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 Go Away
Barbra Streisand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On this summer day
Then you might as well take the sun away
All the birds that flew in the summer sky
When our love was new and our hearts were high
When the day was young and the night was long
And the moon stood still for the night bird's song
If you go away
If you go away
But if you stay
I'll make you a day
Like no day has been or will be again
We'll sail on the sun
We'll ride on the rain
We'll talk to the trees and worship the wind
Then if you go, I'll understand
Leave me just enough love
To hold in my hand
If you go away
If you go away
If you go away
Ne me quitte pas
Il faut oublier
Tout peut s'oublier
Qui s'enfuit déjà
Oublier le temps
Des malentendus
Et le temps perdu
À savoir comment
Oublier ces heures
Qui tuaient parfois
À coups de pourquoi
Le cœur du bonheur
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
But if you stay
I'll make you a night
Like no night has been
Or will be again
I'll sail on your smile
I'll ride on your touch
I'll talk to your eyes
That I love so much
Then if you go
I'll understand
Leave me just enough
To hold in my hand
If you go away
If you go away
If you go away
If you go away
As I know you must
There'll be nothing left
In this world to trust
Just an empty room
Full of empty space
Like the empty look
I see on your face
Oh, I would have been
The shadow of your shadow
If it might have kept me
By your side
If you go away
If you go away
Please don't go away
Barbra Streisand's "If You Go Away" is a heartbreaking song about a love that may soon come to an end. The opening lines set the scene for the rest of the song, with the singer lamenting that if their lover leaves on this summer's day, then they might as well take the sun away with them. The summer imagery and reference to birds flying in the sky are metaphors for the early days of the relationship, when everything was new and exciting. The singer recalls the time when their hearts were high, and the day was young, and the nights were long, and the moon stood still for the "night bird's song."
The singer then begs their lover to stay, promising to make them a day like no day has been or will be again, to sail on the sun, to ride on the rain, to talk to the trees, and worship the wind. The lyrics are full of vivid imagery, evoking the beauty and wonder of nature. But despite these entreaties, the singer acknowledges that their lover may still choose to leave, and they will have to make do with the memory of the love they shared. They ask their lover to leave them just enough love to fill up their hand, so that they can hold onto it when they are alone.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes more desperate, imploring their lover to tell the world to stop turning until they return again, if they ever do. They acknowledge that there is no good in love without their lover, and that they will be dying slowly until the next hello. The chorus repeats throughout the song, with the singer alternating between pleading with their lover to stay and resignedly accepting that they must go.
Line by Line Meaning
If you go away
If you leave me and go away
On this summer's day
During this pleasant weather
Then you might as well
You might as well
Take the sun away
Take away every single thing that makes life enjoyable
All the birds that flew
All the birds that were part of our memories
In the summer sky
In the sky that represents warmth and happiness
When our love was new
When we had just fallen in love
And our hearts were high
When we felt immense love and passion for each other
And the day was young
In the early stages of our love
And the nights were long
Nights felt full of love and passion
And the moon stood still
When everything felt perfect
For the night bird's song
For the sound of nature that added to the beauty of the moment
But if you stay
If you remain with me
I'll make you a day
I will create unique and special moments for us
Like no day has been
Unlike anything we have experienced before
Or will be again
That is impossible to recreate
We'll sail on the sun
We will enjoy the warmth and positivity of life together
We'll ride on the rain
Even in difficult times, we will face everything together
And talk to the trees
We will communicate with nature and appreciate its beauty
And worship the wind
We will cherish every moment regardless of what life brings
But if you go
If you leave me
I'll understand
I will come to terms with your decision
Leave me just enough love
Give me a small fraction of the love we shared
To fill up my hand
To sustain and comfort me through this difficult time
As I know you will
Because I know you will leave
You must tell the world
Let everyone know
To stop turning
Stop the world from spinning
'til you return again
Until you come back to me
If you ever do
If you ever decide to come back
For what good is love
Because love only has meaning and purpose
Without loving you?
When you are no longer there to share it with me?
