Those Were the Days
Mary Hopkin(메리 홉킨) Lyrics
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Where we used to raise a glass or two
Remember how we laughed away the hours
And think of all the great things we would do
Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la La la la la la la
Then the busy years went rushing by us
We lost our starry notions on the way
If by chance I'd see you in the tavern
We'd smile at one another and we'd say
Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la La la la la la la
Just tonight I stood before the tavern
Nothing seemed the way it used to be
In the glass I saw a strange reflection
Was that lonely woman really me
Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la La la la la la la
la la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la La la la la la la
Through the door there came familiar laughter
I saw your face and heard you call my name
Oh my friend we're older but no wiser
For in our hearts the dreams are still the same
Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la La la la la la la
Mary Hopkin's song "Those Were The Days" is a nostalgic tribute to a time long gone. The opening lines, "Once upon a time there was a tavern / Where we used to raise a glass or two" immediately evoke images of a bygone era. The lyrics recount the memories of a group of friends who used to spend endless hours at this tavern, singing, dancing, and dreaming of the future. They were young, carefree, and confident that they would achieve their dreams.
As the song progresses, the lyrics describe the passage of time and its disillusioning effect on the group. "The busy years went rushing by us / We lost our starry notions on the way" implies that the dreams and aspirations they had when they were young were slowly being replaced by the harsh realities of life. However, despite this, the memories of those carefree days still bring a smile to their faces, and they long to relive those moments once again.
The final verse is a poignant reminder that time waits for no one. The singer sees a reflection of herself in a glass and realizes how much time has passed. Suddenly, her old friend appears, and they are both older and wiser, yet still holding onto their hopes and dreams. The song ends with a bittersweet note, as they both reminisce about the good old days, acknowledging that though they will never return, the memories will always be cherished and treasured.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a time there was a tavern
In the past, there was a place where people would gather.
Where we used to raise a glass or two
We would drink and socialize.
Remember how we laughed away the hours
We were very carefree and enjoyed each other's company.
And think of all the great things we would do
We had big plans for our lives.
Those were the days my friend
The past was a time of glory.
We thought they'd never end
We believed that the good times would always last.
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We were full of vitality and energy.
We'd live the life we choose
We had complete freedom to live our lives however we wanted.
We'd fight and never lose
We were very self-assured and confident.
For we were young and sure to have our way
Our youth made us feel invincible.
Then the busy years went rushing by us
As time passed, we became preoccupied with other things.
We lost our starry notions on the way
Our lofty dreams slowly faded.
If by chance I'd see you in the tavern
If we happened to meet again at the old hangout
We'd smile at one another and we'd say
We would reminisce about the good times.
Just tonight I stood before the tavern
Recently, I returned to the old tavern.
Nothing seemed the way it used to be
Everything had changed.
In the glass I saw a strange reflection
I didn't even recognize myself anymore.
Was that lonely woman really me
I had become someone completely different.
Through the door there came familiar laughter
I heard a sound that I recognized.
I saw your face and heard you call my name
I saw an old friend who recognized me.
Oh my friend we're older but no wiser
We have gotten older, but we have not necessarily gained more wisdom.
For in our hearts the dreams are still the same
Our youthful ambitions have remained with us.
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days
The past was a time of greatness.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Salem Guimba
The old people really can relate to this song. The young cannot yet understand the deeper meaning of this great composition.
This song only shows that life is full of memories, sad and happy ones, mostly lonely. And life moves quickly. When you are 60s and trying to flashback the past 50 years of your life, it's just like yesterday. Most of those great things are forgotten. But there are certain scenes that keep on coming back, and they are coming back everyday, and the more you age the more they keep on visiting you. Including among those scenes are the frustrated love affairs. Those things that you love most but you did not give yourself a chance to follow your desires and feelings. They haunt you back. Yes, there are some special persons in your life that for more than 40 years there is no day that you don't remember her/him. And the more you get older the more you see those bygone scenes.
Then over time, everything shall perish. All of us shall be no more. Only the memories of what we had done during our life time shall remain in the hearts of those who will remember us. But even those few who remember us shall also be leaving, and we shall all be forgotten forever--except in the Day of Judgement in the Life hereafter where we shall be resurrected to answer in front of the Almighty all those we did of good or bad in our life time.
Yes, everything shall perish except the recorded memories of what we had done in our lifetime. Just like the recorded data kept in the cloud file, the storage of memories for each and everyone shall be kept forever somewhere out there.
And in the Hereafter we shall see and hear each other again. And all those things that we did, either good or bad actions, shall be shown to us like watching a big screen movie. Everybody shall remember everything. What a beauty life is there in the next. And we are all coming to that station one by one. We are all on a waiting list. Each and everyone of us has a scheduled departure to a one-way ticket destination. Just be prepared.
Yes, prepared to meet your Creator.
Tyiogubcdcv Hdygbjohb
"A pure voice without effects, without dancing, without provocative scenes, without meaningless lyrics, and beautiful music and a soothing voice that calms the soul. That's why I prefer listening to Mary Hopkin in 2023."
Nethermind
And no "peek a boo" clothing, just classy & respectful to the audience.
brupic
tyio....yet at the time it was released vast swaths of the population in north america were screaming about long hair, hippies, weed, disrespectful youth--i'm leaving out wars talking about cultural things....every generation goes thru it. i was born in 1950 and i think i grew up at the best time ever--the beatles alone made it worth it. it was a great time when this song came out because, i assume, we were both young and the music 'spoke' to us. brings back very specific nostalgic memories or a girl friend or.....we can't recapture that. i'm a dinosaur now when it comes to music. my taste is fairly eclectic but just because i think that way doesn't mean i'm right. it means i wasn't born 20 or 30 or 40 years ago.
Arthur Poirier
I will be 78 next month and I haven’t heard this song for over 50 years. Listening to it tonight, it feels as if I had only last listened to it yesterday. The 60’s and 70’s were the most amazing decades for music . I feel so blessed to have lived through them. What happy memories they bring to me.
bill
i will be 12 next week but those were the days my feind
Elke Lange
I wish you many good days to remember, dear Bill. Hope you'll remember them in 60 years.
JesusMoneyChrist
i'm jelous granny! Your'e 100%correct!
LaZed
😗
eduardo menasce
I am 77 right now.
Lived a life to its full extent.
Destiny took me from Argentina, then Brazil, then the US, then back to Brazil, then To France, then back to Brazil, then to Venezuela, then back to my country 40 year later
and finally to the USA where I have lived for the last 20 years.
I do not have a single regret for what my life and my destiny has been, God has been very good to me.
But if I have to chose when were the days of this full life, there is no question the 60s in Brazil, mostly because of my friends, get the first prize
I will always remember with a unique memory in my mind that period of my life.
Those were the days for sure!
عباس وحيد
That beautiful time of the sixties, seventies, and eighties, art had a special meaning and taste that makes you not forget it for a lifetime. Thank you, Mary, for this never-ending masterpiece