Yesterday When I Was Young

Julio Iglesias' song 'Yesterday When I Was Young' is a poignant reflection on the fleeting nature of youth and the inevitable passage of time. The lyrics are imbued with a sense of nostalgia and regret, as the narrator looks back on his younger days with a mixture of fondness and sorrow. The opening lines, 'The taste of life was sweet as rain upon my tongue,' evoke a time when life was full of promise and excitement. However, this sweetness is juxtaposed with the realization that he treated life as a 'foolish game,' not fully appreciating its depth and significance.

The song delves into the dreams and plans of youth, which were built on 'weak and shifting sands.' This metaphor highlights the fragility and impermanence of those aspirations. The narrator admits to living by night, avoiding the 'naked light of day,' which symbolizes a reluctance to face reality and the consequences of his actions. As he reflects on the 'years that ran away,' there's a palpable sense of lost opportunities and unfulfilled potential.

Throughout the song, there's a recurring theme of self-centeredness and a lack of awareness. The narrator recalls conversations that were 'all to do with me, and nothing else at all,' indicating a youthful self-absorption. The imagery of the 'moon was blue' and using his 'magic age as if it were a wand' suggests a time of enchantment and endless possibilities, yet it was marred by a failure to see the 'waste and emptiness beyond.' The song concludes with a somber acknowledgment of the transient nature of relationships and the loneliness that follows, as 'friends drift away' and he is 'left on stage to end the play.'

'Yesterday When I Was Young' is a deeply introspective song that resonates with anyone who has looked back on their life with a sense of wistfulness and contemplation. It serves as a reminder of the importance of cherishing the present and living with intention, rather than letting time slip away unnoticed.