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looking back songs

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Ringing in the New Year to the strains of Auld Lang Syne reminded me of something I was thinking about recently. I wanted to collect some looking-back-at-days-gone-by songs.

Of course there are tons and tons of songs about past loves and relationships, but that’s not what I’m after here. So songs like The Way We Were or Yesterday, while fantastic songs, are too specific and will be saved for another discussion. Today I’m looking for songs with a broader look back.

Also note, that while many of these songs can be rather melancholy, I’m not just looking to have an Adele-fueled tear fest (mind you, I certainly love a good Adele-fueled tear fest). Adding more upbeat, proud and/or defiant looking back songs to the list would be greatly appreciated.


So, here are a few that came to my mind. What others would anyone suggest?



Of course I'll start out with Auld Lang Syne. And of course I’ll trust it to a Scot, in Scotland.


My personal fave.
 
How many remember this one hit wonder?




Ok, this one is wrapped around a relationship, but the relationship frames the look back, it’s not quite the only the focus, so I’ll let it slide.
 
“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”
- Mae West




Yeah, Fankie knows…
 
I was really young when I first heard this, too young to have anything to look back on, but I still loved it.



At the time, I didn’t know it was a rewrite of a French song.
 
One of my favorites:


And one from Neil:


So many!

"American Pie"

"Summer of '69"

"Days of Wine and Roses"

"Crocodile Rock"

"Jack and Diane"

"Glory Days"

"In My Life"

Too many to list!
 
Mickey Richaud said:
....So many!

"American Pie"

"Summer of '69"

"Days of Wine and Roses"

"Crocodile Rock"

"Jack and Diane"

"Glory Days"

"In My Life"

Too many to list!
Click to expand...

Yes, there are too many looking back love songs about specific people/relationships to count, which I why I said at the top that’s not what I’m looking for.

So Yesterday's Gone, Yesterday's Songs, Jack and Diane, In My Life and Days of Wine and Roses are out (but they are great songs).

That's why I'm also leaving off Fathers and Sons, Cats in the Cradle and The Living Years.


Glory Days is perfect! As are Summer of 69 (and I feel pretty stupid for not getting them on the first pass) and Crocodile Rock.

American Pie I'm not sure about. McLean says it's a dream about America and I don't really see it as looking back on one's life so much as looking at what the country was and had become.

For now, I'm leaving Against the Wind off too. But I might change my mind.

And I'll add:
 

Warning on lyrics here (but for all you/us geezers):


"Life's a job you're fired from, unless of course you quit..."
 
I love In My Life. It’s one of the greatest songs ever written, period.

But...., and I had to think long and hard about it, as I mentioned earlier I’m leaving it for another list.

The reason? It’s because even though the first verse is absolutely perfect for this list, the second verse basically says “all that other stuff is great but it’s really all about you, dear.” That makes it a love song to a single, specific person.

Ummm, Loudon Wainwright III. Fun, But the first one is only looking back one season, not at life in general. The second is primarily sung in the present tense. There are a couple references to the past later in the song but they don’t really carry the song into the genre in question.

I think I’ll add

And I’ll go ahead and add Against the Wind. Even though it starts out with a verse about a love, it’s done in the context of a stage in life. It’s not the overarching focus. I won’t add Night Moves.

Sorry about rejecting some great songs. I don’t mean to diss anybody. I’m just trying to stay focused on one theme.
 
A fine example of an upbeat, reminiscing love song.

It doesn't surprise me a bit that everybody has favorite looking back love songs. I sure do, lots of them. Perhaps I'll need to make two categories.

Self-reflective songs not about a singular specific romantic relationship are proving much more elusive.


There must be more out there. What others can we come up with?
 
Just think how much great music Croce would have created had he not tragically died so young.
 
Boink said:
Just think how much great music Croce would have created had he not tragically died so young....
Click to expand...
We're so lucky he did so much in such a short time.

We'll put Time in a Bottle in the reminiscing love song category.
 
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Not sure if this one fits the self-reflective category enough. Seems more reflective of a specific relationship.



Definitely self-reflective.
 
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