Barbra Streisand – The Way We Were

About The Song

Barbra Streisand’s “The Way We Were” is a song from her fifteenth studio album of the same name, released on September 27, 1973, through Columbia Records. The album, “The Way We Were,” was released in January 1974, following the success of the lead single. It’s also the title track of a 1973 romantic drama film directed by Sydney Pollack, starring Streisand and Robert Redford. The screenplay was adapted by Arthur Laurents from his own novel, inspired by his college experiences.  It reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and topped both Canada Top Singles and Adult Contemporary charts.

Barbra Streisand’s “The Way We Were” is a poignant reflection on love and nostalgia, capturing the essence of a bittersweet romantic relationship. The song evokes a sense of longing for the past, reminiscing about happier times shared between two people. The song reflects on bittersweet memories, often interpreted as a breakup song. The song reminisces about past memories and emotions. It features poignant lyrics such as “Memories, light the corners of my mind” and “Misty water-colored memories of the way we were”.

Video

Lyrics

Mem’ries light the corners of my mind
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 re-written every line?
If we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me, would we? Could we?

Mem’ries 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