About the song
Ah, 1968. The year of revolution, of upheaval, of change sweeping across the globe. But amidst the tumult, a gentle voice emerged, carrying with it a melody both nostalgic and timeless. Mary Hopkin, a fresh-faced Welsh songstress barely out of her teens, gifted the world with “Those Were the Days,” a song that would become an anthem for a generation grappling with the complexities of the present while yearning for the simplicity of the past.
Now, this wasn’t just any pop song churned out of the hit factory. “Those Were the Days” had roots that ran deep, tracing back to a pre-revolutionary Russian romance ballad, “Dorogoi dlinnoyu” (“By the Long Road”). It was a song steeped in melancholy, a wistful reflection on bygone days of carefree youth and camaraderie. But what Mary Hopkin and her producer, a certain Paul McCartney, did with this old world melody was nothing short of magic.
They infused it with a youthful energy, a folk-pop sensibility that captured the zeitgeist of the late ’60s. Hopkin’s crystalline vocals, pure and innocent, soared over a tapestry of acoustic guitars, mandolins, and a driving rhythm section. The result was a bittersweet symphony that resonated with listeners of all ages, transporting them to a simpler time, a time of “laughing away the hours” and dreaming of “all the great things we would do.”
But beneath its surface charm, “Those Were the Days” held a deeper message, a poignant reminder of the fleeting nature of time and the importance of cherishing the present moment. It was a song that spoke to the universal human experience, the longing for days gone by, the yearning for connection, the search for meaning in a rapidly changing world.
And so, Mary Hopkin’s rendition of “Those Were the Days” became more than just a hit song; it became a cultural touchstone, a nostalgic hymn for a generation coming of age in a time of both great promise and great uncertainty. It topped the charts across the globe, cementing Hopkin’s place in music history and introducing a new generation to the timeless beauty of a song that transcended language and cultural barriers.
Join me as we revisit this iconic recording, exploring its rich history, its musical nuances, and its enduring legacy. Let the gentle strains of “Those Were the Days” transport you back to a time of innocence and wonder, a time when the world seemed full of possibilities, and the future stretched out before us like an endless horizon.
Video
Lyrics
Once upon a time there was a tavern
Where we used to raise a glass or two
Remember how we laughed away the hours
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 live the life we choose
We’d fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way
La-la-la-da-da-da
La-la-la-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da, la-da-da-da-da
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-da-da-da
La-la-la-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da
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-da-da-da
La-la-la-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da
La-la-la-da-da-da
La-la-la-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da
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-da-da-da
La-la-la-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da
La-la-la-da-da-da
La-la-la-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
