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."
What Kind of Fool
Barbra Streisand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There was a place when we were starting over
We let the bough break
We let the heartache in
Who's sorry now
There was a world when we were standing still
And for a moment we were separated
You let the stranger in
Who's sorry now
Who's sorry now
What, what kind of fool (what kind of fool)
Tears it apart (tears it apart)
Leaving me pain and sorrow
Losing you now
Wonderin' why
Where will I be tomorrow
There was a time when we were down and out
There was a place when we were starting over
We let the bough break
We let the heartache in
Who's sorry now
Who's sorry now
What, what kind of fool (what kind of fool)
Tears it apart (tears it apart)
Leaving me pain and sorrow
Losing you now
Wondering why
Where will I be tomorrow
Was there a moment when I cut you down
Played around
What have I done
I only apologize
For being as they say, the last to know
It has to show
When someone is in your eyes
What kind of fool (what kind of fool)
Tears it apart
Leaving me pain and sorrow
What kind of fool
How can I win
Where will I be tomorrow
What, what
What, what, yeah
Don't leave me baby
Where will I go
Where will you be, what have I done?
Oh where will I be so, tell me why
Why why
What kind of fool
Barbra Streisand's song "What Kind of Fool" is a heartfelt ballad that talks about the aftermath of a failed relationship. The song is written in the form of a conversation between two former lovers who are questioning the reasons for their separation. The singer reflects on how they let the relationship deteriorate by allowing heartache to overcome them. They also note that they were once starting over but due to the interference of a stranger, the relationship ended. The chorus questions the kind of fool who would tear a relationship apart and cause pain and sorrow.
The singer then questions if they played a role in the break-up, trying to recall if they cut the other person down or played around. They apologize for their actions but acknowledge that they were the last to know that the relationship was falling apart. The song ends with the singer wondering how they can move on and win after losing their lover.
The lyrics to "What Kind of Fool" are a poignant representation of the emotional turmoil that comes with the end of a relationship. Streisand's soulful vocals and the emotional melody create a powerful message that relates to those who have experienced heartache.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a time when we were down and out
There was a time when we were in a difficult situation and struggling.
There was a place when we were starting over
There was a place where we had to begin all over again.
We let the bough break
We allowed our relationship to become fragile and weak.
We let the heartache in
We allowed ourselves to feel the pain and sadness of our situation.
Who's sorry now
Who is feeling regret for what happened?
There was a world when we were standing still
There was a time when we weren't making any progress in our relationship.
And for a moment we were separated
We were apart for a short period of time.
And then you found him
And then you met someone else.
You let the stranger in
You allowed this new person into your life and heart.
Who's sorry now
Who is feeling regret for what happened?
Who's sorry now
Who is feeling regret for what happened?
What, what kind of fool (what kind of fool)
What kind of foolish act was this?
Tears it apart (tears it apart)
Completely destroys it.
Leaving me pain and sorrow
Causing me to feel intense pain and sadness.
Losing you now
Losing our relationship now.
Wonderin' why
Wondering why this happened.
Where will I be tomorrow
What will my future be like without you?
There was a time when we were down and out
There was a time when we were in a difficult situation and struggling.
There was a place when we were starting over
There was a place where we had to begin all over again.
We let the bough break
We allowed our relationship to become fragile and weak.
We let the heartache in
We allowed ourselves to feel the pain and sadness of our situation.
Who's sorry now
Who is feeling regret for what happened?
Who's sorry now
Who is feeling regret for what happened?
What, what kind of fool (what kind of fool)
What kind of foolish act was this?
Tears it apart (tears it apart)
Completely destroys it.
Leaving me pain and sorrow
Causing me to feel intense pain and sadness.
Losing you now
Losing our relationship now.
Wondering why
Wondering why this happened.
Where will I be tomorrow
What will my future be like without you?
Was there a moment when I cut you down
Did I say or do something hurtful to you?
Played around
Did I cheat on you?
What have I done
What actions did I take to contribute to this situation?
I only apologize
I am sorry for my actions.
For being as they say, the last to know
I am apologizing for being oblivious to what was happening in our relationship.
It has to show
This situation has made it clear that I did not pay enough attention to you.
When someone is in your eyes
When you truly care for someone.
What kind of fool (what kind of fool)
What kind of foolish act was this?
Tears it apart
Completely destroys it.
Leaving me pain and sorrow
Causing me to feel intense pain and sadness.
What kind of fool
What kind of foolish act was this?
How can I win
How can I make things right?
Where will I be tomorrow
What will my future be like without you?
What, what
What kind of situation is this?
What, what, yeah
What a complicated situation this is.
Don't leave me baby
Please don't leave me.
Where will I go
What will I do without you?
Where will you be, what have I done?
Where will you go and why did this situation happen?
Oh where will I be so, tell me why
Where will I end up and why did this happen to us?
Why why
Why did our relationship fall apart?
What kind of fool
What kind of foolish act was this?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Albhy Galuten, Barry Gibb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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