Yesterday Once More performed by the Carpenters

Yesterday Once More  (lyric video but spelling in the video is not completely correct)

The song I wanted to share is called Yesterday Once More sung by the Carpenters and written by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis. The song mainly has the singer, Karen Carpenter, reminiscing about the songs that she used to listen to in the past and thinking about how her past compared to her present. It is quite an old song (I would think) but is still one of my favourites because of how beautifully written the lyrics and melody is/are. It is somewhat poetic in ways such as rhythm and rhyme (like the majority of songs) and perhaps has some onomatopoeia. Overall this song is just telling the listeners that some things never change and that moments should be cherished since times cannot be relived.

In the chorus, when the words "just like before, it's yesterday once more" are sung, it shows that some things, like how she feels about the songs that were her favourite songs in the past, do not change no matter how much time separates the moments. At the same time though, when Karen Carpenter sings " lookin' back on how it was in years gone by, and the good times that I had, makes today seem rather sad, so much has changed" the listener can hear the sadness in not only her voice, but in the lyrics as well. As the listener, I could understand that though some things don't change, time still moves on and no matter how similar, even the best moments cannot be revived from the past. The whole song is very smooth and the rhythm and words fit perfectly making the song poetic in ways that other ones may not be able to achieve. The song, like the name, is somewhat happy yet stained with sorrow just like how "Once More" is on a joyful note while "Yesterday" literally is the past and when a yesterday comes once more  it is obvious that the person reliving that yesterday is either unhappy with or missing the past which in this case, is missing. Throughout the chorus that talks about the songs she listened to in the past, there is also a carefree feel to it, just like how when one is younger, there are usually less worries. This feeling can be heard from the words she uses which are more of sounds (onomatopoeia) (ex. "Every sha-la-la-la, every wo-o-wo-o still shines. Every shing-a-ling-a-ling that they're startin' to sing, so fine"). This too is a loss because the days of little worries, can no longer be retrieved.

This message is something that many people forget about in their lives. Though not all moments are worth reliving or cherishing, people should still keep in mind that the minute that just passed, or the day one just spent, won't reappear and will never be a "today" or "tomorrow" but instead, a "yesterday". In Yesterday Once More, though the songs Karen listened to may be found again, can the moments spent next to the radio and singing along be as well? (You have to hear the song to understand what I'm talking about). The pain that one may go through at times of hardship or the bitterness in times of emotional struggle, many may want to wipe those moments off completely but though the times won't come back, nor will the support from loved ones or the joy of overcoming those battles. The past doesn't come back and the future doesn't wait which leaves only the present to cherish as it slowly becomes the past as well.

Time doesn't stop for anyone so instead of frowning and hating life, why don't we smile and embrace the seconds that pass making every one worth living.