Yesterday When I Was Young - Charles Aznavour

It seems the love I've known has always been The most destructive kind I guess that's why now I feel so old Before my time 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 to last on weak and shifting sand I lived by night and shunned the naked light of the day And only now I see how the years ran away Yesterday when I was young So many happy songs were waiting to be sung So many wild 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 the 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 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 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 song were waiting to be sung So many wayward pleasures laid 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, 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 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 Young Young

Somehow, it seems the love I knew Was always the most destructive kind 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 the 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 time ran away Yesterday when I was young So many lovely songs were waiting to be sung So many wild pleasures lay in store for me And so much pain my 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 that I can now recall Concerned itself with me and nothing else at all The game of love I played with arrogance and pride And every flame I lit too quickly, quickly died The friends I made all somehow seemed to slip away And only now I'm left alone to end the play, yeah Oh, yesterday when I was young So many, many songs were waiting to be sung So many wild pleasures lay in store for me And so much pain my eyes refused to see There are so many songs in me that won't be sung I feel a 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 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 I 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 that 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

Yesterday, when I was young The taste of life was sweet as rain upon my tongue A tease of 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 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 ran away Yesterday, when I was young So many happy songs were waiting to be sung So many wild 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 I 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 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 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 lovely 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. 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. So many lovely 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.

Sylvie Ou sont tes plaisirs Et tes rires d'enfant Sylvie Ou sont tes désirs De mordre à belles dents La vie Éveillant tes jeunes printemps A l'aube de tes joies Tu pleures déjà Pour Un garçon insensé Qui un jour Sans raison a brisé Pour toujours Les espoirs de ton coeur Plein d'amour Toi tu pleures Sylvie Ce que l'on voit fuir Ne se rattrape pas Sylvie Armé d'un sourire Un inconnu viendra Ravi D'apporter des rêves en toi Par un nouveau bonheur Au fond de ton coeur Viens Car à l'âge d'aimer Le chagrin Ne doit pas t'effleurer Car demain Peut sombrer ton malheur Puisque rien Ne demeure Sylvie Quand on a de l'espoir Tout peux recommencer Sylvie Range ton mouchoir Et repoudre ton nez Souris Car la vie ce traîne à tes pieds Ne la repousse pas Tu regretteras Quand Tes années s'enfuiront Que le temps Me donnera raison Tristement Tu te diras:"trop tard!" En fouillant Ta mémoire Sylvie Là tu comprendras Ce que tu as perdu Sylvie Les jours d'autrefois Ne se revivent plus Aussi Ouvre ton coeur à l'inconnu Qui changera tes jours Par un cri d'amour

Par trois gars de mon quartier Je m'suis laisser entraîner Dans un tripot la semaine dernière Dans une salle enfumée Nous nous sommes installés Autour d'une table de poker On a enlevé nos vestons Commandé force boissons Puis la partie a commencé Telle que j'vais vous l'expliquer On prend les cartes, on brasse les cartes On coupe les cartes, on donne les cartes C'est merveilleux, on va jouer au poker On reprend ses cartes, on regarde ses cartes On s'écrie "Cartes", puis l'on écarte J'en jette trois car j'ai déjà une paire Quand tout le monde a son jeu On s'regarde en chiens de faïence On essaie d'lire dans les yeux Du voisin plein de méfiance J'ai pris trois cartes et lui deux cartes Vous combien d'cartes Moi juste une carte Ah faut s'méfier y a du bluff dans l'air "Je suis blind à toi d'parler" Dit au second le premier Ce dernier s'écrie "Parole" Le troisième mise 100 francs Je dis "Tes 100, plus 1000 francs" Les deux autres s'arrêtent au vol Le troisième me dit "Voilà, tes 1000 francs Qu'est ce que tu as?" "Trois dames, j'ai gagné je crois" "Non", dit-il, "car j'ai trois rois" On prend les cartes, on brasse les cartes On coupe les cartes, on donne les cartes Je m'dis qu'es-tu venu faire dans cette galère On reprend ses cartes, on regarde ses cartes On s'écrie "Cartes", puis l'on écarte Je m'dis maintenant va falloir se refaire Pendant toute la partie Je me faisais des reproches Quand se termina la nuit Je n'avais plus rien en poche Avant que je n'parte, je prend les cartes J'déchire les cartes, je jette les cartes Et les piétine avec colère Au moment d'm'en aller J'entends des coups de sifflet Une descente de police Les inspecteurs du quartier Veulent tous nous interroger Me voici devant la justice Ils me disent "Mon garçon, nous sommes bons Et te donnons une minute pour t'expliquer" Je leur ai dit, affolé On prend les cartes, on brasse les cartes On coupe les cartes, on donne les cartes J'n'ai jamais rien eu de meilleur qu'une paire On reprend ses cartes, on regarde ses cartes On s'écrie "Cartes" puis l'on écarte "Je vois très bien", me dit le commissaire On va vous emprisonner Car du reste je m'en fiche Mais on va vous affecter Au département des fiches On prend les cartes, on regarde les cartes On trie les cartes, on range les cartes En prison je suis devenu fonctionnaire Tout ça parce qu'un jour Un bien triste jour J'ai voulu jouer au poker

Reste, reste encore Avec moi Sur mon corps Dans mes bras Enlacée Essoufflée à sourire Étourdie Reste au chaud À languir dans l'enclos De la nuit sur mon coeur Sans pudeur Éperdue, presque nue Reste ainsi Sur ta faim, sur ma vie Dans mes mains Décoiffée, possédée Étendue, détendue Reste-là Sans un mot Sur ta joie Sur ma peau dans l'espoir Dans le noir jusqu'au jour Mon amour