THE WAY WE WERE
From the film "The Way We Were" (1973)
(Marvin Hamlisch / Alan Bergman/ Marilyn Bergman)

Barbra Streisand - 1973
Gladys Knight & The Pips - 1974
Charlie Byrd - 1974
Maynard Ferguson - 1974
Donna Summer - 1978
Dick Haymes - 1978
Barry White - 1979
Also recorded by: Bing Crosby; Johnny Mathis; Rosemary Clooney; Andy Williams; 
Richard Hayman; Larry Evans; Erich Kunzel; Royal Philharmonic Orch; Shirley Bassey; 
John MacNally; Robert Goulet; Lawrence Welk; Michael Ball; Richard Clayderman; 
Nana Mouskouri; Herb Ellis; Willie Hutch; Wayne Gratz; Roger Williams; Ray Conniff; 
Jose Carreras; Les Brown; Boston Pops Orch; James Galway; Little Jimmy Scott; 
Willis 'Gator' Jackson; Gil Ventura.


Barbra Streisand Version: 
THE WAY WE WERE


(Hums first and second lines)
M-M-M-M-Mem'ries light the corners of my mind
Misty water-colored mem'ries 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 rewritten 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.

(Hums first line and a variation on the second line)


*****


Gladys Knight Version: 
THE WAY WE WERE/TRY TO REMEMBER


Spoken:
Hey you know everybody's talkin' about the good old days
Everybody, the good old days
The good old days
Well, let's talk about the good old days
Come to think about it 
As bad as we think they are
These will become the good old days of our children
Why don't we try to remember
The kind of September
When life was slow and oh so mellow
Try to remember
And if you remember
Then follow
Why does it always seem the past is better
We look back and think
The winters were warmer
The grass was greener
The skies were bluer
The smiles were brighter
Can it be that it was all so simple then
Or has time rewritten every line
And if we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me 
Would we?
Could we?

Memories like the corners of my mind
Memories
Misty watercolor 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

Oh can it be that it was all so simple then
Or has time rewritten every line
And if we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me
Would we?
Could we?

Memories may be beautiful and yet
What's too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget
So it's the laughter we'll remember
We'll remember 
Whenever we remember
The Way We Were...


*****


Donna Summer Version: 
THE WAY WE WERE


Spoken:
Well you ladies out there
you know what I'm 
I'm talkin' 'bout ya
but you wanna know something?
did you ever try to remember or
or just place up a memory in your mind
and it always seems so far away
so hard to find

Memories
light the corners of my mind
misty water-color memories
of the way we were

Scattered pictures
of the smiles we left behind
smiles we gave to one another
(oh yesterday) for the way we were

Can it be that it was all so simple then
or has time rewritten every line
if we had the change to do it all again

Spoken:
Tell me, how many of you would live your lives again
I would too
You girls?

Memories
may be beautiful and yet
what's too painful to remember
we simply choose to forget
and so it's the laughter
we will remember
whenever we remember