She had released a number of standards throughout the 1970's on the Pye label and was a popular draw on the cabaret circuit but her gospel tinged country cover of the song written by Marijohn Wilkin and Kris Kristofferson proved to be an unlikely success at the height of disco and new wave, topping the UK singles chart for three weeks in November 1979. Her follow up single failed to chart so she has the dubious honour of being classified as a one hit wonder.
Although out of the limelight for a while while nursing her sick mother, Lena has now returned to the music business and is still touring the UK. She has recently released a few albums on the ScotDisc label which have been very successful[citation needed].
Her audience's favourite still remains "One Day At A Time", though there are many others who absolutely adore "The Old Rugged Cross"!
the way we were
Lena Martell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
Lena Martell’s song The Way We Were talks about memories or reminiscences of a love that once was, of moments that mattered, and of how time has changed everything. The first line “Memories light the corners of my mind” sets the mood and context for the rest of the song. The memories referred to are misty, water-colored, or hazy, suggesting that they may not be entirely clear but are still present and continue to linger in the mind.
The next line talks about scattered pictures of the smiles they left behind, which they gave to one another for the way they were. The phrase “way we were” implies that the couple has moved on, and the memories are a testament to their relationship that was once simple, but as time passed, life happened, and things changed. The line “Or has time rewritten every line” implies that time has a way of changing people and situations, and the relationship may not be as simple as it was. The couple is no longer sure if they could do it all again if given the chance.
The song's chorus talks about the beauty and pain of memories and how we choose to remember laughter because it is less painful to remember. And when we remember, it's usually the laughter that we remember - the happy moments that we had. The song ends with the phrase "The way we were" mentioned once again, signifying that it is the memories of the relationship that matter the most even if they are only in the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Memories light the corners of my mind
I remember moments that still bring a smile to face
Misty water-colored memories of the way we were
I remember things so beautifully that they seem like a dream
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
There are photographs that show the happiness we shared in the past
Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were
We constantly smiled because of the wonderful memories we shared
Can it be that it was all so simple then
I wonder if life was easier then because of the memories we shared
Or has time rewritten every line
Maybe time has changed everything and it is different now
If we had the chance to do it all again
If we had to relive our memories once again
Tell me, would we?
Would we want to, or would we rather forget?
Could we?
Would we be able to relive the memories or would we forget them?
Memories may be beautiful and yet
Even though memories are beautiful, they can hurt too
What's too painful to remember
There are memories that are too difficult to remember
We simply choose to forget
To avoid the pain, we choose to forget those memories
So it's the laughter we will remember
But we will always remember the good times and the happiness we shared
Whenever we remember
Whenever we recall those moments
The way we were
We will always cherish the memories of the past
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore
Written by: Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Marvin Hamlisch
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind