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."
Above the Law
Barbra Streisand Lyrics
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Tell me what your heart can do?
And take me by surprise
Whatever you see, you'll never be alone with me
I close or open the door
Telling you that less is more
You cannot disguise whatever you do
In these dark and troubled times
People just surviving, we live a double life
You'd be safe and warm at home
Something else is going on
We don't have to kiss and say no more about it
And if your eyes are watching me
Baby, life could be so beautiful
And we become invisible
The pleasure is the punishment for the crime
Break away the chains that bind
It's not enough to be satisfied
It's knowing how it all begins
Or knowing where the heart belongs
And we all make mistakes
It's your heart and my heart
And no one can take part
And our love, love above the law
So you decide we go insane
I know what you came here for
Whether you're mine, I'll never be sure
We'll ever be above the law
On this dark and stormy night (hmm)
Where these walls may hide us
(The walls may hide us)
You sigh and let me in
You let me hold you in these arms of mine
(One flame inside)
Tomorrow is eternity
(Temptation eyes)
And we may get to kiss and say no more about it
(No tears to cry)
And if my eyes are watching you
Baby, life could be so beautiful
(So beautiful)
And everything is possible
(Everything is possible)
And we become invisible
(We become invisible)
It's your heart and my heart
And no one can take part
I'll always be with you
It's what I'm living for
The end of my rainbow
Is outside your window
And our love is one love
Love above the law
(Love above the law)
It's your heart and my heart
And no one can take part
I'll always be with you
It's what I'm living for
(It's what I'm living for)
The end of my rainbow
Is outside your window
(This is me talking to you, talking to me)
And our love is one love
In "Above The Law," Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer blend their voices to sing about a forbidden love. They acknowledge that their love is not socially accepted or legal, but they cannot help the way they feel. They ask each other to be honest about their emotions and to allow themselves to be vulnerable. They reflect on the challenges of living a double life and feeling like invisible outcasts, yet they find comfort in each other's company. They recognize that they may make mistakes, but their love is beyond legal restrictions and societal norms. They hope that by breaking free from the chains of societal expectations, they can reach a state of bliss and become invisible to judgment.
Line by Line Meaning
This is me talking to you
I want to communicate with you
Tell me what your heart can do?
What are your real feelings?
And take me by surprise
Let me experience something unexpected
Whatever you see, you'll never be alone with me
I'll always be there for you
I close or open the door
I can make decisions for both of us
Telling you that less is more
Sometimes it's better to do less
You cannot disguise whatever you do
I know you better than you know yourself
No one is above the law
Everyone has to obey the rules
In these dark and troubled times
We live in difficult times
People just surviving, we live a double life
We pretend to be okay, but we're really struggling inside
You'd be safe and warm at home
You can find comfort in your own space
Something else is going on
Something is happening that you're not aware of
We don't have to kiss
We don't have to be physical
And say no more about it
We don't have to talk about it anymore
And if your eyes are watching me
If you're paying attention to me
Baby, life could be so beautiful
Life can be amazing if we let it
And we become invisible
As if we're not even there
The pleasure is the punishment for the crime
Sometimes the enjoyable things lead to trouble
Break away the chains that bind
Let go of whatever is holding you back
It's not enough to be satisfied
Being content isn't always enough
It's knowing how it all begins
Understanding the beginning is important
Or knowing where the heart belongs
Knowing what you truly want is key
And we all make mistakes
We're all human and we mess up sometimes
It's your heart and my heart
Our love is based on our emotions
And no one can take part
Nobody else can be a part of our relationship
And our love, love above the law
Our love is powerful and can overcome anything
So you decide we go insane
You can make the decision to do something crazy
I know what you came here for
I understand your intentions
Whether you're mine, I'll never be sure
I'm not certain if you truly belong to me
We'll ever be above the law
We can never escape the consequences of our actions
On this dark and stormy night
During this unfavorable situation
Where these walls may hide us
We may have to hide ourselves
You sigh and let me in
You let your guard down and allow me to connect with you
You let me hold you in these arms of mine
You allow me to comfort you
Tomorrow is eternity
The future is never-ending
And we may get to kiss and say no more about it
We might have more intimate moments without talking about it further
And if my eyes are watching you
If I'm watching you
Baby, life could be so beautiful
Life can be amazing if we let it
And everything is possible
Anything we want can happen
I'll always be with you
I'll be by your side forever
It's what I'm living for
It's my reason for living
The end of my rainbow
What I'm striving for
Is outside your window
Is with you
Love above the law
Our love is strong and can withstand anything
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Ashley Gibb, Barbara Streisand, Barry Alan Gibb, Stephen Gibb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robo
on Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)
I love Melinda Vesterfelt