Yesterdays
Johnny Pace Lyrics


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Yesterdays, yesterdays
Days I knew as happy
Sweet sequester 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

Yesterdays, yesterdays
Days I knew as happy
Sweet sequester 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

Yesterdays, yesterdays
Days I knew as happy
Sweet sequester 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
Yesterdays

Overall Meaning

In "Yesterdays", Johnny Pace is reminiscing on past, happier days of his life. He longs for the days of "mad romance and love", when he was young, free and full of life. He uses the descriptors "olden" and "golden" for these days, implying that they were precious and priceless. Pace reflects on the joys of his youth, when everything was full of truth and he was able to embrace life with unbridled enthusiasm. However, as he looks back from the present, he is left feeling sad about how far he is from those wonderful times, even though he is also glad that he was able to experience them.


The song presents an interesting juxtaposition of feelings - joy, sadness and gladness - all at once. It speaks to the beauty and significance of the past, and how nostalgia can affect our emotions. The lyrics are simple, yet effective in capturing the essence of a longing for happier times. The repetition of the phrase "yesterdays, yesterdays" emphasizes the theme of looking back and remembering fondly, while also lamenting the loss of those moments.


Line by Line Meaning

Yesterdays, yesterdays
Reflecting on the past and the days gone by.


Days I knew as happy
The days that brought great joy and happiness.


Sweet sequester days
Memories of peaceful and secluded days.


Olden days, golden days
The memories of the past, that are filled with great value and worth.


Days of mad romance and love
A time of strong feelings and emotions, where love was on its highest level.


Then gay youth was mine, truth was mine
I had youth and truth by my side, back in the day and memories of that time are dear to me.


Joyous free and flaming life
A life that was exciting, full of joy and passion.


Forsooth, was mine
Those memories that are mentioned are truly mine.


Sad am I, glad am I
Even though I'm happy to have these memories, I'm also sad that they are over and gone.


For today I’m dreaming of yesterdays
In the present, I'm yearning for the memories of the past when things seemed so much better.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JEROME KERN, OTTO HARBACH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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