the way we were
Frank Renaut Lyrics
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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
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
The lyrics to the song 'The Way We Were' by Frank Renaut evoke strong emotions of nostalgia and bittersweet longing for the past. The opening line, "Memories light the corners of my mind," sets the tone for a reflective look back on a cherished time in the past. The second line, "Misty water-colored memories of the way we were," paints a picture of a distant and dreamlike remembrance, as though the memories are viewed through a haze of time.
The third and fourth lines, "Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind, Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were," suggest that the memories being conjured up are of a happy and joyous time. The use of the word "left" implies that this period has now passed, leaving only memories behind. The fifth line, "Can it be that it was all so simple then," reveals that the memories being revisited are of a time when life was uncomplicated and carefree. However, the next line, "Or has time rewritten every line," contrasts this by suggesting that the passing of time has altered these memories, perhaps making them more complicated or difficult to understand.
The chorus of the song expresses a desire to revisit this simpler time and relive it once again. "If we had the chance to do it all again, Tell me, would we? Could we?" asks whether it would be possible to recreate the past exactly as it was before. However, the final verse acknowledges that not all memories are happy ones, and sometimes it's necessary to forget painful experiences. "Memories may be beautiful and yet, What's too painful to remember, We simply choose to forget." The concluding lines, "So it's the laughter we will remember, Whenever we remember, The way we were, The way we were," reinforce the idea that it's the happy moments that will endure in memory.
Line by Line Meaning
Memories light the corners of my mind
Recollections illuminate the periphery of my thoughts
Misty water-colored memories of the way we were
Hazy, blue-tinged memories of our past
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
Dispersed photographs of the grins we departed
Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were
Smiles we exchanged because it reminded us of how we once were
Can it be that it was all so simple then
Is it possible that it all seemed uncomplicated back then?
Or has time rewritten every line
Or has time modified every part of it
If we had the chance to do it all again
If provided another opportunity to go through it all again
Tell me, would we?
I wonder, would we?
Could we?
Would we be capable of doing so?
Memories may be beautiful and yet
Recollections are delightful, but even so
What's too painful to remember
What is excessively agonizing to recall
We simply choose to forget
We prefer to erase from our minds
So it's the laughter we will remember
Thus, it's the chuckling we recall
Whenever we remember
Whenever we recollect
The way we were
The manner in which we used to be
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore
Written by: Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Marvin Hamlisch
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@martinhudson2552
Brilliant sound. Very nostalgic.
@TheCarambasam
I loved the Citation model most of all!
@mikebracchi
Love this album .... nice one Paul. Thanks for sharing this one with us.
@mikebracchi
New upload you might enjoy Paul ... https://youtu.be/9cUJCtreq0M
@Organwiz1
The great Frank Renaut. I met him when I was selling Lowreys in a suburb of Detroit, We booked him for a concert and it was outstanding with a turnout of 1200 people. We became friends over the years, and when in Detroit he would have dinner at my home with my family before a concert. Needless to say he would always play my H25R2 with a 103 and 147 Leslie combination. What a joy to hear him in a casual situation.As an organist for about 45 years I took what I liked from a variety of artists to create a style of my own. The one thing that said Frank more than anything else would be his mastery of open harmony. No one can come close to him on that alone. What a gifted man.I often wonder what Frank would have thought of today's digital organs and what his imagination would have led him to. I've always said the only limitations on the high end digital organs...are the ones the player sets themselves...and Frank would amaze us once more.You're missed my old friend.
@lowlowseesee
thats crazy. im fairly young and just happened to find his stuff on vinyl. i actually inherited the vinyl and discovered Franks work in the lot i have. anyway, i wish more people knew about him. i sample his work in my hip hop just a little. i wish he at least had a good wiki page. i want to know more about him. your story is awesome, thanks for sharing
@gmcintyre
i have this organ in my 3rd floor flat (apartment) in the uk. unfortunately it developed a fault not long after taking receipt of it but it still works in a fashion. the diagnosis is possibly an electrolytic capacitor that needs replaced next to the power supply. i'm not much of a player, although i did play the church organ as a teenager, so it's great to hear what it could sound like in the right hands. hopefully one day it will get fixed and the spirit of frank renaut can live on here in bonnie scotland!
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@andyg1957
With the voiced percussions like vibes, the string symphonizer and brass symphonizer and auto rhythm, it must surely be the H25-3. So early 70s rather than 60s but still one of the best organs Lowrey ever made, enhanced by the two leslies.
@electrorocket8379
Thanks, that was great!
@HD7100
The Leslie you are refering to is a model 103. It was an electrical/mechanical nightmare but it worked very-very well. I had owned several in years past. I am anxious to hear your Rialto II. Are you ready to make a recording? The Lowrey organ wasn't a bad sound. I knew someone who giged with one of the later Lowrey spinet models that had some synth voices on it. I subed for him one night and found the instrument to be quite nice with lush sounding strings.