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."
Cats
Barbra Streisand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not a sound from the pavement
Has the moon lost her memory
She is smiling alone
In the lamplight
The withered leaves collect at my feet
And the wind begins to moan
Memory
I can smile happy your days (I can dream of the old days)
Life was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again
Every street lamp seems to beat
A fatalistic warning
Someone mutters and the street lamp gutters
And soon it will be morning
Daylight
I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I mustn't give in
When the dawn comes
Tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begin
Burnt out ends of smoky days
The still cold smell of morning
A street lamp dies, another night is over
Another day is dawning
Touch me,
It is so easy to leave me
All alone with the memory
Of my days in the sun
If you touch me,
You'll understand what happiness is
Look, a new day has begun
In Barbra Streisand's song Cats, the lyrics depict a sense of loneliness and nostalgia as the singer reflects on the past memories. The song takes place in the dead of night, where the only thing keeping the singer's company is the moon and the lamplight. As the withered leaves of the trees collect at the singer's feet, the wind begins to moan, causing a haunting and eerie ambiance. The lyrics use symbolism, personification, and metaphors to portray the gloomy atmosphere that surrounds the singer.
As the song progresses, the singer talks about how "memory" is all they have left. They remember a time when life was beautiful and happy, but now all they can do is to let the memory live again. The singer notes how every street lamp seems to beat like a "fatalistic warning" and that the future seems bleak. But the singer keeps hope, stating that they must wait for the sunrise to have a new life and not give up.
In the second part of the song, the lyrics turn more melancholic, expressing how burnt out the singer's life has become. Another night is over, and a new day is dawning, but the singer is incapable of feeling anything but the memories of their past glory. However, as the song concludes, there's a hint of optimism. If someone touches them, they'll understand what happiness is, and a new day has begun.
Overall, the song Cats is a beautifully crafted melancholic piece that speaks about the emptiness and longing that humans tend to feel. It's about the memories that give us hope but also remind us of how much we have lost.
Line by Line Meaning
Midnight
It's midnight.
Not a sound from the pavement
It's quiet outside.
Has the moon lost her memory
The singer wonders if the moon has forgotten something.
She is smiling alone
The moon looks happy by itself.
In the lamplight
The only light is from street lamps.
The withered leaves collect at my feet
There are dead leaves on the ground.
And the wind begins to moan
The wind is making a sad noise.
Memory
The artist is remembering something.
All alone in the moonlight
The artist is by themselves in the moonlight.
I can smile happy your days (I can dream of the old days)
The artist can remember happy times.
Life was beautiful then
The past was beautiful.
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
The artist remembers being happy.
Let the memory live again
The singer wants to remember the happy times again.
Every street lamp seems to beat
The street lamps seem to pulse.
A fatalistic warning
This is a warning that something bad will happen.
Someone mutters and the street lamp gutters
Someone is talking quietly and the lamp is flickering.
And soon it will be morning
It will be morning soon.
Daylight
It's daylight.
I must wait for the sunrise
The singer has to wait for the sun to rise.
I must think of a new life
The artist has to think about a new life.
And I mustn't give in
The artist can't give up.
When the dawn comes
When the sun comes up.
Tonight will be a memory too
Tonight will be remembered as well.
And a new day will begin
A new day is starting.
Burnt out ends of smoky days
Something has ended.
The still cold smell of morning
It's still early and cold outside.
A street lamp dies, another night is over
One of the lamps goes out and the night is over.
Another day is dawning
A new day is starting.
Touch me,
The artist wants someone to touch them.
It is so easy to leave me
The singer is easy to leave.
All alone with the memory
By themselves with memories.
Of my days in the sun
Of happy days in the past.
If you touch me,
If someone touches them.
You'll understand what happiness is
They will feel happy.
Look, a new day has begun
The new day is here.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Trevor Nunn, T.S. Eliot, Zdenek Hruby
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@malikaseisebay4021
Midnight, not a sound from the pavement
Has the moon lost her memory?
She is smiling alone
In the lamplight, the withered leaves collect at my feet
And the wind begins to moan
Memory, all alone in the moonlight
I can dream of the old days
Life was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again
Every street lamp seems to beat
A fatalistic warning
Someone mutters and the street lamp sputters
And soon it will be morning
Daylight, I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I mustn't give in
When the dawn comes, tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begin
Burnt out ends of smoky days
The stale, cold smell of morning
A street lamp dies, another night is over
Another day is dawning
Touch me, it's so easy to leave me
All alone with the memory
Of my days in the sun
If you touch me, you'll understand what happiness is
Look, a new day has begun
@wynstansmom829
Yes! Please put every Barbra Streisand movie, song and show on your list.
The Movie, Funny Girl and Barbra burst onto the film scene when I was barely ten.
Ms. Streisand and I grew up together. I was a Funny Girl and my nose had character but
I could not sing.
On a Clear Day, she helped me see the Forever. Clearly, Ms Streisand was someone
special in another life and was Himself the Brolin with her?
When her Hubbell said, "It was never not complicated, Katie"...I understood
The Way We Were.
I hope Barbra and I have many more songs and years together.
Thank you for the memories and songs of my past, present, and hopeful future.
@daveyyoutubey5686
No one can touch her. She truly is in a league of her own. No exaggeration - sublime, transcendent.
@brendenbroumand7580
it will be too close to call with CELINA DION AND BARBARA STREISAND.
@daveyyoutubey5686
@@brendenbroumand7580 I love Celine, went to Montreal to see her in concert, but very different voice types. (I'm not a voice expert)
@MrIOWBob
Listen to Lucy Thomas's version, she will change your mind.
@typicalnerd4065
@@MrIOWBob how come the coolest people just exist on the internet 😭
@dominickmilano4858
Karen Carpenter!
@grannie2010
I’m so great full I am 83 and have enjoyed all this wonderful music.....so many will never know.
@mickey259
Dorothy I sincerely hope that you enjoy many more years of wonderful music.
God Bless 🙏🏻.
@Vacc19
Grateful* sorry to be rude
@swiftlylovestruck
❤️❤️❤️❤️