Shirley Bassey - Yesterday When I Was Young / Interview (1971 The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson)

REMASTERED CLIP (1971 Shirley Bassey appearance on The Tonight Show with host Johnny Carson).

Shirley performs one of her favorite songs, "Yesterday When I Was Young), and then is interviewed by The Tonight Show host, Johnny Carson. Shirley discusses an incident with a former boyfriend when she was just starting in the business which could have been tragic for her. This interview is not the best, as Johnny Carson was trying to be funny and make light of a very serious incident. Looking over the many years that Carson was The Tonight Show host, he definitely was better when his guests were either comedians or when they only discussed funny or light-hearted moments in their lives. But, Johnny brought this incident up, so he should have let it play out appropriately with some sensitivity. In general, Shirley prefers NOT to talk about private matters during interviews. After this show, I'm sure she made it clear with all future appearances to not ask questions about serious moments in her private life.

This song was recorded and released on Shirley's 1970 LP titled, 'Shirley Bassey - Something'. Bassey's UK comeback came in 1970, leading to one of the most successful periods of her career. In this year, she returned to the UK with a record breaking run of performances at the Talk of the Town nightclub. Also in that year, she released the album Something, which showcased a new Bassey style; it was a shift from traditional pop to more contemporary songs and arrangements. Shirley also lightened her vibrato and timbre for many of her 1970's albums to achieve more of a POP sound.

LYRICS:
Yesterday when I was young
The taste of life was sweet as rain upon my tongue
I teased at life as if it were a foolish game
The way the evening breeze may tease the candle flame

A thousand dreams I dreamed
The splendid things I planned
I always built alas on weak and shifting sand
I lived by night and shunned the naked light of day
And only now I see how the years ran away

Yesterday when I was young
So many lovely songs were waiting to be sung
So many wayward pleasures lay in store for me
And so much pain my dazzled eyes refused to see

I ran so fast that time and youth at last ran out
I never stopped to think what life was all about
And every conversation I can now recall
Concerned itself with me and nothing else at all

Yesterday the moon was blue
And every crazy day brought something new to do
I used my magic age as if it were a wand
That never saw the waste and emptiness beyond
The game of love I played with arrogance and pride
And every flame I lit too quickly quickly died
The friends I made all seemed somehow drift away
And only I am left on stage to end the play

There are so many songs in me that won't be sung
I feel the bitter taste of tears upon my tongue
The time has come for me to pay
For yesterday....
when I was young.....

NOTE: This video is very old and and audio is in worse shape than the video. I was able to remaster the video to bring it back to a better condition, but the audio was much more difficult to restore. (Unfortunately)