| "The Way We Were" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byBarbra Streisand | ||||
| from the albumThe Way We Were | ||||
| B-side | "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" | |||
| Released | September 27, 1973 (1973-09-27) | |||
| Studio | United Western Recorders (Las Vegas, NV)[1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:29 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Marty Paich | |||
| Barbra Streisand singles chronology | ||||
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| Audio | ||||
| "Barbra Streisand - The Way We Were (Official Audio)" onYouTube | ||||
"The Way We Were" is a song by American singerBarbra Streisand from her fifteenth studio albumof the same name. It was released as the album'slead single on September 27, 1973, throughColumbia Records. The7" single was distributed in two different formats, with the standard edition featuringB-side track "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?"; the Mexico release instead included an instrumental B-side. The song was written byAlan Bergman,Marilyn Bergman, andMarvin Hamlisch, while production was handled byMarty Paich. "The Way We Were" was specifically produced for the record, in addition to three other tracks, including her then-upcoming single "All in Love Is Fair" (1974).
Its lyrics detail the melancholic relationship between the two main characters Katie Morosky (Streisand) and Hubbell Gardiner (Robert Redford) in the1973 film of the same name. Its appeal was noted by severalmusic critics, who felt its impact helped revive Streisand's career. The song also won twoAcademy Awards, which were credited to the songwriters of the track. The single was also a commercial success, topping the charts in both Canada and on the USBillboard Hot 100, while peaking in the top 40 in Australia and on theUK Singles Chart. Additionally, "The Way We Were" was 1974's most successful recording in the United States, where it was placed at number one on theBillboard Year-End Hot 100 singles list. It has since been certified Platinum by theRIAA for sales of over one million units. Streisand has also included "The Way We Were" on variouscompilation albums, with it most recently appearing on 2010'sBarbra: The Ultimate Collection.
Several renditions and versions of the single exist, including one by American singerAndy Williams, who sang it for his thirty-secondstudio album of the same name in 1974. American bandGladys Knight & the Pips also recorded a live cover forI Feel a Song (1974), which was commercially successful; it reached number four in the United Kingdom and number 11 in the United States.
American composer and producerMarvin Hamlisch created the final melody for "The Way We Were", which initially was a problem between himself and the singer. Barbra Streisand had asked Hamlisch to produce a composition inminor key, but he instead wrote it in major key due to his fear of the song's lyrics being revealed too quickly.[5]Shortly following the commercial success of "The Way We Were",Columbia Records began compiling tracks for the singer's then-upcoming fifteenth studio albumThe Way We Were. Since time was limited, the record consists of several non-album compositions recorded by Streisand, including the aforementioned title and her preceding single "All in Love Is Fair" (1974).[6] According to the liner notes of her 1991greatest hits albumJust for the Record, "The Way We Were", "All in Love is Fair", "Being at War with Each Other", and "Something So Right" were the only tracks specifically created for the album.[7] The recording and two other variants were also included on the original soundtrack for the film: the original, the instrumental, and the "Finale" version.[8] Individually, it was released as a7" single in the United States on September 27, 1973, through Columbia Records;[9] the aforementioned edition included the studio version of "The Way We Were", in addition to theB-side single "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?", a cover of the 1969 Michael Dees song.[10][11] The Japanese release featured the same versions with slightly different durations,[12] while the version intended for the Mexico market includes the instrumental version of "The Way We Were" as the B-side track instead.[13]
Hamlisch andAlan and Marilyn Bergman wrote "The Way We Were" whileMarty Paich handled its production.[10] In particular, the lyrics detail the personal life of Katie Morosky, the character Streisand portrays in the filmThe Way We Were. Specifically, her troubled relationship withRobert Redford's Hubbell Gardiner is explained, "Memories light the corners of my mind / Misty watercolor memories of the way we were" and "Memories may be beautiful and yet".[14][15] Streisand sings, "What's too painful to remember / We quickly choose to forget", where she longs for nostalgia, whichRolling Stone'sStephen Holden described as an implication that "resonate[s] in the current social malaise".[16] In the beginning of what seems to be abridge, Streisand whispers, "If we had the chance to do it all again / Tell me would we? Could we?".[14]
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"The Way We Were" received significant success after its original release in North America;Jon Landau ofRolling Stone claimed that its impact proved worthy enough to revive Streisand's career as a musical artist. However, he was more critical of the singer "ignor[ing] the line-by-line variations in [the] song's meaning".[17] Nevertheless, the mass appeal of the single was labeled byTurner Classic Movies's Andrea Passafiume as "one of the most recognizable songs in the world".[18] Hamlisch and the Bergmans won theAcademy Award for Best Original Song at the46th Academy Awards; Hamlisch also won theOscar forBest Original Score for the film.[19] The tune also won theGolden Globe Award for Best Original Song at the31st Golden Globe Awards in 1974 and theGrammy Award for Song of the Year at the17th Annual Grammy Awards in 1975.[20][21] In 2008, the song was inducted into theGrammy Hall of Fame.[22] According to theNational Endowment for the Arts andRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in their list of the top 365 "Songs of the Century", the single was placed at number 298.[23] In 2023,American Songwriter andThe Guardian ranked the song number five and number one, respectively, on their lists of the greatest Barbra Streisand songs.[24][25]
In the United States, "The Way We Were" debuted at number 92 on theBillboard Hot 100 for the week ending November 24, 1973, where it served as the issue's seventh-highest debut.[26] After steadily climbing the list for ten consecutive weeks, it topped the chart on February 2, 1974, where it knockedRingo Starr's version of "You're Sixteen" (1973) from the highest spot.[27] After being temporarily displaced byThe Love Unlimited Orchestra's debut single "Love's Theme", Streisand reclaimed the number one rank for two more weeks beginning February 16 of the same year.[28][29] "The Way We Were" departed theBillboard Hot 100 on April 27 at the position of number 53; in total, it spent 23 consecutive weeks among the chart's ranking.[30] On theBillboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1974 list, the single also topped the chart on the list of the year's 100 highest-ranking songs.[31] On August 19, 1997, in addition to several of Streisand's recordings, "The Way We Were" was certified Platinum in the United States by the RIAA for sales exceeding one million copies.[9] On theBillboardAdult Contemporary chart, where it was then referred to as the Easy Listening chart, it reached the number one spot on January 12, 1974, and held that position for two weeks.[32]
Outside of Streisand's native country, the single found similar commercial success. In Canada, "The Way We Were" entered the chart compiled byRPM at number 45, where it was the week's third-highest debut.[33] On its seventh week, it reached the top position that was previously held byTerry Jacks' cover of "Seasons in the Sun" (1973).[34] It spent a total of 13 weeks in Canada before departing at its position at number 58.[35] It also topped the Adult Contemporary chart in its 11th week, also in 1974.[36] In their year-end chart, "The Way We Were" was ranked as Canada's eighth best-selling single of 1974.[37] In the final year of Australia's chart compiled byGo-Set, Streisand's recording peaked at number six.[38] It also reached its peak position on theUK Singles Chart at number 31 for the week of March 30, 1974.[39]
Streisand has performed "The Way We Were" on numerous occasions and is often considered to be one of hersignature songs.[40] On her third live album,One Voice (1986), the single was included alongside a live video of the singer performing it.[41] In September 1994, Streisand releasedThe Concert, which also included a live rendition of "The Way We Were" as performed atMadison Square Garden inManhattan.[42] At a series of live concerts in 1999 and 2000 inLas Vegas, the singer sang several songs from her catalog and was billed as one of her final live performances; the entirety of the event was then included onTimeless: Live in Concert (2000), including the "Introduction" segment which featured "The Way We Were" in addition to "You'll Never Know", "Something's Coming", and a live interview with actressShirley MacLaine.[43] The single was also placed onLive in Concert 2006 (2006) andBack to Brooklyn (2013), with its appearance on the latter consisting of a medley of both "The Way We Were" and "Through the Eyes of Love".[44][45]
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Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
All-time charts[edit]
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| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[54] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
| Japan (RIAJ) | — | 38,650[49] |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[55] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[9] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Several renditions of "The Way We Were" have been released since its initial distribution in 1973. American singerAndy Williams recorded a cover of the track for his 1974 and thirty-secondstudio album of the same name.[56]AllMusic's William Ruhlmann was divided on Williams' interpretation and claimed that fans of Streisand's version would not be interested in this one.[57] However, Mike Parker from theDaily Express considered his version and the album as a whole as a classic.[58] American actress and singerDoris Day performed the song in aCBS special,Doris Day Today, in 1975.[59]Bing Crosby recorded the song for his albumFeels Good, Feels Right in 1976. He also sang it at hisLondon Palladium concerts that year and in 1977.[60]Dorothy Squires included it for her 1978 LPRain Rain Go Away which was produced byNorman Newell. In 2008, the singer-songwriterBeyoncé, sang a rendition of the song in front of Streisand herself at the 2008Kennedy Center Honors. In 2018, the groupIl Divo included the translated version "Toi et Moi" on their albumTimeless. The song was sung twice on the TV seriesAngel, firstly byMercedes McNab asHarmony Kendall in the 2002season 2 episode "Disharmony" and later in the 2002season 4 episode "Spin the Bottle" byAndy Hallett asLorne.
