The Way We Were
The Song
The song “The Way We Were” is almost as famous as the movie itself.
Appearing at number eight on the American Film Institute's list of 100 greatest movie songs, “The Way We Were” originally began with the word "daydreams" before Barbra herself suggested "mem'ries" instead.
(Photos, above): Screen caps of the lyrics and the songwriters from The Way We Were DVD (available by clicking the Amazon links to the left).
“Way We Were” Audio Versions
Disclaimer: No breach of copyright or intellectual property is intended within this site, and all materials are presented for entertainment and study purposes only. I kindly ask that others visiting this site refrain from making any sort of revenue from the resources within this site. PLEASE DO NOT HOTLINK DIRECTLY TO THE FILES HERE. Please refer to the songs in their context on this page.
Barbra Archives presents 6 versions of “The Way We Were.” Explanations are below; an audio jukebox is at the bottom of this page so you can listen!
Version 1
Marvin Hamlisch plays the original melody of "The Way We Were".
Version 2
Hear a rare, early demo with a melody that hadn't quite become the final song we know and love.
[*special thanks to Rich Kleinberg]
Even the lyrics are a bit different:
Rain falls on a Christmas afternoon.
Misty water-colored mem'ries of the way we were ...
...Every day was like a gift of flowers
Ribbon-wrapped and waiting to be seen
Eagerly we opened all the hours
Then what happened, happened...
Version 3
Hear Barbra Streisand sing an early demo of "The Way We Were" — this version begins with the word "daydreams".
Hamlisch plays piano.
Version 4
Barbra Streisand sings another demo. This version was unused and had an alternate melody. This song is also fondly referred to as "The Way We Weren't". Hamlisch plays piano.
Version 5
Listen to a rare 7-inch promotional single of “The Way We Were” that Columbia Pictures sent to movie theaters. The 7-inch has the orchestrated version of the song, but different vocals than those on the movie soundtrack album.
Version 6
Here's a special treat! Click the jukebox below to hear the end of the Quadraphonic version of “The Way We Were”. It is identical to the regular, album version—except that there is a short, alternate vocal at the end of the song.
“Way We Were” Jukebox
Recorded Versions of “The Way We Were” song, by Barbra Streisand:
- 7-inch Sept. 1973 Single #4-45944
- Soundtrack Album (Columbia 57381): Tracks 1 and 12
- "Pop" Album (Columbia 85153) Track 4
- "Pop" Album Quadraphonic (Columbia PCQ 39801) Track 4
Live versions:
- 1975 [From Funny Girl to Funny Lady]
- 1977 [Phoenix, AZ Star is Born concert]
- 1980 [Bergman ACLU concert]
- 1986 [One Voice]
- 1994 [The Concert]
- 2000 [Timeless]
- 2002 [National Democratic Gala]
- 2006 [North American Tour]
- 2007 [European Tour]
- 2009 [Live at the Village Vanguard]
Navigate to other Streisand films using the jump menu below:
