The current incarnation of the band includes Jones, lead vocalist Kelly Hansen, bass guitarist Jeff Pilson and multi-instrumentalist Tom Gimbel.
With ten multi-platinum albums and sixteen Top 30 hits, Foreigner is universally hailed as one of the most popular rock acts in the world with a formidable musical arsenal that continues to propel sold-out tours and album sales, now exceeding 75 million. Responsible for some of rock and roll’s most enduring anthems including Juke Box Hero, Feels Like The First Time, Urgent, Head Games, Say You Will, Cold as Ice, Hot Blooded, and the worldwide #1 hit, I Want To Know What Love Is, Foreigner continues to rock the charts more than thirty years into the game.
That Was Yesterday
Foreigner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But all this time I could never tell
I let you get away
Haunts me every night and every day
You were the only one
The only friend I counted on
How could I watch you walk away
But now I stand alone with my pride
And dream that you're still by my side
But that was yesterday
I had the world in my hands
But it's not the end of my world
Just a slight change of plans
That was yesterday
But today life goes on
No more hiding in yesterday
'Cause yesterday's gone, oh
Love, my love I gave it all
Thought I saw the light, when I heard you call
Life that we both could share
Has deserted me, left me in despair
But now I stand alone with my pride
Fighting back the tears I never let myself cry
But that was yesterday
Love was torn from my hands
But it's not the end of my world
Just a little hard to understand
That was yesterday
But today life goes on
You won't find me in yesterday's world
Now yesterday's gone
Goodbye yesterday
Now it's over and done
Still I hope somewhere deep in your heart
Yesterday will live on, oh
Foreigner's song That Was Yesterday speaks about a lost love and the pain and regret that come with it. The singer reflects on how they thought they knew their partner well, but now they're left feeling haunted by the fact that they let their love slip away. The lyrics suggest that the singer was deeply invested in the relationship and thought that their partner was the only person they could count on. However, something went wrong, and they had to watch their love walk away. The pain they feel is palpable, and they admit that they would give anything to have their partner back in their life.
As the song progresses, the singer takes control of their emotions and decides to move on. They admit that they stand alone with their pride, but they dream of their partner being by their side again. They acknowledge that they had the world in their hands, but things didn't work out the way they intended. Nonetheless, the singer believes that it's not the end of their world, just a slight change of plans. They refuse to hide in yesterday's memories and are determined to move forward. The song ends on a bittersweet note, with the singer saying goodbye to the past while still hoping that their love will live on somewhere deep in their partner's heart.
Overall, That Was Yesterday is a poignant reflection on lost love and the resiliency of the human spirit. It is a song that resonates with anyone who has experienced heartbreak and knows the importance of moving on.
Line by Line Meaning
I thought I knew you well
I believed that I understood your thoughts, feelings and actions
But all this time I could never tell
Although I spent a lot of time with you, I never really knew what you were thinking or feeling
I let you get away
I didn't try hard enough to keep you in my life
Haunts me every night and every day
I am haunted and tormented by the fact that you are no longer in my life
You were the only one
You were the only person who truly meant something to me
The only friend I counted on
I relied on you for everything, you were my only true friend
How could I watch you walk away
It was difficult for me to see you leave and not do anything about it
I'd give anything to have you here today
I would do anything to have you back in my life
But now I stand alone with my pride
I am alone with my self-respect and confidence
And dream that you're still by my side
I still have dreams where you are with me, even though you are not
But that was yesterday
The past is the past, and I need to move on from it
I had the world in my hands
I once felt like I was in control of everything in my life
But it's not the end of my world
Although things may seem bad, they are not the end of the world
Just a slight change of plans
I just need to make some minor adjustments to my plans
But today life goes on
Life continues even though things may have changed
No more hiding in yesterday
I can't continue to live in the past, I need to move on
'Cause yesterday's gone, oh
The past is over and there is nothing I can do to change it
Love, my love I gave it all
I gave you all of my love
Thought I saw the light, when I heard you call
I thought I had found happiness when I heard from you
Life that we both could share
We had a life together that we shared
Has deserted me, left me in despair
That life has left me alone and in a state of deep unhappiness
Love was torn from my hands
The love that we had is no longer in my grasp
Just a little hard to understand
It is difficult for me to comprehend why things ended the way they did
You won't find me in yesterday's world
I won't be living in the past, I have moved on
Now yesterday's gone
The past is behind me and cannot be changed
Goodbye yesterday
It's time to say goodbye to the past and move forward
Now it's over and done
It's over and there is no going back
Still I hope somewhere deep in your heart
Even though things have ended, I hope you still remember me fondly
Yesterday will live on, oh
The memories of our past will always remain with me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LOU GRAMM, MICHAEL LESLIE JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jenmoon840
Lou Gramm and Foreigner nominated for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2024! Cast your vote
@mightierthanever2264
Get him in the HALL.....
@gregd2543
Long overdue! Go Foreigner!
@apixelobolivar2817
EVEN MARIAH CAREY IS NOMINATED ....WHY???
@muffs55mercury61
It's disgusting that they are not in yet. They should have been inducted at the latest, 20 years ago
@fugazi5266
When music was music. That was yesterday...
@richardmoore2124
That's a damn good comment and I totally agree with you! Those days are gone forever.😭
@user-gj1xl4wo5x
Absolutely!A great epoc!🎉😢
@mingching2480
... and yesterday's gone!!
@JaylolTV
that was approx 12000 yesterdays