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."

I'll Tell the Man in the Street
Barbra Streisand Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I won't to tell of my love
To the red, red rose
Or the running brook
Where the sweet magnolia grows

I won't tell of my love
To every little star
Or the whippoorwill

On the hill above

I'll tell the man in the street
And everyone I meet
That you and I are sweethearts
I'll shout it out
From the roof

I'll give the papers proof
That we two are complete hearts
I want the world to know
I'd use the radio

And when I've said all I say

You may be old and gray
But you can't get away from me.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Barbra Streisand's song I'll Tell the Man in the Street speak about a person's undying love for someone else. The singer talks about how they won't profess their love to things in nature, such as a red rose, a running brook or a sweet magnolia that grows. Neither will they tell every little star or the night bird called whippoorwill on the hill above. The singer, however, is eager to let the world know about their love, and they choose to tell the man in the street and everyone they meet. They are so sure of this love that they want to shout it out from the roof and even get the papers to expose their love to the world. The singer concludes by stating that they will keep professing their love even when the other person has grown old and grey.

Streisand's lyrics speak about the universal need to express our love for each other. This could be seen as a call to action for people who are in love to share it with the world. It is normal to experience moments where you want the world to know how much you love someone. Additionally, the lyrics emphasise the idea that love knows no bounds and can transcend age and time. The singer assures the listener that their love will endure, even when the other person grows old.

Line by Line Meaning

I won't to tell of my love
I won't express my love openly.

To the red, red rose
Not even to the most beautiful of nature's creations.

Or the running brook
Or even to the trickling and soothing sounds of water.

Where the sweet magnolia grows
Or to the very essence of what beauty is.

I won't tell of my love
And I won't share it with anyone else.

To every little star
Not even to the shimmering stars in the sky.

Or the whippoorwill
Or to any creature in the natural world.

On the hill above
Or even if I hear the sound of the whippoorwill from afar.

I'll tell the man in the street
But I'll share my love with anyone I meet.

And everyone I meet
Whoever I may come across in life.

That you and I are sweethearts
That you and I are in love.