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."
Will He Like Me
Barbra Streisand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Will the shy and quiet girl he's going to see
Be the girl the he's imagined me to be?
Will he like me?
Will he like the girl he sees?
If he doesn't, will he know enough to know?
That there's more of me than I may always show,
Will he like me?
Waiting to warm him?
How I'm hoping that his eyes and ears
Won't misinform him
Will he like me, who can say?
Oh, this evening seems a million years away
It's insanity to worry so all day
I'll try not to
Will he like me?
He's just got to
Will he like me?
He's just got to
Barbra Streisand's song "Will He Like Me" explores the nerves and doubts that come with the anticipation of meeting someone new, particularly with the fear of not living up to their expectations. The first few lines of the song demonstrate this uncertainty: "Will he like me when we meet? Will the shy and quiet girl he's going to see be the girl he's imagined me to be? Will he like me?" Streisand's delivery creates an emotional vulnerability that allows listeners to connect with her feelings of insecurity.
As the song progresses, Streisand transitions from questioning whether she'll meet his standards to questioning whether he'll recognize her true self. She wonders whether he'll be perceptive enough to see beyond her initial shyness and recognize the depth and complexity of her character - "If he doesn't, will he know enough to know that there's more of me than I may always show?" This fear speaks to a common human desire to be understood and seen for who we truly are.
Throughout the song, Streisand interweaves a mix of hope and doubt, curiosity and fear, that culminates in a plea for the man to see her for who she really is, "Will he know that there's a world of love waiting to warm him? How I'm hoping that his eyes and ears won't misinform him." She ends the song with the simple refrain, "Will he like me? He's just got to," acknowledging that despite her fears and doubts, she can only hope that her true self will be enough.
Line by Line Meaning
Will he like me when we meet?
I am wondering if the person I am going to meet will like my personality, my appearance, and my overall self.
Will the shy and quiet girl he's going to see
I hope the image he has of me in his head is similar to the real me he is going to meet, a shy and introverted girl.
Be the girl the he's imagined me to be?
I hope I'll meet his expectations and not disappoint him by coming out as a different person than he imagined me to be.
Will he like me?
The fundamental question that arises in my mind is whether this person will like my overall personality and self.
Will he like the girl he sees?
I hope he'll like me the way I'm, without any judgment or dissatisfactions regarding my personality or appearance.
If he doesn't, will he know enough to know?
If he doesn't like me, I hope he'll recognize that there's more to me than what meets the eye and not past judgment too quickly without considering other aspects.
That there's more of me than I may always show
I hope he'll understand that there's always more depth to me than I show on the surface, which he may not have seen during our short meet.
Will he know that there's a world of love
I'm hoping that he'll recognize the love and affection that I have to offer, which may not be evidently shown during this first meeting.
Waiting to warm him?
I hope he'll see that the love, warmth, and care that I am capable of giving him, which can make him feel content and happy.
How I'm hoping that his eyes and ears
I'm praying that his senses will perceive me accurately, without any biases or pre-conceived notions that might affect his opinion of me.
Won't misinform him
I'm hoping that his perception of me is accurate so that he does not misjudge or misunderstand me based on his senses.
Will he like me, who can say?
It's impossible to determine whether he'll like me or not since people have different preferences and choices when it comes to personality and characteristics.
Oh, this evening seems a million years away
Time seems to be passing very slowly as I'm eagerly waiting for the time when we'll finally meet and find out whether he likes me or not.
It's insanity to worry so all day
I realize that it's irrational to worry and stress myself out about whether or not he'll like me since it's not something that I can control.
I'll try not to
Despite being nervous and anxious, I'll try to calm myself and not stress myself out over something that is uncertain and out of my control.
Will he like me?
The biggest question remains in my mind, and it's whether he'll like me or not, based on his likes and dislikes of my personality and character.
He's just got to
I'm hoping that he'll like me and that it's not something that I have to worry about since it's his decision, and he's just got to.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BOCK IP LLC, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: LEWIS BOCK JERROLD, SHELDON HARNICK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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