The Way We Were
Barbra Streisand Lyrics


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Mem'ries light the corners of my mind
Misty water-colored mem'ries of the way we were

Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were

Can it be that it was all so simple then
Or has time rewritten every line
If we had the chance to do it all again, tell me, would we, could we

Mem'ries may be beautiful and yet
What's too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget

So it's the laughter we will remember
Whenever we remember the way we were





The way we were

Overall Meaning

"The Way We Were," a famous ballad song by Barbra Streisand, is an introspective journey down memory lane. The opening line, "Mem'ries light the corners of my mind," sets the tone for an emotional lyrical exploration of the past. The mood and ambiance are immediately set with "misty water-colored mem'ries," which conjures a sense of nostalgia and sentimentality. As the song progresses, Streisand highlights an enigma - the simplicity of the past. She wonders whether it was all so simple then, or has time rewritten every line, proposing the dichotomy of the present and the past. Streisand's poignant verses remind the listener that while we often forget the things too painful to remember, it's the laughter that we'll recall whenever we remember the way we were.


Line by Line Meaning

Mem'ries light the corners of my mind
The memories of our past experiences constantly cross my thoughts


Misty water-colored mem'ries of the way we were
The memories we created together are hazy but still hold great significance in my mind


Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
The photos we took together capture the joyful moments we shared in the past


Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were
We smiled at each other to acknowledge and cherish the way we were together


Can it be that it was all so simple then
Was our past relationship truly as effortless as it seemed at the time?


Or has time rewritten every line
Could the passage of time have distorted my perceptions and recollections of our past?


If we had the chance to do it all again, tell me, would we, could we
If we could relive our memories, would we do anything differently?


Mem'ries may be beautiful and yet
While the memories we created together are special and meaningful to me


What's too painful to remember
There are some painful memories that I would rather not dwell on


We simply choose to forget
As a coping mechanism, I choose to forget the painful memories and cling to the happy ones


So it's the laughter we will remember
Despite the ups and downs of our relationship, the memories that make us smile will endure


Whenever we remember the way we were
When we reminisce about our relationship in the past, the memories that stick out the most are the ones that made us happy


The way we were
Our past relationship, with all its joys and trials, will always be a significant part of my life




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore
Written by: Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Marvin Hamlisch

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@susan3579

Memories light the corners of my mind
Misty water-colored memories of the way we were
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were
Can it be that it was all so simple then
Or has time rewritten every line
If we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me, would we?
Could we?
Memories may be beautiful and yet
What's too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget
So it's the laughter we will remember
Whenever we remember
The way we were
The way we were



@KorumEmrys

Memories
Light the corners of my mind
Misty watercolor memories
Of the way we were
Scattered pictures
Of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another
For the way we were
Can it be that it was all so simple then?
Or has time re-written every line?
If we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me, would we?
Could we?
Memories
May be beautiful and yet
What's too painful to remember
We simply to choose to forget
So it's the laughter
We will remember
Whenever we remember
The way we were
The way we were...



@kosselamm5077

Lyrics:
Memories
Light the corners of my mind
Misty watercolor memories
Of the way we were
Scattered pictures
Of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another
For the way we were
Can it be that it was all so simple then?
Or has time re-written every line?
If we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me, would we?
Could we?
Memories
May be beautiful and yet
What's too painful to remember
We simply to choose to forget
So it's the laughter
We will remember
Whenever we remember
The way we were
The way we were



@hahe3598

"The Way We Were"

Mem'ries,
Light the corners of my mind
Misty water-colored memories
Of the way we were
Scattered pictures,
Of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another
For the way we were
Can it be that it was all so simple then?
Or has time re-written every line?
If we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me, would we? Could we?
Mem'ries, may be beautiful and yet
What's too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget
So it's the laughter
We will remember
Whenever we remember...
The way we were...
The way we were...



All comments from YouTube:

@careydoriswidman872

Love this song, the movie and her beautiful singing voice. Timeless and forever. ❤️

@deanrideout1275

The film is so so touching right from the heart

@SameerPrehistorica

Agreed

@davidkidd450

Great movie, Barbara's voice and Redford's acting made it a wonderful experience 😀

@joannrabideau8130

Definitely a timeless song that only Barbra Streisand could do justice to.💖👏🙂🌻

@deanrideout1275

She sure does

@wilburfinnigan2142

Joann SORRY but young Lucy Thomas just nailed this song and showed Barbra how to sing it. Released 12/27/2022 Check her out !!!

@joannrabideau8130

I will check lucy out thanks for pointing this out to me. But just saying not to start anything Miss Streisand is my favorite to sing this song.

@martinhawkrsworth9676

I'd absolutely agree with you

@leramfreeman2950

​@wilburfinnigan2142 Stop with the foolishness. Streisand and Gladys Knight!

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