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."
If You Could Read My Mind
Barbra Streisand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What a tale my thoughts could tell
Just like an old time movie
'Bout a ghost from a wishing well
In a castle dark or a fortress strong
With chains upon my feet
You know that ghost is me
As long as I am
A ghost that you can see
If I could read your mind, love
What a tale your thoughts could tell
Just like a paperback novel
That kind the drugstores sell
When you reach the part
Where the heartaches come
The hero would be me
The heroes often fail
And you won't red that book again
Because the ending's just too hard to take
I'd walk away like a movie star
Who gets spurned in a three-way script
Ends up number two
The movie queen to play the scene
And bringing all the good things out in me
But now for love, lets be real
I never thought I could feel this way
And I got to say
That I just don't get it
I don't know where we went wrong
But the feelings gone and I just can't get it back
If you could read my mind, love
What a tale my thoughts could tell
Just like an old time movie
'Bout a ghost from a wishing well
In a castle dark or a fortress strong
With chains upon my feet
Stories always end
And if you read between the lines
You know that I'm just trying to understand
The feelings that you lack
I've never thought I could feel this way
And I've got to say
That I just don't get it
I don't know where we went wrong
But the feelings gone and I just can't get it back
Barbra Streisand's song "If You Could Read My Mind" is a melancholic tale of two people who are struggling to understand each other's feelings. The song takes us on a journey through the unspoken thoughts of the two characters, each of whom is trying to decipher what the other person is thinking.
The lyrics begin with the singer inviting her lover to read her mind and understand the depths of her emotions. She compares her thoughts to an old-time movie, one that tells the story of a ghost from a wishing well. The ghost symbolizes the singer's innermost feelings and desires, which are haunting her like a specter. She expresses her frustration, saying that she will never be free until the ghost is exorcised from her mind.
The second verse is from the perspective of the singer's lover. He, too, wishes to know what is going on in her mind. He compares her thoughts to a paperback novel that one buys from a drug store. He imagines himself as the hero of the story, but acknowledges that in real life, heroes often fail. He laments the fact that things did not work out the way he wanted them to and that he cannot turn back the clock.
Overall, the lyrics of "If You Could Read My Mind" are about the difficulties of communication and understanding between two people in a relationship. They capture the heartache and confusion that comes with trying to make sense of someone else's emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
If you could read my mind, love
If only you could understand what's going on in my head, my love.
What a tale my thoughts could tell
You'd be amazed at the story my thoughts could reveal.
Just like an old time movie
The scenes in my mind play out like an old film.
'Bout a ghost from a wishing well
It's a story about a lost soul trying to find their way.
In a castle dark or a fortress strong
My mind can feel like a dark and lonely place at times.
With chains upon my feet
I can feel trapped and unable to escape my own thoughts.
You know that ghost is me
I am the one haunting my own mind.
And I will never be set free
I struggle to break free from my own thoughts and feelings.
As long as I am
As long as I am trapped in my own mind,
A ghost that you can see
My true self is visible to those who know me well.
If I could read your mind, love
If only I could understand what's going on in your head, my love.
What a tale your thoughts could tell
Your thoughts could reveal a complex and intriguing story.
Just like a paperback novel
Your mind can be like a novel I could read in one sitting.
That kind the drugstores sell
The kind of novel that's easy to read, but still captivating.
When you reach the part
As I read on through your thoughts,
Where the heartaches come
When I come across the parts that bring you pain and sadness,
The hero would be me
I want to be the one who helps you through your troubles.
The heroes often fail
But I know that even the best intentions can sometimes fall short.
And you won't read that book again
If things don't work out between us, you won't want to revisit those painful moments.
Because the ending's just too hard to take
The thought of how things might end between us is unbearable.
I'd walk away like a movie star
If things don't work out, I'd have to leave with grace and dignity like a star in a movie.
Who gets spurned in a three-way script
Like a character in a story who is rejected in a complicated love triangle.
Ends up number two
I'd have to accept that I'm no longer the one you want.
The movie queen to play the scene
I'd have to find my own strength and be the queen of my story.
And bringing all the good things out in me
I hope that through this experience, I will find new strengths and qualities in myself.
But now for love, let's be real
We need to face reality when it comes to our love.
I never thought I could feel this way
I never expected to feel such intense emotions in my life.
And I got to say
I have to be honest and say,
That I just don't get it
I can't quite comprehend what went wrong between us.
I don't know where we went wrong
We need to figure out what went wrong in our relationship.
But the feeling's gone and I just can't get it back
I fear that our love is lost and can't be recovered.
Stories always end
All stories come to an end, eventually.
And if you read between the lines
If you look closely at the details,
You know that I'm just trying to understand
You'll see that I'm looking for a greater understanding of what's happened between us.
The feelings that you lack
I'm trying to uncover what emotions you may be suppressing or hiding from me.
I've never thought I could feel this way
I never expected to feel such confusion and sadness in my life.
And I've got to say
I must admit,
That I just don't get it
I can't fully comprehend what's happened to our love.
I don't know where we went wrong
I'm struggling to understand what went awry in our relationship.
But the feeling's gone and I just can't get it back
I fear that our love is lost and can't be revived.
Lyrics Š Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Gordon Lightfoot
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
CuzKatieSaysSo
I didn't think think I was going to like this, I mean, no one can really do it like Gordon Lightfoot, but then, she is Barbra, and she could sing the phone book...
A P
This is an amazing song. The original version is amazing and this is also a beautiful version of it.
Dave King
The best version I've heard since Lightfoot's. The orchestration is OTT, but her quality always surprises and triumphs.
J
I wanted to hear this version of if you can read my mind from Gordon Lightfoot but I think I'll just stick with woman in love. Written by barry gibb preformed by Barbara. I think only Gordon can sing if you could read my mind. Btw happy 2020
Sallie Gardiner
Thanks for posting beautiful version never knew you did it please encourage more of the talent out there to give this classic a try.
Barbra Jones
i love the way barbra sings this song.
lito santos
Same
Champinote
I really like this version,good idea was to do it her own way. That doesn't make the G Lightfoot better or worst,just different. The song remain accros all this. And it's intention,making people feel better . :)
dennytango
a gordon lightfoot timeless treasure
Bella Wright
A Beautiful woman and voice.