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 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 waitin' 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 stop 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 use 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

When I was young, when I was young

Ooh, so young