Throwing back to the week of February 16, 1974, we find Barbra Streisand atop the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘The Way We Were,’ the theme song from her movie of the same name.
In addition to topping the charts for three non-consecutive weeks that year, ‘The Way We Were’ took home an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and the Grammy for Song of the Year. Streisand was also nominated at the Academy Awards for Best Actress, the last time the Best Song winner was performed by a nominated actress until Lady Gaga repeated the feat with 2018’s A Star is Born.
This was the first of five #1 hits for Streisand, all achieved between 1974 and 1980. Her next #1 hit was ‘Evergreen,’ the love theme from her own A Star is Born. That song also won the Best Song Oscar, and Streisand — who wrote the music — became the first woman composer to win the award.
Hmm hmm
Memories
Light the corners of my mind
Misty water-colored memories
Of the way we were
[Verse 2]
Scattered pictures
Of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another
For the way we were
[Bridge]
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?
[Verse 3]
Memories
May be beautiful and yet
What’s too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget
[Outro]
So it’s the laughter
We will remember
Whenever we remember
The way we were
The way we were
Meet Me In Montauk 
As the kids say, Barbra was a “baller” back in the day!
I have grown to savor Ms. Streisand’s recordings. What a voice! Let’s also honor the folks who wrote this song for her —Marvin Hamlisch (composer) and married lyrical team of Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman.
love her voice ❤️ we recently watched a couple of concert specials on PBS. She still sounds wonderful and this song and Evergreen are always a part of her repertoire.
That album cover intrigued me beyond measure. Her voice and her impeccable taste in both choosing her songs and how she performs them make her unmatched, to this day, in my eyes.