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."
Pretty Women / the Ladies Who Lunch
Barbra Streisand Lyrics
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Fascinating
Sippin' coffee
Dancing, pretty women
Are a wonder, pretty women
Sitting in the window or
Standing on the stair
Something in them cheers the air
Silhouetted
Stay within you
Glancing stay forever
Breathing lightly, pretty women
Pretty women
Blowing out their candles or
Combing out their hair
Even when they leave
They still are there
They're there
Sipping coffee
Here's to the ladies who lunch
Everybody laugh
Lounging in their caftans and
Planning a brunch
On their own behalf
Off to the gym
Then to a fitting
Claiming they're fat
And looking grim
'Cause they've been sitting
Choosing a hat
I'll drink to that!
Here's to the girls who just watch
Aren't they the best
When they get depressed
It's a bottle of scotch
Plus a little jest!
Another chance to disapprove
Another brilliant zinger
Another reason not to move
Another vodka stinger
I'll drink to that!
And here's to the girls who play wife
Aren't they too much
Keeping house but clutching a copy of "Life"
Just to keep in touch
The ones who follow the rules
And meet themselves at the schools
Too busy to know that they're fools
Aren't they a gem
I'll drink to them
Let's all drink to
Pretty women, fascinating
How they make a man sing
Here's to the girls on the go
Everybody tries
Look into their eyes
And you'll see what they know
Everybody dies
A toast to that invincible bunch
The dinosaurs surviving the crunch
Let's hear it for the ladies who lunch
Everybody rise
Everybody rise
Pretty women at their mirrors
In their gardens
On committees, telephoning
Window shopping table hopping
Pretty women giving parties
Never stopping
Gossip swapping, capsule popping
Everybody rise, everybody rise
Everybody rise
Rise, rise, rise, rise
Pretty women rise!
In this song, Barbra Streisand sings about the beauty and allure of women. The first verse describes the physical beauty of women, whether they are sitting in their windows or standing on the stairs, pretty women have an air of optimism and happiness about them. The second verse is a tribute to the affluent women who lunch and gossip, who occupy a significant space in the society. They are portrayed as women who are so idle that they have nothing better to do than to lounge around in their robes and plan their next meals. The third verse is an ode to the women who have to play the role of a wife irrespective of whether they want to or not, how they are too preoccupied with playing by the ‘rules’ that they don't even realize they are being foolish.
The final part of the song is a chorus that sets the mood for the verses, with its repetition of ‘Pretty women, fascinating, how they make a man sing’ and it brings together all of the themes of the song. These include physical beauty, wealth and status, conformity and feminism. The song can be seen as a celebration of women's power and influence, but it can also be interpreted as a commentary on the superficiality of traditional gender roles and societal expectations placed on women.
Line by Line Meaning
Pretty women
Women who are beautiful and elegant
Fascinating
They're interesting and captivating in their ways
Sippin' coffee
Drinking coffee in a delicate way
Dancing, pretty women
Women who are beautiful and dance gracefully
Are a wonder, pretty women
They're a sight to behold, captivating everyone who lays their eyes on them
Sitting in the window or
Sitting or standing in a beautiful setting like a window or stairs
Standing on the stair
Standing on the stairs or balcony, looking graceful and elegant
Something in them cheers the air
They emanate beauty and joy in the environment they're in
Pretty women
Women who are beautiful and elegant
Silhouetted
Their beautiful figures and elegant edges stand out even in the dark or against any backdrop
Stay within you
They create lasting memories within you
Glancing stay forever
Even their fleeting glances stay etched in your mind forever
Breathing lightly, pretty women
As they breathe, they show their effortless elegance
Pretty women
Women who are beautiful and elegant
Blowing out their candles or
Blowing out candles during birthdays or special occasions
Combing out their hair
Taking time to ensure that their hair is perfect
Even when they leave
Even if they're not around anymore
They still are there
Their beauty and elegance is so memorable and lasting
They're there
Their impact remains even after they're gone
Sipping coffee
Women who are relaxing and taking it easy
Here's to the ladies who lunch
Toast to women who know how to enjoy their time and money
Everybody laugh
They're enjoying life and having a good time
Lounging in their caftans and
Relaxing in their comfortable clothes and enjoying time off
Planning a brunch
They're thinking about having a leisurely meal with their friends
On their own behalf
Doing things for themselves and living life on their own terms
Off to the gym
Going to the gym to take care of their health
Then to a fitting
Going on a shopping spree or getting their clothes fitted
Claiming they're fat
Jokingly calling themselves overweight
And looking grim
Jokingly looking sad or unhappy about it
'Cause they've been sitting
Making fun of how little they exercise
Choosing a hat
Going shopping and buying something nice for themselves
I'll drink to that!
