Yesterday when I was young 
the taste of life was sweet like rain upon my tongue, 
I teased at life as if it were a foolish game 
the way an evening breeze would tease a candle flame, 
The thousand dreams I dreamed, the splendid things I planned 
I always built to last on weak and shifting sand, 
I lived by night and shunned the naked light of day 
and only now I see how the years have run away 
Yesterday when I was young 
there were so many songs that waited to be sung, 
So many wild pleasures that 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 and
I never stopped to think what life was all about, 
and every conversation that I can recall 
concerned itself with me, and nothing else at all. 
Yesterday the moon was blue 
and every crazy day brought something new to do, 
and 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 so 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 that waited to be sung, 
So many wild 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 
cause I feel the bitter taste of tears upon my tongue 
And the time has come for me to pay for yesterday
When I was young.