Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Cramer grew up in the small town of Huttig, Arkansas, teaching himself to play the piano. After finishing high school, he returned to Shreveport, where he worked as a pianist for the Louisiana Hayride radio show.
In 1952, he made his way to Nashville at a time when the use of piano accompanists in country music was growing in popularity. Before long, Cramer would become one of the busiest studio musicians in the industry, playing piano for stars such as Elvis Presley, Brenda Lee, Patsy Cline, The Browns, Jim Reeves, Roy Orbison, Don Gibson and the Everly Brothers, and many others. It is Cramer's piano that is heard, for example, on Presley's first national hit, "Heartbreak Hotel."
However, Cramer remained a virtual unknown to anyone but music industry insiders until he recorded a 45 rpm single in 1960 called "Last Date." An instrumental, the music exhibited a relatively new concept for piano playing known as the "slip note" style. The record went to Number two on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music chart. By the mid-1960s, Cramer had become a respected performer, making numerous record albums and touring with guitar maestro Chet Atkins and saxophonist Boots Randolph.
Floyd Cramer died of lung cancer in 1997 at the age of 64 and was interred in the Spring Hill Cemetery in the Nashville suburb of Madison, Tennessee.
In 2003, he was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee offers the "Floyd Cramer Competitive Scholarship."
Save The Best For Last
Floyd Cramer Lyrics
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Sometimes the sun goes 'round the moon
I see the passion in your eyes
Sometimes it's all a big surprise
'Cause there was a time when all I did was wish
You'd tell me this was love
It's not the way I hoped or how I planned
But somehow it's enough
And now we're standing face to face
Isn't this world a crazy place
Just when I thought our chance had passed
You go and save the best for last
All of the nights you came to me
When some silly girl had set you free
You wondered how you'd make it through
I wondered what was wrong with you
'Cause how could you give your love to someone else
And share your dreams with me
Sometimes the very thing you're looking for
Is the one thing you can't see
And now we're standing face to face
Isn't this world a crazy place
Just when I thought our chance had passed
You go and save the best for last
Sometimes the very thing you're looking for
Is the one thing you can't see
Sometimes the snow comes down in June
Sometimes the sun goes 'round the moon
Just when I thought our chance had passed
You go and save the best for last
You went and saved the best for last
The song "Save The Best For Last" by Floyd Cramer And His Orchestra is a touching ballad about a love that is unexpected, but turned out to be worth the wait. The lyrics describe how sometimes life can be unpredictable, and how time and patience can lead to a wonderful surprise. The first verse speaks about how things can happen that we don't expect, such as snow falling in June or the sun going around the moon. This leads to the main subject of the song, which is the passionate love that the singer has for someone, even though it wasn't what they hoped or planned for.
The second verse speaks about how the singer has been there for their loved one throughout their struggles with other relationships. They wonder why someone would choose to give their love to someone else instead of them. This leads to the chorus, where the singer is face to face with their loved one, and they realize that sometimes the best things in life are the ones that we don't see coming. The final chorus repeats the idea that sometimes the best things happen unexpectedly.
Overall, "Save The Best For Last" is a beautiful ballad with a message of patience and hope. The lyrics describe how even though things may not turn out the way we expect, there is still beauty in the unexpected.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes the snow comes down in June
Unexpected things happen, just like snowfall in a summer month
Sometimes the sun goes 'round the moon
Even impossible things can happen, just like the sun circling around the moon
I see the passion in your eyes
I can tell from the look in your eyes that you feel strongly about something
Sometimes it's all a big surprise
Life can be full of surprises, some of them big and unexpected
'Cause there was a time when all I did was wish
You'd tell me this was love
There was a time when I hoped you would express your love for me
It's not the way I hoped or how I planned
But somehow it's enough
Things didn't turn out exactly as I wanted or expected, but it's still sufficient
And now we're standing face to face
Isn't this world a crazy place
It's surreal that we are here together, experiencing life and all its unpredictability
Just when I thought our chance had passed
You go and save the best for last
I thought our opportunity was gone, but you surprised me by saving the best for last
All of the nights you came to me
When some silly girl had set you free
You came to me on countless nights when you were no longer with someone else
You wondered how you'd make it through
I wondered what was wrong with you
You were struggling, and I didn't understand why
'Cause how could you give your love to someone else
And share your dreams with me
It was confusing that you would love someone else but still confide in me
Sometimes the very thing you're looking for
Is the one thing you can't see
The thing you desire most might be hidden from your view
You went and saved the best for last
You held out until the end to reveal the best thing you had to offer
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Cloud9, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Phil Galdston, Jon Lind, Wendy Waldman-Parker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jimmy Sweringen
Fell in love with this the first time I heard it. One of those songs some people just didn't think would last on the charts.