Puerling's Singers Unlimited arrangements earned him the reputation as one of the best vocal writers in the world. Members of the renowned jazz-gospel vocal group Take 6 often gives credit to Puerling and the Singers Unlimted as innovators in the a cappella world, claiming that they "went to school" on Puerling's arrangements.
The Way We Are
The Singers Unlimited 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 Way We Are" by The Singers Unlimited is a song about memories and the way they shape our perspective on the past. The opening line, "Memories light the corners of my mind" sets the tone for the entire song. The singer is reminiscing about a time when things were simpler, and they were surrounded by people they loved. The lyrics "Misty water-colored memories of the way we were" further convey the idea that these memories are not clear and concrete, but rather hazy and subjective.
The chorus of the song focuses on the idea that memories can be both beautiful and painful. The line "Memories may be beautiful and yet what's too painful to remember we simply choose to forget" speaks to the selective nature of memory. We choose to remember the happy moments and forget the painful ones. The following lines "So it's the laughter we will remember, whenever we remember the way we were" reinforces this idea. We hold on to the moments of joy and laughter, and they become the foundation for our memories of the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Memories light the corners of my mind
The memories I have come back to me in flashes
Misty water-colored memories of the way we were
Those memories are like hazy images of a time gone by
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
Some of those memories are of times when we were happy
Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were
And in those happy times, we would encourage and support each other with smiles
Can it be that it was all so simple then
Sometimes I wonder if it was really that easy in the past
Or has time rewritten every line
Maybe time has changed the way I remember those times
If we had the chance to do it all again
If we could have a second chance, would we take it?
Tell me, would we?
I'm curious to know if we would make different choices
Could we?
Do we have the ability to change our past?
Memories may be beautiful and yet
Even though some memories are good, they can still be bittersweet
What's too painful to remember
There are some memories that are too painful to think about
We simply choose to forget
And sometimes we choose to forget those painful memories
So it's the laughter we will remember
Instead, we choose to remember the happy times and the laughter we shared
Whenever we remember
It's always those happy times that stick with us
The way we were
And we hold on to those memories of the good times and the way we used to be
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Marvin Hamlisch
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind