Monday January 10, 2022 “Those Were the Days” Mary Hopkin
OK, last week there were new songs. This week we are going back to 1968, a seminal year for music with so many classics, a number of which have stood the test of time like “Hey Jude”, “Dock of the Bay” and “Born to Be Wild”, “Sunshine of Your Love”, “Wichita Lineman” and “Honey” as examples…OK they weren’t all great songs.
In 1968 The Beatles gave us two albums Magical Mystery Tour and The White Album, Jimi Hendrix also released two albums Axis Bold As Love and Electric Ladyland, The Doors issued Waiting for the Sun, Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel was released and Big Brother and the Holding Company delivered Cheap Thrills. All number one albums.
However in a rare and hopefully not to be repeated moment we will look at a song that I absolutely detest. Whenever “Those Were the Days” reaches my ears I am overcome with an overwhelming physical feeling of depression that instantly pushes me to switch the radio station…and 1968 was a great year for me personally, but here we go anyway.
Back in 1968 Paul McCartney was made aware of this beautiful young girl, Mary Hopkin who had an exceptional voice and after Paul was able to convince her parents that his only intentions were to record their daughter he brought her into the Apple Savile Road studios and put together today’s song.
“Those Were the Days” produced but not written by Paul McCartney for their new Apple label was one of the very first non-Beatle Apple released records. It would be a number two international hit behind the number one “Hey Jude”, for the seventeen year old Mary Hopkin who, along with me, hated the song.
The song is credited to Gene Raskin, who was the translator of what was originally a Russian tune. McCartney heard the song in clubs around London performed by Raskin and his wife and had tried to get other artists including the Moody Blues to record it. They all refused but in 1968 unsigned and overwhelmed by a Beatle, Mary Hopkin really didn’t have a choice.
Mary Hopkin would leave Apple in 1972 to return to her folk interests and have a long career in music and TV in the UK.
Stay safe and well…and if this is one of your favorites I apologize but I will not be listening to today's song…ever. Better songs for me will follow, I promise.
Once upon a time there was a tavern
Where we used to raise a glass or two
Remember how we laughed away the hours
And think of all the great things we would do
Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way.
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la La la la la la la
Then the busy years went rushing by us
We lost our starry notions on the way
If by chance I'd see you in the tavern
We'd smile at one another and we'd say
Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la La la la la la la
Just tonight I stood before the tavern
Nothing seemed the way it used to be
In the glass I saw a strange reflection
Was that lonely woman really me
Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la La la la la la la
la la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la La la la la la la
Through the door there came familiar laughter
I saw your face and heard you call my name
Oh my friend we're older but no wiser
For in our hearts the dreams are still the same
Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la La la la la la la