Those Were The Days
Parton Dolly Lyrics
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Where we used to raise a glass or two
Remember how we laughed away the hours
And dreamed 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
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days
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
For we were young and sure to have our way
La la la la
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days
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
For we were young and sure to have our way
La la la la
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days
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
For we were young and sure to have our way
La la la la
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days
In Dolly Parton's "Those Were The Days," the singer reminisces about a time when she and her friends used to hang out at a tavern and dream about their future. The first verse paints a picture of carefree days spent laughing, singing and dancing, with no thought of the future. This time is contrasted with the second verse, where the singer has lost her youthful idealism and sees her reflection in a strange, lonely woman.
The chorus highlights the central theme of the song, which is the passage of time and the loss of youthful exuberance. The singer longs for the past when they believed they could do anything, and had the world at their feet. The chorus is also reflective, acknowledging that we cannot go back in time and that life is fleeting. However, the last verse offers a glimmer of hope, as the singer sees an old friend and the two of them are able to reconnect despite the years that have passed.
Overall, "Those Were The Days" is a bittersweet reflection on the passage of time and the loss of youthful exuberance. The song captures the universal experience of growing older and looking back on the carefree days of youth.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a time there was a tavern
In the past, there was a tavern
Where we used to raise a glass or two
We would go there and have drinks
Remember how we laughed away the hours
We had a lot of fun and laughed for hours
And dreamed of all the great things we would do
We talked about our dreams and all the things we wanted to achieve
Those were the days my friend
These were good times, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We believed these good times would last forever
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We sang and danced a lot
We'd live the life we choose
We had the freedom to live the life we wanted
We'd fight and never lose
We were ambitious and determined to succeed
For we were young and sure to have our way
We were young and had confidence in ourselves
La la la la
N/A
Then the busy years went rushing by us
Time passed quickly and we got busy with life
We lost our starry notions on the way
Along the way, we lost our grand dreams and ideals
If by chance I'd see you in the tavern
If I happened to see you in the tavern
We'd smile at one another and we'd say
We would exchange smiles and reminisce
Just tonight I stood before the tavern
Recently, I stood in front of the tavern
Nothing seemed the way it used to be
Things had changed and weren't the same as before
In the glass I saw a strange reflection
When I looked in the glass, I saw someone different
Was that lonely woman really me
I wondered if the lonely woman in the reflection was actually me
Through the door there came familiar laughter
I heard familiar laughter coming from the door
I saw your face and heard you call my name
I recognized your face and heard you call my name
Oh my friend we're older but no wiser
We have aged, but we haven't necessarily become wiser
For in our hearts the dreams are still the same
Despite everything, we still have the same dreams in our hearts
Those were the days my friend
Those were the good times, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We believed that the good times would last forever
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We used to sing and dance a lot
We'd live the life we choose
We had the freedom to live the life we wanted
We'd fight and never lose
We were determined to succeed and never give up
For we were young and sure to have our way
We were young and confident in ourselves
La la la la
N/A
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days
Those were the good times, indeed
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, T.R.O. INC.
Written by: GENE RASKIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@elizabetakatalinic9369
This melodiy is both well-known and an original song to me. I understand 70% Russian without ever learning it, it's because Russian like my Croatian belongs to the Slavic languages. Dolly you sang it great like always. Na zdarovje ( cheers on Russian) and Nazdravlje ( on Croatian). Love you Dolly forever, your Eli. from Switzerland ( and Croatia ).💝🥰🥰💝🇭🇷❤🇨🇭
@SantiagoRengstorff-ws5vh
SendingallmylovetoyouDplly
@DeutscherDon
This entire album will forever hold a special place in my heart--but the wistful joy imparted by this title track might be the most special of all...thank you, Dolly, for assembling this perfect group to capture the essence of life in this tune...
@justingarza3189
My parents used to play this in the car when I was a young child, and I remember how enchanting dollys voice was and still is today, and oh my lord is this an almost haunting cover.
@debbers
Hey Dolly, I've loved you since I was a teen, I am 66 years old now and still love you. You must have been a baby when you started singing because you are still looking pretty good and still number one in my book.
@KEscano88
I love this rendition!💖
@Vytas.
I absolutely love Dolly Parton. She is such a sense making person. So logical. Once she was asked how she feels about men. She answered "with my fingers". She sings beautifully and donates money to the Covid problem solution. She is as good as it gets. The South has produced great singers. Taylor Swift, for instance. Dolly Parton is not to be overlooked. She is the true icon.
@mickiedebellot7057
I love Dolly Parton love her singing and because of her I listen to country music my favorite star of country thank you Dolly your the best🙂👍👍👍👏👏👏👏😘
@scotttucker5306
This is my favorite version of this song! ❤️U Dolly! 🤗
@livingace
im in love with dolly and nothing can change my mind !