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."
Can You Tell The Moment
Barbra Streisand Lyrics
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Spring becomes the summer
Maybe it's a moment
Only known to a tree
Blades of grass are growing
Leaps and bounds, so tiny
That our eyes cannot see
And how does a bud
Decide it's a rose
Perhaps there's a time
When it somehow knows it
Can you tell the moment?
If there's such a moment
When you just become
What you were not before
Is there any sign or warning
Or do you awake one morning
Knowing that you must have turned
A special corner?
Maybe in an April shower
Something tells a bud to flower
What is it that tells you
You're a child no more
In "Can You Tell The Moment?", Barbra Streisand raises introspective questions about the transformative nature of time and growth. The lyrics evoke the natural world, using metaphors to explore the concept of change and self-realization. The opening lines inquire about an elusive moment that marks the transition from spring to summer, suggesting that there may be subtle and delicate moments that only a tree can perceive. Streisand draws our attention to the intricate process of growth happening around us, emphasizing that even as we observe, the rapid development of blades of grass remains imperceptible to our eyes.
The song then delves into the existential aspect of human growth, paralleling it with the decision of a bud to blossom into a rose. Streisand speculates whether there is a specific moment when an individual realizes they have truly transformed, when they become a different version of themselves. Is there a sign or warning? Or does this awareness come suddenly, upon awakening one morning and realizing that a significant shift has occurred?
The lyrics continue by suggesting that perhaps such moments of transformation are akin to the way a bud is encouraged to flourish by an April shower. Streisand questions what it is that signals to an individual that they have shed their childhood and entered a new phase of life. The overall sentiment of the song invites listeners to contemplate the intangible aspects of personal growth and the importance of being aware of the moments that shape us.
Line by Line Meaning
Can you tell the moment?
Do you have the ability to discern or identify the exact moment?
Spring becomes the summer
The transition from spring to summer takes place
Maybe it's a moment
It is possible that there is a specific moment
Only known to a tree
Understood solely by a tree
Even as we're watching
Even while we are observing
Blades of grass are growing
Grass blades are experiencing growth
Leaps and bounds, so tiny
Significant progress, though imperceptibly small
That our eyes cannot see
Invisible to our eyes
And how does a bud
In what way does a bud
Decide it's a rose
Determine that it has transformed into a rose
Perhaps there's a time
Maybe there is a moment
When it somehow knows it
When it possesses an inexplicable knowledge about it
Can you tell the moment?
Do you have the ability to discern or identify the exact moment?
If there's such a moment
If such a moment exists
When you just become
When you simply transform into
What you were not before
Into something you were not previously
Is there any sign or warning
Does any indication or premonition exist
Or do you awake one morning
Or do you suddenly realize one morning
Knowing that you must have turned
Being aware that you must have made a significant change
A special corner?
A distinct turning point or milestone?
Maybe in an April shower
Possibly during a rain shower in April
Something tells a bud to flower
An external force compels a bud to bloom
What is it that tells you
What is the factor that informs you
You're a child no more
You have ceased to be a child
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALAN BERGMAN, MARILYN BERGMAN, MICHEL JEAN LEGRAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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