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."
Comin In and Out of Your Life
Barbra Streisand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The last time I cried
I was holding you and loving you
Knowing it would end
I never felt so good
Yet felt so bad
You're the one I love
Is you don't belong to me
And I can remember
The last time I lied
I was holding you and telling you
We could still be friends
Tried to let you go
But I can't, you know
And even though I'm not with you
I need you so
But you don't belong to me
Comin' in and out of your life
Isn't easy
When there are so many nights
I can't hold you and I've told you
These feelings are so hard to find
Comin' in and out of your life
Will never free me
'Cause I don't need to touch you
To feel you, it's so real with you
I just can't get you out of my mind
But I can remember the last time we tried
Each needing more than we could give
And knowing all the time
A stronger love
Just can't be found
Even though at times this crazy world
Is turning up-side-down
You'll always belong to me
Comin' in and out of your life
Isn't easy
When there's so many times
I can't hold you and I've told you
These feelings are so hard to find
(Comin' in) comin' in and out of your life
Will never free me
I don't need to touch you
To feel you, it's so real with you
I can't get you out of my mind
But I can remember
The lyrics to Barbra Streisand's song "Comin In and Out of Your Life" explore the complicated and painful nature of a love that is not reciprocated. The singer remembers the last time she cried, holding the person she loves and knowing that their time together was coming to an end. Though she felt both good and bad in that moment, the sadness is amplified by the fact that the person she loves does not belong to her. Similarly, she recalls the last time she lied, trying to convince herself and her lover that they could still be friends even though their romantic relationship was over. She admits that she can't let go of her feelings for this person, even though they can never truly be together.
The chorus of the song highlights the difficulties of this situation, as the singer comes in and out of her lover's life, unable to handle the pain of being apart from someone she cares so deeply for. She knows that these feelings will never leave her, and that she does not need to be physically close to this person to feel their presence. While the world around her may be turning upside down, she is always anchored to her love for this person who cannot belong to her.
Overall, "Comin In and Out of Your Life" is a poignant exploration of unrequited love and the struggles that come with trying to move on. With Streisand's signature vocal talent and emotional delivery, the song is sure to resonate with anyone who has experienced the pain of loving someone they can never truly have.
Line by Line Meaning
I still can remember
The singer remembers something significant that happened in the past
The last time I cried
The singer remembers a specific moment when they were crying
I was holding you and loving you
The singer was with the person they love at the time they were crying
Knowing it would end
The singer was aware that their time with the person they love was limited
I never felt so good
Despite the sadness, the singer felt happy when they were with their loved one
Yet felt so bad
At the same time, the singer felt guilty about enjoying their time knowing it would end
You're the one I love
The singer has strong feelings of love for the other person
And what makes it sad
The singer is acknowledging that the situation is difficult and painful
Is you don't belong to me
Despite their feelings of love, the other person does not belong to the singer
And I can remember
The singer once again remembers a specific moment
The last time I lied
The other person asked the singer a question, and the singer lied
I was holding you and telling you
The singer was with the other person at the time they lied
We could still be friends
The lie was about the possibility of maintaining a friendship
Tried to let you go
The singer attempted to move on from the other person
But I can't, you know
Despite their efforts, the singer cannot stop thinking about the other person
And even though I'm not with you
The singer is not currently with the other person
I need you so
Despite this, the singer still feels a strong need for the other person
Comin' in and out of your life
The singer is describing the back-and-forth nature of their relationship with the other person
Isn't easy
This kind of relationship is difficult to maintain
When there are so many nights
The singer specifically mentions the nights when they cannot physically be with the other person
These feelings are so hard to find
The singer is expressing the idea that these deep feelings are hard to come by
Will never free me
The back-and-forth nature of their relationship prevents the singer from moving on
I just can't get you out of my mind
The singer is obsessed with thoughts of the other person
But I can remember the last time we tried
The singer recalls a specific attempt to make the relationship work
Each needing more than we could give
Both the singer and the other person had needs that could not be met by the other
And knowing all the time
Despite this, both parties were aware of the difficulties
A stronger love
The singer believes that there is a deeper form of love that they have not yet experienced
Just can't be found
However, this is something that they have not been able to achieve
Even though at times this crazy world
The singer is acknowledging that there are many external factors contributing to their situation
Is turning up-side-down
The world feels chaotic and confusing
You'll always belong to me
Despite everything, the singer still feels a sense of ownership over the other person
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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on Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)
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