Yesterday When I Was Young

(Dm)Yesterday when I was (G)young
the taste of life was (C)sweet as rain upon my (F)tongue
I teased at life as (Dm)if it were a foolish (E)game
the (E7)way the evening (Am)breeze may tease a candle flame

The thousand dreams I (Dm)dreamed, the splendid things I (G)planned
I always built (C)alas on weak and shifting (F)sand
I lived by night and (Dm)shunned the naked light of the (E)day
and (E7)only now I (Am)see how the years ran away

Yester(Dm)day when I was (G)young
so many drinking (C)songs were waiting to be (F)sung,
so many wayward plea(Dm)sures lay in store for (E)me
and (E7)so much pain my (Am)dazzled eyes refused to see

I ran so fast that (Dm)time and youth at last ran (G)out
I never stopped to (C)think what life was all (F)about
and every conver(Dm)sation I can now (E)recall
con(E7)cerned itself with (Am)me and nothing else at all

Yester(Dm)day the moon was (G)blue
and every crazy (C)day brought something new to (F)do
I used my magic (Dm)age as if it were a (E)wand
and (E7)never saw the (Am)waste and emptiness beyond

The game of love I (Dm)played with arrogance and (G)pride
and every flame I (C)lit too quickly quickly (F)died
The friends I made all (Dm)seemed somehow to drift (E)away
and (E7)only I am left (Am)on stage to end the play

There are so many (Dm)songs in me that won't be (G)sung
I feel the bitter (C)taste of tears upon my (F)tongue
The time has come for (Dm)me to pay for yester(E)day
(E7)when I was (Am)young