Those Were The Days
The T.V. Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
The T.V. Band's song "Those Were the Days" is a beautiful and nostalgic journey through time. The lyrics speak to the universal experience of reminiscing about the past and the memories that shaped our lives. The song is about a tavern where the singer and their friends used to spend time, dreaming big dreams and having fun. They sang, danced, and laughed together, feeling young and invincible. They thought the good times would never end.
However, as time went on, the singer and their friends grew older and lost touch with one another. They lost the starry-eyed optimism of their youth and became more cynical and jaded. In a poignant moment, the singer looks into a mirror and sees a reflection of themselves as an older person, realizing how much time has passed and how much they've changed.
The final verse of the song brings the story full circle as the singer hears familiar laughter and sees an old friend. Despite the ups and downs of life, they realize that deep down they still have the same dreams and the same desires to live life to the fullest. They are old now, but still young at heart.
Overall, "Those Were the Days" is a beautiful and timeless tribute to the power of nostalgia and the enduring nature of friendship and love.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a time there was a tavern
There was a place where we used to hang out
Where we used to raise a glass or two
We used to drink and have a good time
Remember how we laughed away the hours
We spent hours laughing and having fun
And dreamed of all the great things we would do
We had big dreams for our futures
Those were the days my friend
We had good times back then
We thought they'd never end
We felt like those times would last forever
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We would party and celebrate endlessly
We'd live the life we choose
We felt like we could live life on our own terms
We'd fight and never lose
We were confident in ourselves and our abilities
For we were young and sure to have our way.
We were young and felt invincible
La la la la
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days
We remember those days fondly
Then the busy years went rushing by us
Time passed by quickly and we got caught up in life
We lost our starry notions on the way
We lost our idealistic views as we grew older
If by chance I'd see you in the tavern
If I happened to see you in our old hangout
We'd smile at one another and we'd say
We would reminisce about the past
Just tonight I stood before the tavern
I recently visited the old hangout
Nothing seemed the way it used to be
Everything had changed
In the glass I saw a strange reflection
I didn't recognize myself in the mirror
Was that lonely woman really me
I felt like a different person
Through the door there came familiar laughter
I heard laughter that was familiar to me
I saw your face and heard you call my name
I recognized you and you recognized me
Oh my friend we're older but no wiser
We've gotten older but haven't necessarily gained more wisdom
For in our hearts the dreams are still the same
We still hold onto our dreams
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GENE RASKIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Peter Lewis
I am 79 and have just listened to this song again having been around when it was originally released in the 60s.. It still sends tingles down my spine! A great song well executed by a wonderful and beautiful singer.
AllenH718
That's amazing. I am 39 and just found this song yesterday. Go figure lol. Have a good day man.
Ivaylo Ivanov
The original from Russia is still good!
Niven Rowe
Hey Mr Peter Lewis. Greetings from South Africa. I'm 64 and loving this music. Hell yes. I'll live my life to the fullest. When I die ill be in awe of the future. I lived my entire life without thinking about death,until now😮
Dmitriy Smirnov
@Ivaylo IvanovSure, but English text and perfomance is the best one among all versions of this song😊
Ivaylo Ivanov
@Dmitriy Smirnov Yep. Its very very rare a cover of a song to be better than original!
Steven
Still listening this song in 2023. Mary’s voice is really amazing and stunning☺️
murtadho achmad
Umur saya 14 th saat pertama mendengar lagu ini, sekarang umur saya 69th ..perasaan baru kemari sore
Kevin Staggs
This song was a hit when I was 4 years old yet I still remember it well. Always loved it's old world feel. Great performance by Mary.
Robert Kelly
I was 5. Grandma would play this 45 on the old console record player!