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."
Way We Were
Barbra Streisand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
Barbra Streisand's song "The Way We Were" is a reflection on the memories of past love and the bittersweet feeling that comes with nostalgia. The opening two lines "Mem'ries light the corners of my mind, Misty water-colored mem'ries of the way we were" paint a picture of memories that are distant but still very much present in the mind's eye. These memories are not crystal clear but they still evoke a strong emotional response.
As the song progresses, Streisand sings of the "Scattered pictures," of the smiles that they left behind. These pictures are fragmented, quite like the pieces of a puzzle, but they tell a story of a time when things were simpler. Streisand then asks if it could be that it was all so simple then, or has time rewritten every line? This line speaks to the idea that memories can be altered by time; memories of the past may be colored by the present. The question that follows, "If we had the chance to do it all again, tell me, would we, could we?" is a powerful one, as it is one that many people often ask themselves.
Streisand ends the verses with a poignant note; "Mem'ries may be beautiful and yet, what's too painful to remember, we simply choose to forget," reminding listeners that, at times, the memories of the past are too painful to bear. She then reassures herself and listeners that it will be the laughter and smiles that are remembered and cherished; "So it's the laughter we will remember, whenever we remember the way we were." This song is powerful for its ability to evoke emotion and the shared experience of nostalgia.
Line by Line Meaning
Mem'ries light the corners of my mind
Memories are always present in the corners of my mind
Misty water-colored mem'ries of the way we were
The memories of the past are like misty, water-colored images of how things used to be
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
There are pictures of happy moments we shared, but now they are scattered behind us
Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were
We smiled at each other because we were happy with the way things were
Can it be that it was all so simple then
Is it possible that everything was so simple and uncomplicated back then?
Or has time rewritten every line
Perhaps time has distorted or changed the actual events that took place
If we had the chance to do it all again, tell me, would we, could we
If given the opportunity, would we want to relive everything? Could we handle it?
Mem'ries may be beautiful and yet
Memories can be beautiful but...
What's too painful to remember
There are some things that are too painful to recall
We simply choose to forget
So we choose to forget those painful moments
So it's the laughter we will remember
We will remember the times we laughed because they were happier moments
Whenever we remember the way we were
Every time we remember the past, we remember how things used to be
The way we were
This line just repeats the title of the song
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALAN BERGMAN, MARILYN BERGMAN, MARVIN HAMLISCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@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...
@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!