Meaning of Love Is a Bore by Barbra Streisand

The Bitter Reality of Love: Exploring the Meaning of "Meaning of Love Is a Bore" by Barbra Streisand

For many of us, the concept of love is shrouded in mystery, filled with romantic whispers of passion, excitement, and eternal devotion. Love is often portrayed as the ultimate human experience, an unbreakable bond that brings joy, warmth, and fulfillment. Yet, in her haunting ballad "Meaning of Love Is a Bore," Barbra Streisand presents a refreshing critique of love, piercing through the veil of nostalgia to reveal the harsh, gritty truth. This soul-stirring song tells us that love can, at times, be painfully unfulfilling, leaving us empty, frustrated, and craving more.

Cynicism and Disillusionment

The song sets the tone with its opener: "Love is a bore, Love is a ball game without a score." This biting lyrics strip love of its vaunted pedestal, revealing its stark, unromantic side. The comparison of love to a ball game without a score is poetically devastating, implying a lack of excitement, a sense of disappointment that can leave lovers feeling aimless and ineffective.

Longing and Deprivation

The verse "Love is a sailboat without a sail, The lock on the candy store" is an agonizing portrayal of love in despair. The sense of longing and deprivation in these lines is crushing. Love, like the sailboat without a sail, is unable to propel forward, leaving us becalmed and helpless. The lock on the candy store is particularly significant, as it conjures up images of longing gazes through a gossamer veil, frustrating us with the promise of a sweet, yet never achieved, reward.

Cultural and Historical References: An Unfulfilling Affair

Streisand’s lyrics masterfully weave in cultural and historical references to underscore her bitter critique of love. The lines "Asparagus without hollandaise, and the ‘petty laughs’ in Tennessee Williams’ plays" are significant here. Asparagus without hollandaise may taste bland and unassuming, but it also embodies the idea that life lacks flavor and excitement, when love is absent of spark and passion. Meanwhile, the ‘petty laughs’ in Tennessee Williams’ plays resonate as a commentary on love’s inability to spark joy or depth in its participants.

Unreciprocated Longing and the Waiting Game

The song’s central themes of unrequited love and the endless waiting game are expertly highlighted. "It’s I’ll-call-you-tomorrow, It’s a phone that never rings" is a soul-searing portrayal of frustrated lovers, stuck in the limbo of false hopes and unfulfilled promises. Love can often become a Sack full of sorrow weighed down by the heavy emotional baggage of missed connections and unhealed wounds.

Chasing the Elusive Idea of Love

One aspect of "Meaning of Love Is a Bore" that resonated with me personally is Streisand’s acknowledgment of humanity’s tendency to brush off love’s flaws. We often choose to overlook its imperfections, praying for its return as the elusive, unobtained prize we cherish. "And all the while, And you’re still in there…" is particularly powerful, as it captures the ambivalence and mixed signals of love, where we simultaneously crave acceptance while secretly hoping for rescue or escape.

Closing

In "Meaning of Love Is a Bore," Barbra Streisand presents a song of unflinching introspection, a soul-shaking exploration of the raw, unromantic facets of love. Love may be a universal dream, but it is by no means a guarantee, often leaving us mournfully disappointed, caught between the cravings for connection and fears of rejection.

As I reflect on the song, I can’t help but think that we often overshadow the imperfections, touting love as something universally perfect. The real beauty of "Meaning of Love Is a Bore" lies not only in its poignant observations of love’s darker facets, but also in Streisand’s dare to confront the contradictions, the messiness inherent in human relationships.

It is this incontrovertible honesty, laced with a gentle melody, that makes this song a timeless masterpiece in understanding the complexities of human affection.

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