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."
Down With Love
Barbra Streisand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With flowers and rice and shoes
Down with love
The root of all midnight blues
Down with things
That give you that well-known pain
Take that moon
Wrap it in cellophane
Down with love let's liquidate
All it's friends
Like moon, June, roses
And rainbow's ends
Down with songs
That mourn about night and day
Down with love
Take it away, away
Take it away, take it away
Give it back to the birds
To bees and the Viennese
Down with eyes romantic and stupid
Down with sighs, down with cupid
Brother let's stuff that dove
Down with love
Down with love
Liquidate all it's friends
Like moon, June, roses
And rainbow's ends
Down with song
That mourns about night and day
You are the one,
And i don't stand a chance with a ghost like you
Ah, the promised kiss of spring is here,
What does my heart go dancin' overhead,
On the ceiling near my bed,
We go now,
Because i talk to the trees, but they don't listen to me
I tell them: you say either, i say i-ther
You say neither, i say neither, i say ni-ther
Either, i-ther
Neither, ni-ther
Let's call the whole thing off!
Take it away, take it away
Give it back to the birds
And the bees and the Viennese
Down with eyes romantic and stupid
Down with sighs, down with cupid
Brother let's stuff that dove
Down, down, down
I go on round and round
I go in a spin
Hey, in the spin, I'm in!
What is this thing
What is this thing called love?
Barbra Streisand's "Down With Love" is an upbeat and energetic tune that is focused on the emotions of love and the ways that it causes distress and despair, rather than happiness and joy. The lyrics express a longing to rid oneself of the trappings of love: roses, shoes, and all the little romantic gestures that occur in our culture. The idea is to "liquidate" all of these things and, in fact, to take love itself and wrap it in cellophane. The sentiment is one of frustration and a desire to be free from the weight of love.
Throughout the song, there are various references made to the more sentimental aspects of love that are often emphasized in pop culture. These include the traditional associations with moon, June, and roses, as well as the romantic ideas of nights and days. The lyrics are quite playful in their mocking of these concepts, suggesting that they are just another layer of foolishness that we inflict upon ourselves.
The song is full of energy and emotion, with Streisand summoning all of her vocal power to deliver the lyrics with gusto. The overall tone of the song is one of defiance and rebellion, as the singer rejects the conventional expectations that are placed upon relationships and decide to dance to their own drumbeat.
Line by Line Meaning
Down with love
Let's reject and avoid the concept of love
With flowers and rice and shoes
Let's reject the traditional symbols of love and marriage
The root of all midnight blues
Love is the cause of all sadness and suffering
Down with things
Let's reject all aspects of love
That give you that well-known pain
Love is known for causing emotional pain
Take that moon
Let's reject the romantic symbolism of the moon
Wrap it in cellophane
Let's keep it packaged and hidden away
Down with love let's liquidate
Let's destroy and eliminate the concept of love
All it's friends
All the things associated with love
Like moon, June, roses
Symbols of romance and love
And rainbow's ends
The unrealistic notion of a pot of gold found at the end of a rainbow
Down with songs
Let's reject all love songs
That mourn about night and day
Songs that lament the absence or loss of love
Take it away, away
Get rid of love completely
Take it away, take it away
Remove all traces of love
Give it back to the birds
Return the concept of love to nature
To bees and the Viennese
The natural world and the city of Vienna, where romantic love is often depicted
Down with eyes romantic and stupid
Let's reject the sentimentality and foolishness often associated with love
Down with sighs, down with cupid
Let's reject the idea of Cupid as a symbol of love, and the sounds and actions associated with romantic sighs
Brother let's stuff that dove
Let's reject the tradition of releasing doves at weddings as symbols of love and peace
You are the one,
Addressing an unknown person
And i don't stand a chance with a ghost like you
The artist feels hopeless and out of reach to the person they are addressing, whom they describe as a 'ghost'
Ah, the promised kiss of spring is here,
A reference to romantic cliches about love and springtime
What does my heart go dancin' overhead,
Expressing the feeling of being overwhelmed by love and joy
On the ceiling near my bed,
An exaggerated description of the overwhelming feeling of love
We go now,
A transition to a different sentiment or idea
Because i talk to the trees, but they don't listen to me
The singer feels disconnected from nature and the world
I tell them: you say either, i say i-ther
The artist is highlighting differences and misunderstandings in communication
You say neither, i say neither, i say ni-ther
The artist is continuing to highlight differences and misunderstandings in communication
Either, i-ther
A continuation of highlighting differences and misunderstandings in communication
Neither, ni-ther
A continuation of highlighting differences and misunderstandings in communication
Let's call the whole thing off!
The artist wants to end the conversation or relationship altogether, due to these differences and misunderstandings
Down, down, down
A repetition of the initial sentiment: let's reject love
I go on round and round
The artist feels stuck and unable to escape the cycle of love and heartbreak
I go in a spin
The singer feels out of control and disoriented
Hey, in the spin, I'm in!
An acknowledgment of the artist's overwhelming feelings and thoughts
What is this thing
A rhetorical question about love
What is this thing called love?
An echo of the initial sentiment: let's reject love
Lyrics © S.A. MUSIC
Written by: E. Y. Harburg, Harold Arlen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robo
on Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)
I love Melinda Vesterfelt