Arthur’s Theme (The Best That You Can Do) | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| Dm7 G | C Fmaj13 |
| Bb E7 | Asus4 A Asus2 A |
Verse 1
| Dm7 G | C Fmaj13 |
Once in your life you find her, someone that turns your heart around,
| Bb E7 | Asus4 A Asus2 A |
and next thing you know you’re closing down the town.
| Dm7 G | C Fmaj13 |
Wake up and it’s still with you, even though you left her way across town,
| Bb E7 | Asus4 A Asus2 A |
wondering to yourself, “Hey, what have I found?”
Chorus 1
| Dmaj7 (Dmaj7#11) | Asus2 A |
When you get caught between the moon and New York City.
| (Bsus2) Bm Bsus2 | Asus2 C#m7 |
I know it’s crazy, but it’s true.
| Dmaj7 (Dmaj7#11) | C#m7 F#7 |
If you get caught between the moon and New York City.
| Bm (Bsus2) | Bm (Bsus2) | Asus2 A |
The best that you can do, the best that you can do, is fall in love.
Verse 2
Arthur he does as he pleases, all of his life, he’s mastered choice.
Deep in his heart, he’s just, he’s just a boy.
Living his life one day at a time and showing himself a really good time,
laughing about the way they want him to be.
Chorus 2
When you get caught between the moon and New York City.
I know it’s crazy, but it’s true.
If you get caught between the moon and New York City.
The best that you can do, the best that you can do, is fall in love.
Solo
||: Dm7 G | C Fmaj13 |
| Bb E7 | Asus4 A Asus2 A :||
Chorus 3
When you get caught between the moon and New York City.
I know it’s crazy, but it’s true.
If you get caught between the moon and New York City.
| Bm (Bsus2) | Bm (Bsus2) |
The best that you can do, the best that you can do, is fall in love.
Chorus 4 (as chorus 1)
When you get caught between the moon and New York City.
I know it’s crazy, but it’s true.
If you get caught between the moon and New York City.
The best that you can do, the best that you can do, is fall in love.
Arthur’s Theme (The Best That You Can Do) Chords: Explore the Cycle of Fourths and Harmonic Movement
The brilliance of Arthur’s Theme (The Best That You Can Do) lies in how it moves from C major to A major using the cycle of fourths. Here’s how it unfolds:
Starting on the II chord, the progression follows a II – V – I – IV pattern, which in the key of C reads:
| Dm7 (II) G (V) | C (I) Fmaj13 (IV) |
When arranging this for a single guitar, mimicking the original piano part took some time to figure out. Here’s a link to the TAB lesson breaking it down: Arthur’s Theme (The Best That You Can Do) – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
From here, the cycle steps outside the key, moving to Bb (bVIIx), then to E (IIIx)—another fourth, though technically a sharp fourth (#4).
That final E chord is what transitions us into A major. Yet, because of the long cycle of fourths, A doesn’t feel like a home key—it still wants to push forward by another fourth.
When the verse repeats, leading back to Dm7, the cycle resolves. Here’s the full verse progression:
||: Dm7 (II) G (V) | C (I) Fmaj13 (IV) |
| Bb (bVIIx) E7 (IIIx) | Asus4 (VI) A Asus2 A :||
On my Top 10 Chord Progressions list, this movement appears in three places: as a VI – II (#10), a II – V (#4), and as the I – IV (#1). The pull of moving up a fourth is irresistible, and Arthur’s Theme is one of the finest examples of it.
Other songs that use this concept include I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor), Fly Me to the Moon (Frank Sinatra), Parisienne Walkways, and Still Got the Blues (Gary Moore). The most iconic example of continuous fourth movements is Autumn Leaves.
Arthur’s Theme (The Best That You Can Do) Chorus Progression
Unlike the verse, the chorus stays firmly in A major, moving to chord IV—evident in the Dmaj7#11, as only chord IV naturally contains a #11. The full chorus progression is:
| Dmaj7 (IV) (Dmaj7#11) | A (I) |
| (Bsus2) (II) Bm Bsus2 |1. Asus2 C#m7 (III) :||2. Asus2 A |
Once you’ve studied the TAB, all you’ll need is a simple chord chart to perform this classic tune on a single acoustic guitar or in a band!
Arthur’s Theme (The Best That You Can Do) Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Arthur’s Theme (The Best That You Can Do) chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Arthur’s Theme (The Best That You Can Do) chord chart iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
Co-written with Burt Bacharach for a film!
Written for the film Arthur, starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli, Arthur’s Theme (The Best That You Can Do) bagged an Oscar for Best Original Song in 1981. It was sung by Christopher Cross, whose music was once associated with the soft and smooth genre dubbed Yacht Rock.
The song was co-written by Cross alongside Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, and Peter Allen. Together, they crafted a sophisticated harmonic landscape using modal interchange and clever key changes—perfectly capturing the emotional essence of the film. The result topped the Billboard charts and became one of Bacharach’s finest late-career triumphs.
At the same time, Christopher Cross was enjoying a rare sweep at the 1981 Grammy Awards, winning the “Big Four”: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist—an achievement since only matched by Norah Jones.
Arthur’s Theme (The Best That You Can Do) Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Arthur’s Theme (The Best That You Can Do) (Christopher Cross) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
- (They Long To Be) Close To You
- Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
- Everybody’s Talkin’
- I Say A Little Prayer
- Over The Rainbow