Meaningful songs #17 - CHARLES AZNAVOUR (again)

This is the seventeenth in an occasional series of songs from my collection, with the intent of introducing music to younger readers that they may gain appreciation of music from the classic years, 1957-1990. 

I have lived long enough to hear the "popular" music industry become ever-more formulaic, lazy, uninspiring and cynical; delivering "units" and "artistes" as interesting and memorable as polished mud.

Meaningful songs that eloquently convey a story, sentiment, or social comment and make it to national consciousness are rare these days. If you agree this song is meaningful, please introduce it to someone young; they might enjoy becoming "musical archaeologists".

Todays song, titled "Yesterday When I Was Young", released in 1971, is by a French singer called CHARLES AZVAVOUR.

Charles Aznavour

Hear the song here

Originally called "Hier Encore" when written and recorded in French by Charles Aznavour, in 1964, this classic "Chanson" was re-titled and re-recoded into English in 1971. This song is a lament to the speed at which time passes, from youth to old age, with regretful memories of a life of foolish and selfish ways, without regard to future relationships. At the age of 66 I relate to this song, though thankfully I have been redeemed in later life. To read about his life start here.

YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS YOUNG
    
Yesterday when I was young

The taste of life was sweet as rain upon my tongue

I teased at life as if it were a foolish game

The way an evening breeze may tease a candle flame

The thousand dreams I dreamed, the splendid things I planned

I always built, alas, on weak and shifting sand

I lived by night and shunned the naked light of day

And only now I see how the years ran away

Yesterday when I was young

So many drinking songs were waiting to be sung

So many wayward pleasures laid in store for me

And so much pain my dazzled eyes refused to see

I ran so fast that time and youth at last ran out

I never stopped to think what life was all about

And every conversation I can now recall

Concerned itself with me, me and nothing else at all

Yesterday the moon was blue

And every crazy day brought something new to do

I used my magic age as if it were a wand

And never saw the waste and emptiness beyond

The game of love I played with arrogance and pride

And every flame I lit too quickly, quickly died

The fiends I made all seemed somehow, to drift away

And only I am left on stage to end the play

There are so many songs in me that won't be sung

I feel the bitter taste of tears upon my tongue

The time has come for me to pay for yesterday

When I was young

Young

There is another Charles Aznavour song in this series.

Return to the first article in this series or hear the first song in this series.

Read the next article in this series or hear the next song in the series.

For the index of all songs in this blog click here.