Unforgettable Songs: "Woman In Love"

"Woman in Love" is a popular 1980 song performed by Barbra Streisand and taken from her album, Guilty. The song was written by Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb of The Bee Gees.

After the success enjoyed by the Bee Gees in the late 1970s, the band was asked to participate in musical endeavors for other artists, and Streisand asked Barry Gibb to write an album for her. This album ultimately became Guilty; "Woman in Love", as the lead single, became one of the most successful songs of Streisand's music career. In accordance with wikipedia, it spent a total of three weeks at the #1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Streisand's fifth (and last, so far) #1 on this chart. The others were: "The Way We Were" (1974); "Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born, 1977); "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" (duet with Neil Diamond, 1978); and "No More Tears (Enough is Enough)" (duet with Donna Summer, 1979). It also spent five weeks atop the adult contemporary chart, her sixth #1 from that tally. Outside of the United States, the song also proved very popular, reaching #1 in many countries, including the United Kingdom.

About midway through the song, Streisand holds a note for about 10 seconds while singing the line: I stumble and fall / But I give you it all (the word "all" is the note held for this duration of time). During the chart run of "Woman In Love", Casey Kasem claimed in an edition of the radio program American Top 40 that this was the longest unaltered note held by a soloist in a #1 song, though would be later surpassed by Whitney Houston's vocals on her smash 14-weeks #1 single "I Will Always Love You"..


- Lyrics:

Life is a moment in space
When the dream is gone
It's a lonelier place
I kiss the morning good-bye
But down inside you know
We never know why

The road is narrow and long
When eyes meet eyes
And the feeling is strong
I turn away from the wall
I stumble and fall
But I give you it all

With you eternally mine
In love there is
No measure of time
They planned it all at the start
That you and I
Live in each other's heart

We may be oceans away
You feel my love
I hear what you say
No truth is ever a lie
I stumble and fall
But I give you it all

I am a woman in love
And I'd do anything
To get you into my world
And hold you within
It's a right I defend
Over and over again
What do I do?

I am a woman in love
And I'm talkin' to you
You know how you feel
What a woman can do
It's a right I defend
Over and over again