Barbra Streisand - Piano Practicing Lyrics

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a soprano
But my mother said "My dear, you've got to practice your piano."
"No soprano's in demand, but a piano's always grand,
and grand piano's in a band make money, Darling."

And so each afternoon when I'd come home from school,
I'd practice like a bloody fool.
You can't imagine all the awful things I'd play!
I could never see a friend.
I'd have to practice without end.

And as the time went creeping by
I'd watch the clock, look up, and
I'd look out the window at the sky
I'd wish so fervently that
I could go outside and play, instead of wasting every day
learning something that, without a doubt,
I could have really done without.
It was such a bore, and I could hear the boy next door
Was having fun and that was something that I'd really never done.

Hmmmm...

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a soprano,
But I had to sit and practice on my rotten old piano.
Playing major scales, and then I'd play the minors once again.
Now up and down the keys I'd play, and when an hour of these,
I'd play ??? ???, do other exercises, never-ending new surprises,
Girlie keep your fingers round...what a sound.

All I wanted was to sing and not to make the rafters
RING with my old piano practicing,
I would have broke my back to sing,
I hated every minute at the keyboard I devote.
That is why today I'm a soprano, but the sight of a piano
Makes me shudder, for I cannot play a NOTE! Ohhhhh!...