating melody in stirring fashion, it was a no-brainer smash.

Behind the Lyrics of “Save The Best For Last”

As mentioned above, “Save The Best For Last” technically refers to a romance. But it’s easy to find parallels to William’s career trajectory. After all, here she was, not even a decade after the Miss America imbroglio, on top of the charts with these lyrics: “Just when I thought our chance had passed / You go and save the best for last.”

And how about these lines: “It’s not the way I hoped or how I planned / But somehow it’s enough.” In the context of Williams’ life, the opening lines (“Sometimes the snow comes down in June / Sometimes the sun goes ‘round the moon”) speak to the vagaries of fate and how it takes a special kind of perseverance to withstand them.

“Save The Best For Last” helped send Williams’ music career to another level. She has also scored massive success as an actress on stage and screen along the way. Thanks in part to her most famous song, she has long since transcended the rocky patch that first put her in the spotlight.

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