Can I tell you now
Can I express this feeling to you now
As you turn to go
As you prepare to leave
I'll be dying slowly
I will suffer endless pain and heartache
'til the next hello
Until we see each other again
I won't cry
I will not show my pain and sadness
Though the good is gone
Even though our love has come to an end
From the word goodbye
From the very moment you say goodbye
As I know you must
Because I understand that you have to leave
There is nothing left
There is nothing left for me
In this world to trust
I have lost faith and hope in everything
Just an empty room
I am surrounded by an environment of emptiness
Full of empty space
Where nothing seems to make sense
Like the empty look
Your face that once radiated love and happiness
I see on your face
Now appears devoid of all emotions
And I'd been the shadow
I was always there in the background
Of your shadow
But you never noticed me or my love
If you might have kept me
If only you had chosen to stay with me
By your side
Our love might have continued to blossom
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jacques Romain Brel, Rod McKuen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cesarazo
If you go away
On this summer's day
Then you might as well
Take the sun away
All the birds that flew
In the summer sky
When our love was new
And our hearts were high
And the day was young
And the night was long
And the moon stood still
For the night bird's song
If you go away
If you go away
If you go away
But if you stay
I'll make you a day
Like no day has been
Or will be again
We'll sail on the sun
We'll ride on the rain
We'll talk to the trees
And worship the wind
Then if you go
I'll understand
Leave me just enough love
To hold in my hand
If you go away
If you go away
If you go away
Ne me quitte pas, il faut oublier
Tout peut s'oublier qui s'enfuit déjà
Oublier le temps des malentendus
Et le temps perdu à savoir comment
Oublier ces heures qui tuaient parfois
A coups de pourquoi le coeur du bonheur
Ne me quitte pas, ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
But if you stay
I'll make you a night
Like no night has been
Or will be again
I'll sail on your smile
I'll ride on your touch
I'll talk to your eyes
That I love so much
Then if you go
I'll understand
Leave me just enough
To hold in my hand
If you go away
If you go away
If you go away
If you go away
As I know you must
There'll be nothing left
In this world to trust
Just an empty room
Full of empty space
Like the empty look
I see on your face
Oh I would have been the shadow
Of your shadow
If it might have kept me
By your side
If you go away
If you go away
Please, don't go away
@danielhutchinson7115
My God the Romance in Barbara s Voice and the French she speaks and the story of the song , is so totally engulphing .
But , I have been silently in love with her for so many decades
She is so magical and transports me.
I was listening to this and it was WW2 and on the Queen Elizabeth
Ocean liner crossing the Atlantic and off in the distance at the dark horizon an explosion erupted as a
Oil tanker was hit by a torpedo from a U Boat
Wolfpack and we knew we were in grave danger as the Nazi s were hungry this night and we held each other close in the misty darkness .
The Flames from the tanker we're now engufing the entire ship as she was singing the song and she was so young and beautiful and elegant.
The desperation of war
at sea and the passion of youth makes the romance and love so vital and ????
If only I could have lived it .
WW2 was so desperate and the courage it took .
It was our finest hour.
That generation now is almost gone .
@illarion6
One of the best love songs I’ve ever heard.
«If You Go Away»
Lyrics
If you go away on this summer day
Then you might as well take the sun away;
All the birds that flew in the summer sky
When our love was new and our hearts were high;
When the day was young and the night was long
And the moon stood still for the night bird's song
If you go away, if you go away, if you go away
But if you stay, I'll make you a day
Like no day has been, or will be again;
We'll sail the sun, we'll ride on the rain
We'll talk to the trees and worship the wind
Then if you go, I'll understand
Leave me just enough love to fill up my hand
If you go away, if you go away, if you go away
If you go, as I know you will, you must tell the world to stop turning
Till you return again, if you ever do, for what good is love without loving you
Can I tell you now, as you turn to go, I'll be dying slowly till the next hello
If you go away, if you go away, if you go away
But if you stay, I'll make you a night
Like no night has been, or will be again
I'll sail on your smile, I'll ride on your touch
I'll talk to your eyes that I love so much
But if you go, go, I won't cry
Though the good is gone from the word goodbye
If you go away, if you go away, if you go away
If you go away, as I know you must
There'll be nothing left in the world to trust
Just an empty room, full of empty space
Like the empty look I see on your face
I'd have been the shadow of your shadow
If I thought it might have kept me by your side
If you go away, if you go away, if you go away
Please don't go away
@NYCBG
Barbra. She ought to be protected by law. She's a national treasure.
@nikcom1669
Merci à madame Streisand pour cette hommage à Jacques Brel❤️
@monichat
I believed only Jacques Brel could make me cry when singing NE ME QUITTE PAS, but Ms. Streisand did a wonderful version. she even sang in French, almost no accent. Merci !❤
@gullsrus
I agree with your words about this beautiful song. It's amazing.
@isabertrand6221
@@gullsrus Sure, the Jacques Brel's version is wonderful! Some people told long time ago that this song "is one of the most beautiful love song" (I do not really agree, I would rather say "among" ). Keep in your mind that Brel died in1978...Clearly, the Barbra Streisand's version (sorry Jacques!) is the best! This is my own opinion, but of course, Brel sang just in French, and never had the wonderful voice....(you know who I am talking about :-) )
@higgy7762
what? ké toué pafoi :=)
@monichat
I love Jacques Brel's voice. Also Ms. Streisand of course. Both versions are wonderful, you can't miss with such a lovely song. But I wouldn't say Barbra's version is the best. I would suggest it is as good as Brel's version. @@isabertrand6221
@delphinebenaim5972
I have heard that song thousand and thousand times in French ,but her interprétation half English,half french is amazing ,she plays the song ,I am moved
@brucetyrrell4242
I can’t stop crying…so beautiful!
@josemedeiros9459
Ooo beautiful for voice Miss BARBARA TY 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💗💗💗💗💗