Roberta: Yesterdays
Jerome Kern Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yesterdays
Days I knew as happy sweet
Sequestered days
Olden days
Golden days
Days of mad romance and love
And truth was mine
Joyous free and flaming life
Forsooth was mine
Sad am I
Glad am I
For today I'm dreaming of
Of yesterdays
Then gay youth was mine
The truth was mine
Sad am I
Glad am I
For today I'm dreaming of
Of yesterdays
The lyrics to Jerome Kern's song "Roberta" expresses one's nostalgic yearning for the past - a longing for the happy and carefree days of youth. The repetition of "yesterdays" emphasizes the deep desire to relive those moments. The lyrics describe those past experiences as "happy sweet" and "sequestered," suggesting a sense of treasured memories that are now out of reach.
The use of contrasting adjectives such as "olden" and "golden" further reinforces the idea of the timelessness of these memories. The lyrics speak of "mad romance and love," evoking a sense of passion and intensity that has since faded away. The lines "joyous free and flaming life/forsooth was mine" reveal a nostalgia for a time when life felt adventurous and full of possibility.
The final lines "sad am I/glad am I/for today I'm dreaming of/of yesterdays" suggest a bittersweet mix of emotions. While the memories of the past bring happiness and comfort, the reality of the present is a stark reminder of the passage of time. Overall, the lyrics to "Roberta" eloquently capture the universal desire to recapture the fleeting moments of youth and the accompanying emotions of wistfulness and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
Yesterdays
Reflecting on past memories
Yesterdays
Repeating the sentiment of the first line
Days I knew as happy sweet
Recalling days filled with joy and contentment
Sequestered days
Days that were kept or hidden away from the present
Olden days
Days of the past
Golden days
Days that were filled with cherished memories
Days of mad romance and love
Days filled with intense and passionate love
Then gay youth was mine
A time of youthful happiness and freedom
And truth was mine
A time of honesty and authenticity
Joyous free and flaming life
A life that was full of joy and passion
Forsooth was mine
Truly, the joy and passion were indeed mine
Sad am I
Feeling unhappy in the present
Glad am I
Feeling happy in the present
For today I'm dreaming of
Thinking about and longing for
Of yesterdays
The memories of the past
Lyrics © Roba Music Verlag GMBH, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, ONErpm, Iricom US Ltd, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: W. AXL ROSE, WEST ARKEEN, BILLY MCMCLOUD, SAUL HUDSON, DUFF ROSE MCKAGAN, IZZY STRADLIN, DEL JAMES, DARREN A. REED, MATT SORUM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Doc Stephen
This should have a million likes by now. Beautiful.
Mellynda Chevalier
💗.💗💐💐💞
Luiz Henrique
Janine Jensen demonstra uma profunda emoção e compreensão dessa peça, ao tocá-la na velocidade certa. Uma das maiores violinistas do nosso tempo, ao lado do letão Gidon Kramer
N
Это непревзойдённо! Браво Мастерам! 🖤
Desiderio Reyso
Lady Janine deserve play on 12 Strads!!! We have the pleasure to hear her perform!
Carla Porto Fabres
Lindo! A alma em cordas de harmonias!!!!👏👏👏
Erwin Borda
Thank you for such a beautiful interpretation, I couldn't help but shed tears of emotion.
Igone Mejías
Maravillosa!!!!
Julia Bartles Emahiser
Brings tears to my eyes it’s so beautiful!
Johan Molin
What a marvelous combination of skill and real devotion, with the inner beauty and glow which follows from it! Tack Janine för en fantastisk upplevelse!