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."

Medley
Barbra Streisand Lyrics

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The water is wide
I cannot cross over
And neither have
I wings to fly

Build me a boat
That will carry two
And both shall row

My love and I

There is a ship
And she sails the sea
She's loaded deep
As deep can be

But not so deep
As the love I'm in
I know not how
I sink or swim

Deep river
My home is over Jordan
Deep river, Lord
I want to cross over into campground

Deep river
My home is over Jordan
Deep river, Lord
I want to cross over into campground

Oh, don't you want to go
To that gospel feast
That promised land
Where all is peace
Lord, deep river, Lord
I want to cross over into campground

The water is wide
I cannot cross over
And neither have
I wings to fly

Build me a boat
that will carry two
And both shall row
And both shall row

And both shall row
My love and I

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Barbra Streisand's song Medley evoke feelings of loneliness and longing for a lost companion. The first verse describes the nights as lonely since the person left, with the singer constantly thinking about them throughout the day. The repetition of "My buddy" emphasizes the bond that the two shared, with nobody else as true as the person who is now gone. The singer misses their voice and touch, wanting to know if they still understand each other even with the distance between them.

The second verse focuses on the fact that it's all over, and someone else will make a fuss about the person who left. However, the singer is left wondering about themselves and what they'll do since the person is gone. The repetition of "But how about me?" highlights the feeling of being forgotten and left behind. The bridge repeats the phrase "He'll find somebody new," emphasizing the inevitability of moving on, but the final lines show that the singer will still remember the person who left, long after they've forgotten about them.

Line by Line Meaning

Nights are lone since you went away
I feel lonely at night without you.

I think about you
Thoughts of you occupy my mind.

All through the day
These thoughts persist through the day.

My buddy... My buddy...
I miss you, my friend.

Nobody quiet so true
No one else is as honest and reliable as you were.

Miss your voice, the touch of your hand
I long for the sound of your voice and the feeling of your touch.

Just long to know that you understand
I wish for the reassurance that you comprehend my feelings.

Your buddy misses you
I miss you just as much as you miss me.

It's over. All over.
Our relationship has come to an end.

And soon somebody else will make a fuss about you
Someone new will likely take interest in you.

But how about me?
What about how I feel?