Over the course of her six-decade career, Barbra Streisand, 76, has found success in various areas of the entertainment industry as an actress, filmmaker, singer, songwriter, and stage performer earning two Academy Awards, ten Grammys, five Emmy’s, a Tony Award, and countless others.
To call Streisand a legend or an icon would be an understatement, as the level of innovation and talent that she has shared with the world over the years is attained by few others.
And with the recent release of the second song off of her new album, Walls, Streisand is proving once again that she is truly one of the greatest songstresses of all time.
The latest release from Streisand’s new album beautifully weaves together two songs that are known for their touching and inspiring messages, John Lennon’s Imagine and Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World.
By blending the lyrics and melodies of the two beloved tunes, Streisand hoped to spread a message celebrating and promoting peace and tolerance.
In a recent Twitter video, Streisand explained her mash-up, saying, “Of course John Lennon’s tragic death gave the lyrics to Imagine an even greater poignancy. So, I wove the lyrics to Imagine with Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World to convey the idea that if we could only arrive at a place where peace and tolerance and generosity ruled the day then just imagine what a wonderful world it would be.”
After releasing the song earlier this month, fans have continued to express how moved they’ve been by her innovative reimagining of the two classics, leaving a flurry of complimentary comments on Twitter such as: “It’s absolutely beautiful! Imagine has always been my favourite song and I love how you did this. Your voice is so beautiful. It brings tears to my eyes. Thank you,” and “Peace, love, tolerance. Indeed, what a world it would be. Thank you for the ‘memories’ and all you’ve done for peace.”
You can hear Streisand talk briefly about the song on her recent Twitter post:
I wove the lyrics of “Imagine” with Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World” to convey the idea that if we could only arrive at a place where peace and tolerance and generosity ruled the day, just imagine what a wonderful world it would be! #BarbraWalls pic.twitter.com/gdB8MHdRC4
— Barbra Streisand (@BarbraStreisand) October 19, 2018
Streisand’s heartfelt tribute to Lennon and Armstrong comes as a stark contrast to the first single she released off of her new album earlier this year, Don’t Lie to Me, a controversial piece targeting Donald Trump that received mixed reviews from fans.
But, regardless of whether you are a fan of the icon’s latest songs or not, we can all recognize the importance of her efforts to spread a message promoting more love, peace, and acceptance, all things that we could use a bit more of in our world today.
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