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."
Cry Me A River
Barbra Streisand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You cried the lone night through
Well, you can cry me a river
Cry me a river
I cried a river over you
Now you say you're sorry
For being so untrue
Cry me a river
I cried a river over you
You drove me
Nearly drove me out of my head
While you never shed a tear
Remember?
I remember all that you said
Told me love was too plebeian
Told me you were through with me
Now you say you love me
Well, just to prove you do
Cry me a river
Cry me a river
I cried over you
You drove me
Nearly drove me out of my head
While you never shed a tear
Remember?
I remember all that you said
Told me love was too plebeian
Told me you were through with me
And now you say you love me
Well, just to prove that you do
Come on! come on!
Cry me a river
Cry me a river
I cried a river over you
I cried a river over you
The song "Cry Me a River" is a classic breakup anthem that perfectly captures a feeling of betrayal and heartbreak. The lyrics are directed towards an ex-lover who had hurt Barbra Streisand. The opening lines, "Now you say you're lonely, you cried the long night through," indicate that the ex-lover is reaching out for comfort after realizing their mistake.
However, Streisand is not willing to forgive easily and instead suggests that the ex-lover "Cry me a river" to express their sorrow. The repetition of the phrase "I cried a river over you" shows that Streisand herself has already experienced this heart-wrenching process of letting go, and is now demanding the same from her ex-lover.
The lyrics then recall the memories of the relationship, including the pain and heartache that the ex-lover had caused her. Streisand emphasizes her perception that the ex-lover had emotionally manipulated her, and that they had made her doubt herself. The line "Told me love was too plebeian, told me you were through with me" indicates that the ex-lover had looked down on Streisand's feelings and was dismissive of their relationship.
Towards the end of the song, the ex-lover returns with the claim that they still love her. However, Streisand is done with the relationship and her final request is for them to cry her a river just as she had done.
Overall, the song "Cry Me a River" captures the pain of a failed relationship and offers a way to express the hurt and frustration that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Now you say you're lonely
You claim to feel isolated and lacking in companionship
You cried the lone night through
You spent the entire night shedding tears due to your emotional distress
Well, you can cry me a river
You can express your upset to me, but it won't move me
Cry me a river
Continue to express your sorrow, but I won't be affected
I cried a river over you
I grieved heavily after you caused me pain
Now you say you're sorry
You express regret for your past actions
For being so untrue
For not being faithful in our relationship
You drove me
You caused me significant emotional distress
Nearly drove me out of my head
Almost made me lose my sanity
While you never shed a tear
You didn't show remorse for your actions
Remember?
Do you recall what you did to me?
I remember all that you said
I recall every hurtful thing you told me
Told me love was too plebeian
You believed our love was too common or unworthy
Told me you were through with me
You communicated that our relationship was over
Now you say you love me
You claim to have affection for me now
Well, just to prove you do
To demonstrate your love for me
Come on! come on!
Encouraging you to demonstrate your love
Cry me a river
Express your love, but it won't change anything
I cried a river over you
I deeply mourned the loss of our relationship
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Arthur Hamilton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kevin Keyser-Ziegler
I am so excited finally for the release of this album.
I think I can see why Barbra and her team from her record label waited so very long, by holding onto this recording to release it to the public. The audio quality available today for playing digital music is so superb. Now, literally a recording quality like this one can be transformed to bring listeners into the Bon Soir, sitting in the front row, with Barbra singing directly to the listener, with the rest of the audience surrounding, providing a completely immersive, intimate experience like never before available until now.
This concert will provide that experience for us time and time again, providing us an opportunity to listen to this raw and fresh concert sung by Barbra, where we as audience members can focus on her acting choices, storytelling, vocals, and styling effects, where even at a young age, because of the minimal instrumentation in the background, she will excite, thrill, charm, delight, and make us laugh, which will go to show that her talent is at the core of really what makes her so very special. ❤
I cannot wait for this opportunity to see her again in a small venue as I saw her previously at the Village Vanguard in Greenwich Village in 2009 and it reminded me of what the Bon Soir must have been like in the 60s.
The song I am most excited to hear is Napoleon from the concert because she hasn’t sung it since and it is such a random little ditty. 🎶“Napoleon’s a pastry, Bismarck is a herring. Julius Caesar is now a salad on a shelf. So little brother, get wise to yourself.”🎶
Nana
Lyrics: 1:53
Now you say you're lonely
You cried the lone night through
Well, you can cry me a river
Cry me a river
I cried a river over you
Now you say you're sorry for being so untrue
Well, you can cry me a river
Cry me a river
I cried over you
You drove me
Nearly drove me out of my head
While you never shed a tear
Remember?
I remember all that you said
Told me love was too plebeian
Told me you were through with me
And now you say you love me
Well, just to prove you do
Come on and cry me a river
Cry me a river
I cried a river over you
I cried a river over you
It's time that we have it
Principe Turandot
The video is incredibly well done to recapture the 60s NYC nightclub scene and Barbra lighting it on fire. But my God, the audio mastering is beyond perfection: this is better than any vintage live audio we’ve heard in Barbra’s discography before. The sound full and as clear as Baccarat crystal. Amazing. Looking forward to hearing the rest of the album! ❤️
funny girl
Hearing her correct the announcer when he said her name wrong was just gold.
shihlin1
Ironically, this live set was supposed to be Bab's debut album for Columbia in 1962, but was scrapped after label heads determined the sound inferior.
But back then there wasn't the digital remastering technology that we have now.
Janet T
@shihlin1 This was not remastered. This was a recreation and the only thing original was Barbara's voice.
fob1xxl
In my lifetime (77 years) there have been many great singers. Judy always comes to mind. Celine Dion , Ella Fitzgerald, Doris Day are all on the list, but NO ONE COMPARES TO THE VOICE. THE BRILLIANCE, THE UNIQUENESS OF BARBRA. SHE will always be at the TOP of the list. 💙
Cass Smith
Audra McDonald and Dinah Washington too
Simca 59
Also, Lara Fabian (which is very much inspired by Barbra), she's a great singer.
the stonewall poetry
Celine Dion??? Bloody hell
Kitty Glitter
Agreed! I’ve been a Barbra fan since I was 12; I’m now 66! Been fortunate to see her perform 3 times.
oscar cardenas
Rosemary Clooney, ,Carmen McRae, Anita O'day, and Enestine Anderson too