Yesterday Songs

I had no idea there were 1.3 billion search results on Google for "Yesterday" until today. Go take a look!

And, did you know there are 12 popular songs with the term “Yesterday” in their titles?

Well, now you do!

I remember growing up with a quite few myself, like:

• The Carpenters with their “Yesterday Once More” and “Only Yesterday”,

• Stevie Wonder’s unique “Yesterme Yesteryou Yesterday”,

• The Beatles’ staple “Yesterday” - supposedly the most covered song of all time,

• Not to mention The Rolling Stones’ “Something Happened To Me Yesterday” and this particularly interesting one that I hadn’t heard of before - Pantera’s “Yesterday Don’t Mean Shit”. 😆 

There are another 55 more in this list here, if you’re so inclined to go further down the rabbit hole.

But I think Roy Clark’s 1969 poignant rendition of “Yesterday When I Was Young” takes the cake, icing and all.

Though covered by numerous artists, it was Charles Aznavour who penned the song - originally in French with Georges Garvarentz in 1964.

The initial title was "Hier Encore," which translates to "Yesterday Again" in English.

In Roy’s impeccable voice:

Reflections On Missed Opportunities

The narrator reflects on his youth and missed opportunities as he nears the end of his life, contemplating circumstances that could have been better managed.

Something that as I age seems to resurface and haunt and taunt me every once in a while.

The lost chances.

Missed opportunities

Mistakes.

Regrets.

Disappointments.

Sadness.

Grief.

Life's Little Instruction Book

In contrast to Roy’s heartfelt rendition, the celebrated author H. Jackson Brown Jr offers a different perspective:

Once again, I hadn't heard of Brown until today. Clearly, I'm crushing this whole "staying informed" thing… 🙃 

For the uninitiated like me, Horace Jackson Brown Jr., first published “A Father's Book of Wisdom”, quickly followed by “P.S. I Love You”, a collection of sayings and observations from his father and mother, respectively.

These two books led to "Life's Little Instruction Book," a going away to college gift to his son, containing 511 tips for a happy life.

It became a global best-seller, spending over two years on the New York Times Best Seller list, including over a year at number one, and was the first book to top the list in both paperback and hardback formats simultaneously.

To achieve all of that certainly takes some doing.

You’ve got to appreciate that for sure.

For more of Brown’s quotes, go here.

And here’s a Wiki link to Horace Jackson Brown, Jr.

Impact Of Family And Priorities

I'm uncertain if Einstein actually said those words, but we can glean insights from those who preceded us and from life's occasional challenges.

I recall a dear friend with whom I resided for a while back when I was almost full-time engaged in youth ministry.

Being a young husband and father, my friend mostly was always on the periphery of that ministry. Yet, despite his commitments, he would always lend a hand whenever possible.

During one conversation, he remarked, "Things change when you have a family of your own. Family always comes first."

I didn’t get it immediately.

But as the years passed, I started to understand what he meant, especially after I got married and started my own family.

That lesson has always stayed with me.

Circumstances change.

Priorities change.

With the ebb of time, I too changed, and will probably continue to do so.

Making Wise Choices In Life

Today, some 30 years later, I tell the young ones how I wish I was twenty-something now.

It’s a great time to be alive.

We are living in a time of unparalleled technological advancement.

Numerous possibilities abound.

You have the freedom to pursue virtually any endeavor if you set your mind to it.

As always, there are always those dangerous places, where the powerful rule and dirty money still talks.

It’s so easy to get distracted by the bad news.

But the bleakness is only part of the story.

There’s another side to life and all that it promises.

Most crucially, in many parts of the world, you still possess the power to choose.

This is the greatest gift anyone can have.

This is my message to the young:

No matter the circumstances of your life, the ability to choose remains yours.

The second part of H. Jackson Brown Jr’s words resoundingly remind us of that fact:

You have only one life to live.

Make your choices wisely.

For The Curious

H. Jackson Brown Jr Books:

Life Little Instruction Book - https://amzn.to/3RhpkBX

A Father’s Book of Wisdom - https://amzn.to/3VvEK8j

Till next time,

Jude

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