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."

Lied: Auf Dem Wasser Zu Singen
Barbra Streisand Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Über den Wipfeln des westlichen Haines
Winket uns freundlich der rötliche Schein
Unter den Zweigen des östlichen Haines
Säuselt der Kalmus im rötlichen Schein
Unter den Zweigen des östlichen Haines
Säuselt der Kalmus im rötlichen Schein

Ach! They just don't write tunes like that anymore: "Auf Dem Wasser zu Singen". It is really one of my favorites and I'm sure it's one of yours! In fact it it so much fun to sing... Why don't you join in with me for the last chorus and.. er... you know, sing along with Schubert?

Bis ich auf höherem strahlendem Flügel
Selber entschwinde der wechselnden Zeit

Sel... wonderful, wonderful...
Selber entschwinde der wechselnden Zeit ...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Barbra Streisand's song Lied: Auf Dem Wasser Zu Singen (Song: To be Sung on the Water) are a German poem written by Friedrich Leopold zu Stolberg-Stolberg in the late 1700s. The poem is about the beauty of nature and the ability for music to transport us to a different realm. The first two lines of the poem talk about the warm glow of the setting sun over the trees in the western grove, while the sound of the reeds rustling can be heard under the branches of the eastern grove. The repetition of the last line of the stanza emphasizes the peacefulness and tranquility of the natural setting.

The second and final stanza of the song includes the most powerful and significant message. The last two lines of the stanza signify that the power of music can transport us beyond the confines of time and space. The lyrics suggest that through music, we can transcend the physical world and enter a realm of pure emotion and feeling. Barbra Streisand's rendition of the song captures the beauty and simplicity of the poem while highlighting the message of music's transformative qualities.

Line by Line Meaning

Über den Wipfeln des westlichen Haines
The red glow kindly beckons us from atop the trees in the western grove.

Winket uns freundlich der rötliche Schein
The red glow offers a warm and welcoming greeting.

Unter den Zweigen des östlichen Haines
The reeds whisper softly in the red glow among the branches of the eastern grove.

Säuselt der Kalmus im rötlichen Schein
The sweetgrass rustles gently in the red glow.

Bis ich auf höherem strahlendem Flügel
Until I ascend on a higher, radiant wing.

Selber entschwinde der wechselnden Zeit
I myself escape the changing times.

Contributed by Bentley V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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