Carly Simon – Nobody Does It Better

About The Song

The song in question, penned by Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager, served as the theme for the James Bond film “The Spy Who Loved Me.” Diverging from the tradition of naming Bond songs after the movies, this particular composition, titled “Nobody Does It Better,” makes a subtle reference to the film only in the first verse: “Like heaven above me, the spy who loved me is keepin’ all my secrets safe tonight.”

Interestingly, Hamlisch and Bayer Sager initially did not write the song with the movie in mind. It was producer Richard Perry who persuaded them to submit it for consideration, and the Bond producer Cubby Broccoli enthusiastically embraced it. The song underwent revisions to seamlessly integrate it into the 007 context, with the movie being incorporated into the lyrics.

Richard Perry, known for producing three albums for Carly Simon between 1972 and 1975, played a pivotal role in reuniting Simon with the song. After discovering it from Hamlisch and Bayer Sager, Perry convinced them that it would be an ideal fit for Simon’s vocal style. When he presented it to Carly, she was enamored with the composition.

“Nobody Does It Better” achieved international chart success, claiming the top spot on the U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary Tracks, securing the second position on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box 100. It also reached number one in Canada and Ireland, and achieved notable positions in France, Norway, the U.K., and Australia. The song’s sales surpassed one million copies, earning it an RIAA gold record.

Furthermore, “Nobody Does It Better” replicated Paul McCartney’s achievement from July 1973, where his James Bond theme tune, “Live and Let Die,” reached the second position. Notably, Duran Duran’s “A View To A Kill” holds the distinction of being the highest-selling Bond theme tune in the American charts, reaching the top spot.

Video

Lyrics

Nobody does it better
Makes me feel sad for the rest
Nobody does it half as good as you
Baby, you’re the best

 

I wasn’t looking but somehow you found me
I tried to hide from your love light
But like Heaven above me
The spy who loved me
Is keeping all my secrets safe tonight

And nobody does it better
Though sometimes I wish someone could
Nobody does it quite the way you do
Why’d you have to be so good?

The way that you hold me
Whenever you hold me
There’s some kind of magic inside you
That keeps me from running
But just keep it coming
How’d you learn to do the things you do?

And nobody does it better
Makes me feel sad for the rest
Nobody does it half as good as you
Baby, baby, darlin’, you’re the best

Baby, you’re the best
Darlin’, you’re the best
Baby, you’re the best
Baby, you’re the best
Baby, you’re the best
Baby, you’re the best