In 1959, Ross was brought to the attention of Milton Jenkins, the manager of the local doo-wop group The Primes, by Mary Wilson. Primes member Paul Williams convinced Jenkins to enlist Ross in the sister group The Primettes, which included Wilson, Florence Ballard and Betty McGlown.
In 1976, Billboard magazine named her the female entertainer of the century. In 1993, The Guinness Book Of World Records listed her as the most successful female artist ever (the title is now attributed to Madonna), partly due to her combined total of eighteen number-one singles, six of them recorded solo and the remaining dozen from her work with the Supremes.
Ross was also one of the few pop singers to find modest success in the acting world winning an Academy Award nomination for her role as Billie Holiday in the 1972 film, "Lady Sings the Blues" as well as having hits with other film roles such as "Mahogany", "Out of Darkness" and "Double Platinum", not to mention her role in "The Wiz".
Ross has been awarded many lifetime achievement accolades from many organizations and media outlets: she has been featured on BET, Soul Train, and awarded multiple times at the NAACP Image Awards, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007 and given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement in 2011.
Ross' professional vocal collaborators have included the following during her career: Marvin Gaye, Lionel Richie, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Julio Iglesias, Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, and Smokey Robinson, among many others.
Best Years of My Life
Diana Ross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I recall the scenes that never die
One fine day
One fine night
You loving me
On and on and on
We took our love as far as love can go
You've given me the best years of my life
When I play my memories again
I feel all the pleasure and the pain
Love can hurt
Love can heal
Oh, how we hurt and healed ourselves again
We took our souls as far as souls can go
You've given me the best years of my life
You've given me the best years of my life
Bring on the storm
We'll see it through
We'll take it all
All life can do
Right to the end
We'll say let's begin
You've given me the best years of my life
I wanna thank you
I wanna thank you
You've given me the best years of my life
I wanna thank you
For the best years of my life
In Diana Ross's song, Best Years of My Life, she reflects on her past love and how it has impacted her life. The lyrics convey a sense of nostalgia as she remembers the moments that have shaped her as a person. The idea that life goes by quickly is something that Ross brings to the forefront of the song. She emphasizes this by recalling "the scenes that never die." These lines evoke a sense of longing and a desire to hold on to the significant moments in her life.
Ross's lyrics describe the ups and downs of love, where it can both hurt and heal. She acknowledges the pain and the pleasure of love but is grateful for the moments she shared with her lover. Their love has taken them as far as it can, and Ross cherishes the bond they share. The repetition of the phrase "You've given me the best years of my life" hammered this point home, emphasizing the gratitude she feels towards her lover.
In the final verse, Ross seems to be singing to her love directly, reassuring them in the face of any storm, bringing the song's theme to the present. Here, she once again expresses her appreciation and gratitude, thanking her lover for the joy and happiness they have brought her. Overall, this beautiful song depicts the power of love to shape a person's life and leave beautiful memories that one would always cherish.
Line by Line Meaning
Everytime I feel how life goes by
Whenever I contemplate the passage of time
I recall the scenes that never die
I remember the memories that remain vivid
One fine day
A specific day in the past
One fine night
A specific night in the past
You loving me
When you expressed affection towards me
On and on and on
Continuously and without end
We took our love as far as love can go
Our love reached its maximum potential
You've given me the best years of my life
You provided me with the most enjoyable and fulfilling experiences
When I play my memories again
Upon revisiting my recollections
I feel all the pleasure and the pain
I experience both positive and negative emotions
Love can hurt
Love can cause pain
Love can heal
Love can provide comfort and repair
Oh, how we hurt and healed ourselves again
We repeatedly inflicted harm and then mended ourselves
We took our souls as far as souls can go
Our bond reached a profound level
Bring on the storm
We are prepared to face any challenge
We'll see it through
We will persevere until the end
We'll take it all
We will endure any hardship
All life can do
Any obstacle that may arise
Right to the end
Until the very last moment
We'll say let's begin
We will embrace every new experience
I wanna thank you
I express gratitude towards you
For the best years of my life
For the most joyful and significant moments I have experienced
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEPHEN ALLEN DAVIS, WILL JENNINGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RICKRIODEJANEIRO
Everytime I feel how life goes by
I recall the scenes that never die
One fine day
One fine night
You loving me
On and on and on
We took our love as far as love can go
You've given me the best years of my life
When I play my memories again
I feel all the pleasure and the pain
Love can hurt
Love can heal
Oh, how we hurt and healed ourselves again
We took our souls as far as souls can go
You've given me the best years of my life
You've given me the best years of my life
Bring on the storm
We'll see it through
We'll take it all
All life can do
Right to the end
We'll say let's begin
You've given me the best years of my life
I wanna thank you
I wanna thank you
You've given me the best years of my life
I wanna thank you
For the best years of my life
@MissRossTV
+Nandy Ross
Hi Nandy,
I think you're a little bit confused when you suggest that DianaRossTV uploads the same videos that have been already uploaded and shared by other sites and channels dedicated to Diana Ross. Over a year ago I began this channel with the only need to contribute in the preserving of Diana Ross' artistic legacy, as to regard their official videography, until now.
