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."
Best I Could
Barbra Streisand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cause I've always been honest with you
I've loved you the best I could
In the only way I knew
And If that's not enough I've got nothin' to say
And I'm not even sure that I would
Somedays it was bad and somedays good
But I've loved you the best I could
I need more... I need someone to hold me tonight
Someone there when I turn out the lights
Just to be here with me
I need more...
I need more than you somehow
I need more than your time will allow
I want you as my friend
Why can't you be that now?
You say you need me, then you'd be gone
The times I needed you
Then you'd hold me and say you're sorry
But what else could you do?
Yet I know you really loved me
So it's hard to let go like I should
Let's forget the bad
Remember the good
Cause you loved me the best you could
But I need more
I need someone to hold me tonight
Someone there when I turn out the light
Just to be here with me
I need more, I need more than you somehow
I need more than your time will allow
Remember the times that were good
We both loved the best we could
The lyrics to Barbra Streisand's song Best I Could convey feelings of longing, disappointment, and acceptance. The song reflects on a relationship that was full of both good and bad times. The opening lines declare that the singer cannot apologize for how they feel, as they have always been honest. The singer admits that they loved the other person the best they could, even if that was not enough. The chorus reveals the yearning for more, both physically and emotionally, and the desire to have someone to hold them and be there for them at night, beyond what the current relationship allows.
The second verse further elaborates on the singer's need for more. They want the other person to be their friend, but the other person's inconsistency in the past makes it difficult for them to trust them. The singer acknowledges that the other person has claimed to love them, but also recognizes that the relationship requires more than love alone. The closing lines implore to remember the good times, despite the difficulties, as both parties did love the best they could.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't apologize for the way I feel
I won't say I'm sorry for loving you the way I do.
Cause I've always been honest with you
I've been truthful with you about my feelings.
I've loved you the best I could
I've given you all the love I'm capable of.
In the only way I knew
I've shown you my love in the way that comes naturally to me.
And If that's not enough I've got nothin' to say
If my love isn't sufficient, there's nothing I can do or say to change it.
And I'm not even sure that I would
Even if I could repair things, I don't know if I would.
Somedays it was bad and somedays good
Our relationship had good days and bad days.
But I've loved you the best I could
Regardless, I've always given my best effort to love you.
I need more... I need someone to hold me tonight
I require more than what you alone can provide. I crave physical comfort from another person.
Someone there when I turn out the lights
I need someone to be with me when I sleep, so I don't feel alone.
Just to be here with me
Simply to be present with me would suffice.
I need more than you somehow
Somehow, I need more than what you can offer.
I need more than your time will allow
Even though you've given me all the time you could, it's not enough for me.
I want you as my friend
I still value and desire your friendship.
Why can't you be that now?
I wonder why we can't go back to being friends if our relationship isn't working.
You say you need me, then you'd be gone
You claim to need me, but then you disappear.
The times I needed you
At the moments I needed you the most.
Then you'd hold me and say you're sorry
You'd comfort me and apologize for your lack of presence.
But what else could you do?
You acknowledged your wrongdoing but weren't sure how to make it right.
Yet I know you really loved me
I know you had genuine feelings for me.
So it's hard to let go like I should
It's hard to move on, even though I know it's necessary.
Let's forget the bad
Let's focus on the good and ignore the negative aspects of our relationship.
Remember the good
Hold onto memories of the happy times we shared.
Cause you loved me the best you could
You did your best to love me, just as I did my best to love you.
Remember the times that were good
Reflect on the positive experiences we shared together.
We both loved the best we could
Although our relationship wasn't perfect, we both gave it our best effort.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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I love Melinda Vesterfelt