Yesterday

      If we think back in our lives there are probably many times and moments that we wish we could have a “do over.”  But we know that is not possible.  When I was growing up, I had a great interest in music.  I’m sure many of you did.  I enjoyed listening to the songs that were popular at that time and I played in a rock ‘n roll band.  One of my favorite groups at the time (and their music is still enjoyable to hear) was the Beatles.

     One of their songs (although it was done by Paul only) that I particularly enjoyed was “Yesterday.”  It was released in the United States as a single in 1965.  It was considered a melancholy ballad about the break-up of a relationship.  I never realized at the time how much truth there was in the lyrics.  That was a time when songs were written and performed to have some type of meaning behind them.  Today I don’t keep up with the songwriters particularly, but it seems that most of the music no longer makes sense to me.  Perhaps it has to do with my getting older.  I’m not sure.

     However, getting back to the song “Yesterday.”  The chorus of the song helps us to understand that this song has to do with a personal break-up and it’s the theme that is repeated by the lines of the chorus. 

     “Why she had to go, I don’t know, she wouldn’t say.

     I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday.”

     This desire to return to a time when the couples situation was in better condition can be understood by many of us.  We long to return to days that have passed and have things the way they were before we made some type of mistake or changes came that we no longer are happy with.  However, knowing that we cannot do that, we at times “long for yesterday.”

     However, to me it is the other lines of the song that have come to resonate with the sounds of truth within a persons life.  Consider the first opening words of verse one of the tune:  “All my troubles seemed so far away.  Now it looks as though they’re here to stay.”  When we were younger it’s as though we had no problems at all.  As our lives continued to advance the problems of living began to grow upon us, until within our later years it seems that these problems cannot be avoided or in many cases improved.  Yesterday was the time we should have enjoyed the lives we had and now we realized that things were going to become much more difficult to deal with.

     The song continues in verse two to tell us:  “I’m not half the man I used to be.  There’s a shadow hanging over me.”  Because of pains and afflictions our lives change.  We are no longer able to do the things we once did without even giving thought to our actions.  At times circumstances beyond our control are at work and at other times it is due to the circumstances that we bring upon ourselves.  Whatever the case my be for us, we come to recognize that we’re “not half the man (or woman) we used to be.”  And as we continue to travel down the road of life, barring any unforeseen occurrence, all we really have to look forward to is death.  Yes, that “shadow’s hanging over” us. 

     The last bit of information shared with us in the song in verse three tells us that yesterday, “love was such an easy game to play.  Now I need a place to hide away.”    In most circumstances when younger we never truly considered the feels of others.  We were only concerned with our own gratification.  Love, indeed, was some type of “game” we could play and if we were not satisfied with the results of our “game,” we would simply move on to another player and see if we could get a better outcome.  Now, however, we often have to find a “place to hide away” our love because we very often become the “prey” of the careless and loveless actions of others.  We become the “victim” of the “games” consequences and our hearts become more pained than we could have ever imagined.

     If you would like to recall this precious song, give it a listen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrgmdOz227I

     It was a simply written song when I first heard it.  The lyrics flow so smoothly that you do not imagine that there could be such power behind the words.  But when you take the time to look back on that simple tune you will see how well it describes the lives of many of us.  Could things have been different?  Would we have been better if we could have remained in that pleasant realm of “yesterday”?  There’s no way for us to know for certain.  However, we know that we can look back on our lives, at times, with regrets for things we have done.  Or perhaps for the things we didn’t do.  Being able to do that simply reminds us that we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Learn from your prior mistakes, 

but keep your eyes on the goals of tomorrow,

yesterday is gone!"