This deserves a toast!
Here's to the girls who just watch
Toast to ladies who observe and enjoy from afar
Aren't they the best
They bring joy by just being present and watching, without doing anything to change it
When they get depressed
Talking about how they react to their surroundings
It's a bottle of scotch
Jokingly mentioning how they turn to alcohol to cope
Plus a little jest!
They make jokes to ease their minds
Another chance to disapprove
They like to poke fun or disapprove of others
Another brilliant zinger
Coming up with witty lines to say to criticize someone
Another reason not to move
They don't need any more reason to stay put than they already do
Another vodka stinger
Jokingly mentioning another drink that they can have to cope
I'll drink to that!
This deserves a toast!
And here's to the girls who play wife
Toast to ladies who take care of their families and households
Aren't they too much
They go above and beyond to show their love and support
Keeping house but clutching a copy of "Life"
They take care of their households while staying informed and knowledgeable about the world outside
Just to keep in touch
They feel the need to stay up to date with the world
The ones who follow the rules
Ladies who follow the expectations that society has of them
And meet themselves at the schools
They work hard to meet expectations whether it's at work, school or home
Too busy to know that they're fools
They're too busy meeting expectations to realize that they're being taken advantage of
Aren't they a gem
They're still loved and appreciated anyway
I'll drink to them
This deserves a toast!
Let's all drink to
This deserves a toast from all of us!
Pretty women, fascinating
The elegance and beauty of women leave an enduring impact
How they make a man sing
They inspire men to express their admiration for the elegance and beauty
Here's to the girls on the go
Toast to women who are always busy and actively chasing their goals
Everybody tries
Everyone puts in their best effort to succeed
Look into their eyes
Looking into their eyes shows their determination and strong will
And you'll see what they know
You'll see their knowledge, capability and confidence
Everybody dies
Death is certain for everyone
A toast to that invincible bunch
This deserves a toast to the powerful and invincible women
The dinosaurs surviving the crunch
The women who have survived in tough, adverse conditions
Let's hear it for the ladies who lunch
This is a toast to women who have worked hard and are now enjoying their lives
Everybody rise
Everyone should stand up to salute and acknowledge these wonderful ladies
Pretty women at their mirrors
Women take great care and pride in their appearance, which reflects in their reflection in the mirror
In their gardens
Women tend to their gardens with great care and maintenance
On committees, telephoning
Women are active participants on committees and spend a lot of time talking on the phone as part of their everyday life
Window shopping table hopping
They browse through stores and restaurants for things they might want to buy or experience
Pretty women giving parties
They host elaborate and beautiful parties for their friends and family to enjoy
Never stopping
They keep working hard and enjoying life to the fullest, never stopping their efforts
Gossip swapping, capsule popping
They enjoy spending time gossiping with their friends, and maybe taking pills in the process, to deal with their stress
Everybody rise
Everyone should stand up to salute and acknowledge these wonderful ladies
Rise, rise, rise, rise
Rise in admiration for these wonderful ladies
Pretty women rise!
Beautiful and elegant women rise in their grace and charm
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robo
on Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)
I love Melinda Vesterfelt