101 Strings was an umbrella term for a highly successful easy listening sym… Read Full Bio ↴101 Strings was an umbrella term for a highly successful easy listening symphonic music organization, with a discography exceeding a hundred albums and a creative lifetime of roughly thirty years. Their LPs were individualized by the slogan "The Sound of Magnificence", a puffy cloud logo and sepia-toned photo of the orchestra. According to the photograph, the 101 Strings orchestra was composed of 124 string instruments (all male except for the harpist) and was conducted by Wilhelm Stephan. The orchestra's famous official photograph was taken in the Musikhalle Hamburg. In reality, of course, the recordings also featured a full brass, woodwind and percussion section, and not quite as many strings as are shown in the photograph. In later years (right up to the 80's), the recordings were made by a session orchestra in London, with a line-up including a modern "pop" rhythm section. In the late 1990's, the 101 Strings Orchestra was revived with "The New 101 Strings Orchestra" for a series of modern recordings.

the way we were
101 Strings Orchestra Lyrics

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Memories light the corners of my mind
Misty water-colored memories of the way we were
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were

Can it be that it was all so simple then
Or has time rewritten every line
If we had the chance to do it all again

Tell me, would we?
Could we?

Memories may be beautiful and yet
What's too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget
So it's the laughter we will remember
Whenever we remember

The way we were
The way we were

Overall Meaning

The 101 Strings Orchestra's rendition of "The Way We Were" is a soulful and nostalgic tune. The lyrics describe the memories of a past love, and how these memories have become misty and water-colored in the corners of the singer's mind. The "smiles we left behind" are scattered pictures that, while beautiful and uplifting, also bring a sense of longing for a simpler time. The lyrics then ask whether it is time that has rewritten the memory of the past or whether the reality was actually that simple. The singer then wonders if, given the chance, they would do it all again - a question that remains unanswered.

The tone of the song is contemplative and pensive, but ultimately hopeful. The singer acknowledges that memories can be both beautiful and painful, but that it's the happy memories that are worth remembering. This shows a level of acceptance and maturity that comes with the passage of time. Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on the past and a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of loss.

the way we were101 Strings Orchestra Lyrics

the way we were
101 Strings Orchestra Lyrics