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."
When You Gotta Go/In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
Barbra Streisand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And so although you'd like to stay a little while,
You've gotta show a little style, and exit smiling.
Goodbye to all that,
Just reach for your had
And go on your own sweet way,
You know in your heart,
Although you are parting,
When you gotta fly, you gotta fly
And though your sky tomorrow may not be as bright,
Be glad you had a spot of light,
To spend a while in,
So, pocket your pride
Though deep down inside,
The tears that you're crying
Ain't easy to hide,
When you gotta go, you've just gotta say good-bye...
In the wee, small hours of the morning
While the whole wide world is fast asleep,
You lie awake, and you think about the guy,
And never, ever think of counting sheep,
When your lonely heart has learned it's lesson,
You'd be his if only he would call,
In the wee, small hours of the morning,
That's the time you miss him most of all...
So just walk away,
and don't turn your head,
What more can you say now,
that hasn't been said,
When you've gotta go,
When you've gotta go,
Oh, when you've gotta go,
You've just gotta say...
"Good night, and thank you very much."
The lyrics of Barbra Streisand's song "When You Gotta Go" speaks about the moment when you have to depart from someone or something you love. The song utters that sometimes you have to leave even if you want to stay. It talks about the importance of exiting with style and on a good note. The first two lines "When you gotta go, you gotta go. And so although you'd like to stay a little while," delivers a straightforward message that at times, you have to part ways despite the wish to continue.
When someone has to fly, it is difficult to leave hoping to return soon. The lyric "And though your sky tomorrow may not be as bright," conveys that leaving might not be an easy decision since one's future could be uncertain. The song also touches upon the emotions involved upon departure, encouraging people to keep their pride and hide the tears that flow. The track highlights that it is okay to leave people and move on since it opens doors to new beginnings and new love.
Line by Line Meaning
When you gotta go, you gotta go
If you need to leave, then you need to leave, there's no getting around it
And so although you'd like to stay a little while,
Even if you want to stay longer,
You've gotta show a little style, and exit smiling.
You need to leave gracefully with a smile on your face
Goodbye to all that,
Saying goodbye to everything that came before
Just reach for your hand
Take a hold of yourself
And go on your own sweet way,
And leave in your own unique way
You know in your heart,
You feel deep in your heart
Although you are parting,
Even if you're separating
You'll live to love another day.
You'll find love again sometime in the future
When you gotta fly, you gotta fly
If you need to leave, you need to leave
And though your sky tomorrow may not be as bright,
Even if your future isn't looking as positive
Be glad you had a spot of light,
Be grateful for the good times you had in the past
To spend a while in,
To have enjoyed for a time
So, pocket your pride
Put your pride away, don't let it show
Though deep down inside,
Even if you feel it in your heart
The tears that you're crying
The tears that you're shedding
Ain't easy to hide,
Are difficult to conceal
When you gotta go, you've just gotta say goodbye...
When you need to leave, you need to say farewell
In the wee, small hours of the morning
During the early hours of the morning
While the whole wide world is fast asleep,
When everyone else is sound asleep
You lie awake, and you think about the guy,
You stay awake, pondering the person you miss
And never, ever think of counting sheep,
And don't even try to sleep
When your lonely heart has learned it's lesson,
When you've learned from your lonely experiences
You'd be his if only he would call,
You'd rekindle your relationship with him if only he made contact
In the wee, small hours of the morning,
During the early hours of the morning
That's the time you miss him most of all...
That's the time you yearn for him the most
So just walk away,
Just leave
and don't turn your head,
Don't look back
What more can you say now,
There's nothing else to say
that hasn't been said,
That you haven't already spoken
When you've gotta go,
When you have to leave
When you've gotta go,
When you need to leave
Oh, when you've gotta go,
When you really need to leave
You've just gotta say... 'Good night, and thank you very much.'
You just need to give a courteous farewell
Contributed by Max W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Robo
on Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)
I love Melinda Vesterfelt