Album: Walls (2018)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Written by hit songwriting duo Alan and Marilyn Bergman ("The Way We Were") and pop songwriter/producer Walter Afanasieff ("All I Want For Christmas Is You"), this is the title track to Barbra Streisand's 2018 album Walls, which grew out of her disgust with Donald Trump's presidency.

    The song was inspired by his demands for a wall to be built at the Mexican border, but evolved into a reflection about the figurative walls people build to protect themselves that end up as barriers to meaningful relationships.

    Streisand elaborated in a 2018 interview with Time magazine: "Well, we have a president who wants to build walls, and that got me thinking - walls can be structural, and walls can be emotional, walls between people. So I asked my dear friends Marilyn and Alan Bergman to write a song for this album, and it came out as 'Walls,' which says we would have that better day if all those walls came tumbling down. I hope we find a way to tear down walls and build more bridges instead."
  • The album, bolstered by the lead single, "Don't Lie To Me," debuted at #12 in the US but was one of the rare entries in her catalog to not be certified Gold or Platinum by the RIAA.
  • Walls was nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards but lost to Look Now by Elvis Costello & The Imposters.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Rob Halford of Judas Priest

Rob Halford of Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford dives into some of his Judas Priest lyrics, talking about his most personal songs and the message behind "You've Got Another Thing Comin'."

Tony Banks of Genesis

Tony Banks of GenesisSongwriter Interviews

Genesis' key-man re-examines his solo career and the early days of music video.

Matt Sorum

Matt SorumSongwriter Interviews

When he joined Guns N' Roses in 1990, Matt helped them craft an orchestral sound; his mezzo fortes and pianissimos are all over "November Rain."

Sam Hollander

Sam HollanderSongwriter Interviews

The hitmaking songwriter/producer Sam Hollander with stories about songs for Weezer, Panic! At The Disco, Train, Pentatonix, and Fitz And The Tantrums.

Goodbye, Hello: Ten Farewell Tour Fake-Outs

Goodbye, Hello: Ten Farewell Tour Fake-OutsSong Writing

The 10 biggest "retirement tours" that didn't take.

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse Pop

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse PopSong Writing

Songs that seem to glorify violence against women are often misinterpreted - but not always.