Way We Were/Try to Remember
Gladys Knight & The Pips Lyrics

Hey you know everybody's talkin' about the good old days
Many people speak about the past as if it were better.

Everybody the good old days
Everyone always talks about the good old days.

The good old days
The past, which is perceived as a simpler and happier time.

Well, let's talk about the good old days
Let's discuss the past that is so often glorified.

Come to think about it
Upon reflection.

As bad as we think they are
Despite the negative perception of the present.

These will become the good old days of our children
The present will eventually become the past that future generations idealize.

Why don't we try to remember
Let us attempt to recall.

The kind of September
A specific time in the past, likely referring to a pleasant memory.

When life was slow and oh so mellow
The pace of life was leisurely and tranquil.

Try to remember
Attempt to recollect.

And if you remember
If you can recall this time in the past.

Then follow
Let these memories guide you.

Why does it always seem the past is better
Why is it that people often view the past as superior?

We look back and think
We reflect and ponder.

The winters were warmer
People perceive the past as having better weather.

The grass was greener
The natural environment was better in the past.

The skies were bluer
The atmosphere was clearer and brighter in the past.

The smiles were brighter
People were happier and more carefree in the past.

Can it be that it was all so simple then
Is it possible that life was simpler in the past?

Or has time rewritten every line
Alternatively, is it that people now see the past through rose-colored glasses?

And if we had the chance to do it all again
If given the opportunity to go back in time.

Tell me
Please inform me.

Would we?
Would we make the same choices?

Could we?
Would it be possible to relive the past?

Memories like the corners of my mind
Memories that are ingrained in my mind.

Memories
Recollections of the past.

Misty watercolor memories
Memories that are not clear, but rather hazy and indistinct.

Of the way we were
Of how things once were.

Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
Photographs of happy moments from the past that no longer exist.

Smiles we gave to one another
The expressions of happiness we shared with others.

For the way we were
Reflecting on the past and how happy we were.

Memories may be beautiful and yet
Recollections of the past, despite their aesthetic appeal.

What's too painful to remember
Not all memories are fond and some even cause one pain.

We simply choose to forget
The mind purposefully makes an effort to dismiss negative memories.

So it's the laughter we'll remember
It is the happy moments that will remain in our hearts and minds.

Whenever we remember
When we recall the past.

The Way We Were
The title of the song and a reflection on happier times from the past.