Here and Now

 Roy Clark：《Yesterday When I Was Young》


Yesterday When I Was Young 的原作曲作詞人 
是法國的Charles Asnavour， 
由Herbert Kretzmer 翻譯成英文， 
1965年由鄉村歌手 Roy Clark 灌唱。 
當時Roy Clark 正好換唱片公司，轉戰 pop 市場， 
這支Yesterday When I Was Young 果然沒讓他失望， 
在1969年名列全美排行榜第九名，替他創下輝煌戰績。 
                   
這支歌除了旋律優美之外， 
歌詞語意深長，叫人回味不止。 


 Yesterday When I Was Young 

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 a candle flame; 
The 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, 
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, 
and 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 to drift away 
And only I am left on stage to end the play. 
                   
Yesterday When I was young, 
There were so many 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, 
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. 

Yesterday When I Was Young (Roy Clark)