I have some other ideas and projects for this channel. Anyway, I cannot support them now; however, I want to clarify to you that all videos you watch here, yes, are in low resolution just because I want them to be seen in any platform, what I mean is: none impediment to be watched from mobile devices with weak connections.
I decided to create this channel because the pretty limited list of videos in "official channels"; as you see, until now DianaRossTV is meant to show the Diana Ross' official videography, but two videos: "Endless Love" (taken from a VCD of the '82 Academy Awards, which I own) and "If We Hold On Together" (taken from the official DVD "Christmas in Vienna", which I also own a copy).
All "Uploaded Videos" are part of my personal collection that has taken me two years to get: AVI or VOB files that weigh more than 160 MB. Videos like "Missing You", "Dirty Looks" and "When You Tell Me That You Love", which if you realize are complete, from start to finish without "the 8 seconds intro" that the collection "One Woman" included to each video clip. Although the three videos I listed contain mentions or watermarks, from "video services" sources, as "Telegenics", in other cases "Mix Mash".
For example, "This House" was uploaded on July 30, 2014, hours after being created this channel; the source of this video is "Video Service 'Telegenics'". Before "DianaRossTV" upload "This House", this video was not available, much less any version with the logo "Telegenics". I checked other pages and channels where now "This House" is also included. Some of those versions of "This House" coincidently include the mention "Telegenics". I never claimed to anyone. I will not do it, for one reason only: none video is mine. Each video or song belongs to the producers. All I want is more people to remember or to acknowledge the artistic legacy of Diana Ross, in an atmosphere of recognition, respect and true facts. Today in this channel, the official video of "This House" which is not one of the most successful singles of our beloved Diana, has more than 5000 views. Yes, the third most viewed in this humble channel.
"Upload dates" are not decorative, and you are free to compare any mention or watermark of the different sources from where the video clips were originally taken: video sevices, official DVDs, VHS transferred to digital formats. That job will surely make you to review your asseveration.
Thanks for watching! Enjoy DianaRossTV!
@Nilag
The velvet voice! Thank you too Diana!
@anubisjohnson4568
SHE'S BEAUTIFUL😍✨
@brendaheiser8962
She has given me the best years of my life long time fan Thank you
Miss Ross
@motownfan3
I agree with you 100 % I have been a fan since 1963 when i was a13 year old kid.............it is now 2022 and I'm still a " DIE-HARD FAN"........... !!!
@NewYorkCityGritty5
What a beautiful a person and voice.She knows what class is.
@70tezskin
Thank you Diana for giving the world the best years of your life ❤️
@ianspencer7165
Omg, love this song and just realised theres a video... it's one of those tunes that can bring a tear to a glass eye xx
@johnsegreti8367
Love your comment
It can bring a tear to a glass eye
@sandrakelley87
The absolute best song ever. I saw her years ago at Ceasars Palace. Was spectacular. I just cry every time I listen to this song 💕.
@motownfan3
Sandra you are 100% correct. This song will rip your HEART OUT.....WOW !!!