In 1973, Filipino singerRico J. Puno covered the song for his album entitledThe Way We Were with some alterations of its lyrics which includes a speech at the first part and his Filipino cover version at the last part, retaining the original English lyrics on the middle part.[61]
In 2014, Streisand re-recorded the track withLionel Richie for her thirty-fourth studio album,Partners (2014).[62]Walter Afanasieff's contributions and added background vocals to the aforementioned edition were acclaimed byLos Angeles Times' Mikael Wood, who described the composition as a "fluttering" one.[63] "The Way We Were" has also been selected for inclusion on several of Streisand'scompilation albums, includingBarbra Streisand's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (1978),[64]Memories (1981),[65]Just for the Record... (1991),[7]The Essential Barbra Streisand (2002),[66] andBarbra: The Ultimate Collection (2010).[67]
| "The Way We Were" / "Try to Remember" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single byGladys Knight & the Pips | ||||
| from the albumI Feel a Song | ||||
| A-side | "Try to Remember" | |||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | March 14, 1975 (1975-03-14) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:48 | |||
| Label | Buddah | |||
| Songwriters |
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| Producer | Ralph Moss | |||
| Gladys Knight & the Pips singles chronology | ||||
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AmericanR&B bandGladys Knight & the Pips recorded a live cover of "The Way We Were" as part of a blend with the song "Try to Remember", released on their 1974 studio albumI Feel a Song. The cover/blend was released byBuddah Records on March 14, 1975, in a 7-inch format, paired with the B-side singles "Love Finds Its Own Way" and "The Need to Be".[70][71] Due to the inclusion of "Try to Remember", the song features additional writing byTom Jones andHarvey Schmidt.[72] Alex Henderson from AllMusic was surprised regarding their version, calling it an "unlikely remake". He further critiquedGladys Knight's "ironic" spoken monologue on the track by assuming she's "reflecting on the nostalgia that seems to be human nature".[73] However, Rashod Ollison fromThe Virginian-Pilot declared it a "stirring remake" and liked the track's live orchestra. He further lauded the B-side track "The Need to Be" for being a "deeply soulful declaration of independence".[74] Knight's rendition of "The Way We Were" was sampled in 1993 for "Can It Be All So Simple" by theWu-Tang Clan from their albumEnter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).
On the United States'Billboard Hot 100, "The Way We Were" reached its highest position of number 11 on August 2, 1975.[75] It spent a total of 17 weeks charting before decreasing weekly until meeting its final position at number 57 for the week ending August 16, 1975.[76] In Canada, it peaked at number 29 on the list compiled byRPM.[77] It also entered the Adult Contemporary charts in both the United States and Canada, ranking at numbers two and three, respectively.[78][79] In the United Kingdom, the Gladys Knight & the Pips version was more successful than Streisand's. It peaked at number four in that country, becoming their first top ten single; it would tie with their 1977 single "Baby, Don't Change Your Mind" as their highest-peaking track.[80]
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[77] | 29 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[79] | 3 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[80] | 4 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[82] | 11 |
| USAdult Contemporary (Billboard)[78] | 2 |
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)As a piece of music, "The Way We Were" does a neat job extending a bridge...to the slick studio-musician pop of the early '70s.
Gladys Knight & The Pips recorded a lush, ruminative soul cover of "The Way We Were" in 1975...
