WHERE did the song Those Were the Days originate? “Those Were the Days” is a song credited to Gene Raskin, who puts a new English lyric to the Russian romance song Дорогой длинною (literally “By the long road”), composed by Boris Fomin (1900–1948) with words by the poet Konstantin Podrevsky. It deals with reminiscence upon youth and romantic idealism.
Mary Hopkin’s 1968 debut single of “Those Were the Days”, which was produced by Paul McCartney of the Beatles, and arranged by Richard Hewson, became a number one hit on the UK Singles Chart and on the Canadian RPM Magazine charts.
Yes, time flew by. I think sitting in a jet plane. July again. Wow!
Do you always count the days up to the next legal holidays without being on duty? Or do you start as early as September longing for Christmas? And do you wish the weeks or months hopefully pass by like an assault up to the next possible salary increase?
Many times, we are really in too much of a hurry while feeling uncomfortable if we notice how time flies. We have no time for someone or something or even for ourselves.
When I was still a teenager, I was longing to be an adult already. Later, I enjoyed listening to my grandmother’s stories such as “Once upon a time” or “When I was young” from her “yesterday’s life”… .
After a couple of years, especially while observing that time really flies like a racket to the moon, I also have the same question in mind: Are the present hours and days less valuable?
Of course, each day has its own set of happiness and trials. But it also holds very high possibilities of us taking the initiative to do or to move something, if… !
The luring term IF lets us look into the future with an overblown “glistening” eye: IF I will finish my studies, IF my children have become adults, IF I might become rich because I win in the lottery, yes IF? And then?
The future prospects smile at us already. I was already looking for the 2023-calendar. Setting appointments for January and February. Amazing. Is life in the future easier, nicer, more charming and more fulfilling compared to the present? The thoughts fill me with horror, because tragicomic future visions can easily blur away our present day.
Many of us retreat into the past and forget their present existence. A possible topsy-turvy world of a golden youth tries to let us forget that also the past has had its share of disappointments, pains, tears, darkness, tricky as well as desperate days… yes, lost days, irretrievable time… .
Without having achieved anything, we dream our impossible dreams from last to future and vice versa. We forget that between yesterday and tomorrow is our valuable present. Well, now well then – if we know just how to fulfill this period.
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