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."
The Clicker Blues
Barbra Streisand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Online was where you hung the wash
And a megabyte was a really big nosh
And if it was a virus you got
You went to the doctor and got a shot, uhhh.
Internet or interface
Download, upload, database
They may as well be speaking greek!
Once... a floppy disk meant you had a bum back
A hack drove a cab
And a burgral was a mac
Modems, chat rooms, dos and dots
A mouse in your pad, that's why we had cats
Nowadays... you need a degree from mit
To operate your own tv
I used to find a channel quicker
When all you needed was one clicker
Listen, I don't mean to bicker
But now my clicker has a clicker
And each new clicker makes me sicker
If I could only find a clicker
To turn all the clickers off!!!
Barbra Streisand's The Clicker Blues is a humorous ode to the rapidly changing pace of technology. The song takes us down memory lane as the singer reminisces a simpler time when the internet was just a place to hang wash, and a megabyte was a term nobody had ever known. In those days, if one contracted a virus, a doctor's visit would be needed for a shot to the arm.
As the lyrics progress, we see the singer struggle to keep up with new buzzwords like "download, upload, database," and "pixel, shmixel, cyber speak." The old ways of dial-up modems, chat rooms, and floppy disks had all long gone, replaced by new tech like sophisticated TVs, multiple remote controls, and smartphones. All of these changes in technology have left Barbra exhausted, frustrated, and longing for the simpler days of just having one clicker to turn the TV on.
The Clicker Blues is an excellent portrayal of how technology has outpaced the human ability to adapt to new developments swiftly. As people struggle with updating their software and upgrading their devices continually, they long for the days when things were more manageable. Ultimately, the song is about the constant pace of change and people's inability to keep up, which accentuates the need for new technology for the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Remember when...
Let's go back in time and remember how things used to be.
Online was where you hung the wash
In the past, 'online' meant putting your laundry on a clothesline outside to dry.
And a megabyte was a really big nosh
In the past, a 'megabyte' referred to a large serving of food.
And if it was a virus you got, You went to the doctor and got a shot, uhhh.
If you got a virus on your computer in the past, you would need to see a doctor to get rid of it.
Internet or interface
The terms used to describe the internet were much simpler in the past.
Download, upload, database
Nowadays, we use much more complex terms to describe how the internet works.
Pixel, shmixel, cyber speak
Modern technology has come up with terms that are completely foreign to some people.
They may as well be speaking greek!
All of these technical terms and jargon can sound like a foreign language to some people.
Once... a floppy disk meant you had a bum back
In the past, using a floppy disk required manual labor that might have caused back pain.
A hack drove a cab
The word 'hack' used to refer to a taxi driver.
And a burgral was a mac
The term 'burglar' used to refer to a type of computer, the Macintosh.
Modems, chat rooms, dos and dots
Other terms from the past that have become outdated include 'modems,' 'chat rooms,' 'DOS,' and the 'dot' command.
A mouse in your pad, that's why we had cats
It used to be common for people to have cats to keep the mice away from their computer mouse pads.
Nowadays... you need a degree from mit
Nowadays, you need to be very knowledgeable about technology to understand how to use all the various devices and services available.
To operate your own tv
Even something as simple as watching TV can now require a lot of technical know-how.
I used to find a channel quicker
In the past, finding a TV channel only required one click of a remote control.
When all you needed was one clicker
A 'clicker' was another word for a TV remote control in the past.
Listen, I don't mean to bicker
The singer doesn't want to cause an argument, but they are frustrated with modern technology.
But now my clicker has a clicker
Nowadays, even the TV remote control has become more complicated, with some remotes having multiple buttons and settings.
And each new clicker makes me sicker
Each new device or remote control that comes out just adds to the artist's frustrations.
If I could only find a clicker
The artist wishes for a simpler time when all they needed was a basic TV remote control.
To turn all the clickers off!!!
The artist is so frustrated with modern technology that they just want to turn everything off.
Contributed by Vivian P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Robo
on Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)
I love Melinda Vesterfelt