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 the 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 lovely songs were waiting to be sung

So many wayward pleasures lay 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, 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 friends 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

Yesterday, when I was young.

So many lovely songs

Were waiting to be sung.

So many wayward pleasures

Lay in store for me

And so much pain my dazzledeyes

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,

And nothing else at all.

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.

... when I was young.

...