"Those Were the Days" ist der Titel eines Hits von Mary Hopkin aus dem Jahr 1968, dessen Melodie auf einem russischen Lied aus dem Jahre 1917 beruht.
Grundlage des Welthits war das russische Lied Dorogoi dlinnoju (Дорогой длинною, Entlang der langen Straße).
Die Musik dieser Romanze wurde von Boris Fomin (1900–1948) geschrieben, der Text stammt von Konstantin Podrewski.
Das Lied über die endlose Straße wurde im Oktober 1917 in der Version von Alexander Wertinski in Russland sehr populär.
Das Lied wurde im Westen durch den britischen Comedy-Film Innocents in Paris bekannt, der am 22. Juli 1953 in die Kinos kam.
Lyrics
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 thinking 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.
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.
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.
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.
