Barbra Streisand (born Barbara Joan Streisand; April 24, 1942 Brooklyn, Ne… Read Full Bio ↴Barbra Streisand (born Barbara Joan Streisand; April 24, 1942 Brooklyn, New York), is an Academy Award-winning American singer, theater and film actress, composer, film producer, and director. She has won Oscars for Best Actress and Best Original Song as well as multiple Emmy Awards, Grammy Awards, Golden Globe Awards and an honorary Tony Award. She received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor on December 7, 2008. She is the most successful female recording artist according to the Recording Industry Assoc. of America (RIAA).

Barbra Streisand has recorded more than 60 albums, almost all with Columbia Records. Her early works in the 1960s (her debut The Barbra Streisand Album which won two Grammy Awards in 1963, followed by The Second Barbra Streisand Album, The Third Album, My Name Is Barbra, etc.) are considered classic renditions of theater and nightclub standards, including her version of Happy Days Are Here Again. Beginning with My Name Is Barbra, her albums were often medley-filled keepsakes of her television specials.

Starting in 1969, Streisand tackled contemporary songwriters; like many talented singers of the day, she found herself a fish out of water in attempts to tackle rock, but her vocal talents prevailed and she gained newfound success with the pop and ballad-oriented Richard Perry-produced album Stoney End in 1971. The title track, written by Laura Nyro, was a big hit for Streisand.

Streisand's 1980 album, Guilty featured the songwriting, production and vocal talents of Barry Gibb and was the best-selling album of her recording career. During the 1970s, she was also highly prominent in the pop charts, with number-one records like The Way We Were, Evergreen, No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) (her duet with Donna Summer), and Woman In Love; some of these came from soundtracks of her films. She recently took part in supporting Haiti in singing "We are the World 25th anniversary.

When the 1970s ended, Streisand was named the most successful female singer in the U.S. - only Elvis Presley and The Beatles having sold more albums. [1]

[1] In 1982, New York Times music critic Stephen Holden wrote that Streisand was "the most influential mainstream American pop singer since Frank Sinatra."

A Taste of Honey
Barbra Streisand Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Cold winds may blow o'er the icy sea
But I'll take with me
The warmth of thee
A taste of honey,
A taste much sweeter than wine
He will return...he will return
He'll come back
For the honey and me

I leave behind
My heart to wear
And may it e'er remind you of
A taste of honey
A taste much sweeter than wine

He will return...he will return...
He'll come back for the honey and me.

Overall Meaning

The song "A Taste of Honey" by Barbra Streisand is a poignant and bittersweet ballad about lost love and the lingering memories that remain. The lyrics speak of a love that has gone away, but the singer still holds on to the memories of their time together, symbolized in the "taste of honey" that is sweeter than wine. The opening lines "cold winds may blow o'er the icy sea, but I'll take with me the warmth of thee" paint a picture of distance and separation, but also the hope and comfort that even though they may be far apart, the love remains.

Throughout the song, the singer reflects on the love they shared and the heartache of their separation. She leaves behind her heart as a reminder of their time together and the sweetness of their love. The repeated refrain of "he will return...he will return..." adds a note of optimism and longing to the song, as the singer holds out hope that the love she has lost will one day return to her.

Overall, "A Taste of Honey" is a beautifully written and performed song that captures the ache of lost love and the power of memories to sustain us through difficult times.

Line by Line Meaning

Cold winds may blow o'er the icy sea
Although I may face difficult and uncomfortable situations

But I'll take with me
I will keep with me

The warmth of thee
The loving and comforting memories of you

A taste of honey,
The enjoyment and pleasure of love and intimacy

A taste much sweeter than wine
A feeling that is incomparably delightful and rich

He will return...he will return
Confident that my lover will come back to me

He'll come back
He will return to me

For the honey and me
To be with me and relive the pleasurable experiences we shared

I leave behind
Even if I must depart from you

My heart to wear
I will leave my heart with you

And may it e'er remind you of
So that you may constantly remember