The Way We Were – Barbra Streisand | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#1); 1974
Story Behind The Song By Harris Sterling
By the early 1970s, Barbra Streisand had firmly established herself as both a recording artist and film star. In 1973, she recorded The Way We Were as the theme for the motion picture of the same name, in which she co-starred with Robert Redford.
The song was written by Marvin Hamlisch, with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. Designed to reflect the film’s romantic nostalgia, the composition paired Hamlisch’s sweeping melody with reflective lyrics about memory and lost love.
Released as a single in late 1973, The Way We Were rose to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1974. It became the best-selling single of that year in the United States and one of Streisand’s signature recordings.
Built around a gentle piano introduction and lush orchestration, the arrangement highlights Streisand’s controlled vocal delivery. The lyric centers on remembrance, asking whether painful moments are softened over time as people recall “the way we were.”
The Way We Were won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Grammy Award for Song of the Year. It remains one of the most recognizable film themes of the decade and a defining hit of Streisand’s career.
This content was created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Harris Sterling. © 2026 Harris Sterling. All rights reserved.
Produced by:
Marty Paich
Lyrics Written by:
Alan Bergman
Marilyn Bergman
Marvin Hamlisch
Awards:
Academy Award for Best Original Song (1974)
Grammy Award for Song of the Year (1975)
Harris Sterling
Independent music label executive Harris Sterling has worked in the music industry for most of his career.
As Executive Vice President for independent music label Madacy Entertainment, he led the strategic marketing and business development for the label, negotiating agreements with the major record labels to release custom music compilations under license with major brands, such as Ford Motor Company, Crayola, Care Bears and Elvis Presley Enterprises.
Harris also led Madacy’s strategy for the licensing of its entire music catalogue to Apple for their launch of the IPOD.
In 2011, Harris co-founded Starting Five Media, a company that specializes in recording and licensing custom renditions of popular songs as well as clearing the rights to the music composition for use by their clients in media projects.
Harris has negotiated publishing and master recording rights for many Top 40 songs for use in various media projects, TV Commercials and more.