Yesterday When I Was Young
Marc Almond Lyrics


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Yesterday when I was young
The taste of life was sweet as rain upon my tongue
I teased at life as if it were a foolish game
The way the evening breeze may tease the candle flame
A thousand dreams I dreamed
The splendid things I planned
I always built alas on weak and shifting sand
I lived by night and shunned the naked light of day
And only now I see how the years ran away
Yesterday when I was young
So many drinking songs were waiting to be sung
So many wayward pleasures lay in store for me
And so much pain my dazzled eyes refused to see
I ran so fast that time and youth at last ran out
I never stopped to think what life was all about
And every conversation I can now recall
Concerned itself with me, me, me and nothing else at all
Yesterday the moon was blue
And every crazy day brought something new to do
I used my magic age as if it were a wand
That never saw the waste and emptiness beyond
The game of love I played with arrogance and pride
And every flame I lit too quickly quickly died
The friends I made all seemed somehow drift away
And only I am left on stage to end the play
There are so many songs in me that won't be sung
I feel the bitter taste of tears upon my tongue




The time has come for me to pay
For yesterday....when I was young, young, young,......young

Overall Meaning

The song “Yesterday When I Was Young” by Marc Almond depicts the life of a person and the way he lived throughout his youth, highlighting the way he treated life as a playful and frivolous game. The song talks about the way life was experienced through the eyes of a younger, more naive person. The taste of life was sweet, and the world was full of dreams and splendid things, yet it was easy to fall into and build one’s fantasies and aspirations on weak, fragile grounds. Life is presented as a game, a playful yet dangerous thing that can lure us away, making us forget our responsibilities and the morals we should follow.


The song also demonstrates how the singer of the story wasted his time living by night and shunning the light of day as he tries to avoid coming to terms with the harsh realities of life. His arrogance and pride in love relationships make his flames burn out quickly, leaving him alone on the stage at the end of the story. The song beautifully concludes with the bitter realization that the time has come for him to pay for all the things he thought were beautiful when he was young, with the bitter taste of tears upon his tongue.


Overall, the song “Yesterday When I Was Young” is a touching and emotional representation of life, which shows the regrets of someone who didn't live up to their full potential or recognize the beauty and love around them.


Line by Line Meaning

Yesterday when I was young
In the past, when I was young and inexperienced


The taste of life was sweet as rain upon my tongue
Life was delightful and seemed like the sweetest thing


I teased at life as if it were a foolish game
I played around with life, as if it was a child's game


The way the evening breeze may tease the candle flame
My relationship with life was fragile, like a flame that can easily be blown out by a breeze


A thousand dreams I dreamed
I had big and ambitious dreams


The splendid things I planned
I had grandiose plans for my life


I always built alas on weak and shifting sand
My plans were not practical and were based on unstable foundations


I lived by night and shunned the naked light of day
I preferred to stay up late and avoid facing the reality of the daytime


And only now I see how the years ran away
In hindsight, I realize that time has passed quickly and I'm not as young anymore


So many drinking songs were waiting to be sung
There were many opportunities for enjoyment and pleasure, particularly in the form of drinking and partying


So many wayward pleasures lay in store for me
There were many temptations ahead of me that I thought would bring me happiness, but they were not necessarily the best choices


And so much pain my dazzled eyes refused to see
I was blinded by my desires and didn't realize the pain and consequences of my actions


I ran so fast that time and youth at last ran out
I lived life at a fast pace and didn't appreciate the value of time and youth until it was too late


I never stopped to think what life was all about
I didn't take the time to understand the purpose of life and what really mattered


And every conversation I can now recall
Looking back, I realize that most of my conversations were self-focused and didn't consider other people's perspectives


Concerned itself with me, me, me and nothing else at all
My conversations were always centered around myself and my interests, and I didn't take the time to engage with others


Yesterday the moon was blue
The past seemed more vivid and full of life than the present


And every crazy day brought something new to do
There was always excitement and novelty in my life, but it didn't necessarily lead to fulfillment


I used my magic age as if it were a wand
I relied on my youth as a way to magically solve problems and make decisions that weren't necessarily wise


That never saw the waste and emptiness beyond
I didn't realize the emptiness and lack of meaning in my life


The game of love I played with arrogance and pride
I was overconfident and pompous in my romantic pursuits


And every flame I lit too quickly quickly died
My relationships didn't last because I rushed into them without really knowing what I wanted


The friends I made all seemed somehow drift away
My friendships were fleeting and didn't seem to last


And only I am left on stage to end the play
I am the only one remaining from my past, and must face the consequences of my actions alone


There are so many songs in me that won't be sung
There were many missed opportunities in my life that I now regret


I feel the bitter taste of tears upon my tongue
I am filled with regret and sadness for the choices I have made


The time has come for me to pay
The consequences of my actions have caught up with me


For yesterday....when I was young, young, young,......young
I am nostalgic for the past when I was young and carefree, but now realize that I must face the present and future with responsibility and wisdom




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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