Barbra Streisand (born Barbara Joan Streisand; April 24, 1942 Brooklyn, Ne… Read Full Bio ↴Barbra Streisand (born Barbara Joan Streisand; April 24, 1942 Brooklyn, New York), is an Academy Award-winning American singer, theater and film actress, composer, film producer, and director. She has won Oscars for Best Actress and Best Original Song as well as multiple Emmy Awards, Grammy Awards, Golden Globe Awards and an honorary Tony Award. She received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor on December 7, 2008. She is the most successful female recording artist according to the Recording Industry Assoc. of America (RIAA).

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."

Gounod's Ave Maria
Barbra Streisand Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ave Maria
Gratia plena
Dominus tecum
Benedicta tu in mulieribus
Et benedictus fructos ventri tui Jesus
Santa Maria...
Santa Maria...
Maria

Ora pro nobis
Nobis pecatoribus
Nunc et in ora,
In ora mortis nostrae
(Santa Maria, Santa Maria)
Maria
Ora pro nobis
Nobis pecatoribus
Nunc et in ora,
In ora mortis nostrae

Amen
Amen...

Overall Meaning

Barbra Streisand's rendition of Gounod's Ave Maria is a powerful and emotional interpretation of the classic hymn. The lyrics are in Latin and translate to "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

The song opens with the phrase "Ave Maria," which is the Latin salutation used to address the Virgin Mary. The next line, "Gratia plena," translates to "full of grace," referencing Mary's immaculate conception. The following line, "Dominus tecum," means "the Lord is with thee," reminding us of Mary's connection to God.

The second half of the first verse mentions how blessed Mary is among women, and how her child Jesus is equally blessed. The repetition of "Santa Maria" following this verse further emphasizes Mary's importance and power as an intercessor to God. The song's final verse is a plea for salvation from a sinful life, asking Mary to pray for us both now and in the afterlife.

Line by Line Meaning

Ave Maria
Hail Mary, a greeting used to address the Virgin Mary

Gratia plena
Full of grace, signifying Mary's sinlessness

Dominus tecum
The Lord is with thee, acknowledging Mary's close relationship with God

Benedicta tu in mulieribus
Blessed art thou among women, recognizing Mary as the most blessed woman

Et benedictus fructos ventri tui Jesus
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, praising Jesus as the Son of God

Santa Maria...
Holy Mary..., a repetition of the first lines to emphasize Mary's holiness

Maria
Mary, a direct address to the Virgin Mary

Ora pro nobis
Pray for us, asking for Mary's intercession to God on behalf of humankind

Nobis pecatoribus
We sinners, acknowledging our human imperfection and need for redemption

Nunc et in ora,
Now and at the hour, asking for Mary's prayers in this life and in the hour of our death

In ora mortis nostrae
Of our death, recognizing death as an inevitable part of life