Jo Stafford (born Jo Elizabeth Stafford, 12 November 1917, in Coalinga, Cal… Read Full Bio ↴Jo Stafford (born Jo Elizabeth Stafford, 12 November 1917, in Coalinga, California and died July 16, 2008 at Century City, California) was an American jazz and big band singer whose career spanned the late 1930s through the early 1960s. She was known especially as a fond favorite of name bandleaders during World War II and in the years immediately after. Stafford was greatly admired for the purity of her voice and was considered one of the most versatile vocalists of the era. Even now, hers are widely held as the supreme versions of jazz standards "It Could Happen to You" and "Blue Moon." She sang with male partners on occasion, including Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. She was also considered a pioneer of modern musical parody, having won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album in 1961 (with husband Paul Weston) for their album Jonathan and Darlene Edwards in Paris.

Yesterdays
Jo Stafford Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yesterdays yesterdays
Days I knew as happy, sweet sequestered days
Olden days golden days
Days of mad romance and love

Then gay youth was mine truth was mine
Joyous free and flaming life
Forsooth, was mine sad am I

Glad am I for today, I'm dreaming of
Yesterdays

(Instrumental Break)

Sad am I glad am I
For today, I'm dreaming of yesterdays

Overall Meaning

In the song "Yesterdays" by Jo Stafford, the lyrics evoke a sense of nostalgia and longing for the past. The repetition of "yesterdays" emphasizes the theme of looking back and reminiscing about happier times. The days that are referred to are described as "happy, sweet sequestered days," suggesting a sense of innocence and joy that may no longer be present in the present.

The phrase "olden days golden days" further reinforces the idea of a cherished past, highlighting the beauty and value of those moments. These were the days of "mad romance and love," hinting at a passionate and intense period of the singer's life, when emotions ran high and everything felt exciting and alive.

The contrast between the past and the present is highlighted in the following lines. In the past, the singer was filled with "gay youth" and a sense of freedom, embracing life with exuberance and passion. However, now there is a shift in feeling, as the lyrics express sadness and a longing for those happy times. The phrase "sad am I, glad am I" suggests an ambivalence and a bittersweet feeling of simultaneously cherishing the memories and yearning for their return.

The song concludes with the repetition of the phrase "for today, I'm dreaming of yesterdays." This final line encapsulates the overall sentiment of the song, conveying the singer's desire to escape the present and retreat into the comforting embrace of the past. The yearning for yesterdays reflects a universal human longing for days gone by, when life seemed simpler and more vibrant, and serves as a reminder of the fleeting nature of time.

Line by Line Meaning

Yesterdays yesterdays
The days of the past, reminiscing about time gone by

Days I knew as happy, sweet sequestered days
Days that were filled with joy, cherished and secluded from the outside world

Olden days golden days
Days long ago that were like precious gold

Days of mad romance and love
Days characterized by intense passion and affection

Then gay youth was mine truth was mine
In my youthful days, I experienced happiness and sincerity

Joyous free and flaming life
A life filled with exuberance, freedom, and intense emotions

Forsooth, was mine sad am I
However, now it is true that I am feeling sorrowful

Glad am I for today, I'm dreaming of yesterdays
Even though I am experiencing sadness, I find solace in dreaming about the past

(Instrumental Break)
No specific meaning

Sad am I glad am I
Mixed emotions of sadness and happiness

For today, I'm dreaming of yesterdays
In the present moment, I find comfort in revisiting the memories of the past