About The Song
The song “Those Were the Days” is credited to Gene Raskin, who adapted new English lyrics to the Russian romance song “Дорогой длинною” (transliteration: “Dorogoy dlinnoyu”), composed by Boris Fomin with words by poet Konstantin Podrevsky. The lyrics evoke nostalgia for carefree youth and romantic idealism, as well as depict tavern activities like drinking, singing, and dancing. Welsh singer Mary Hopkin recorded “Those Were the Days” as her debut single in 1968. Produced by Paul McCartney of the Beatles and arranged by Richard Hewson, her cover became a number one hit in the UK and Canada. It also reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, second only to the Beatles’ “Hey Jude”. The song was featured on the US version of Mary Hopkin’s debut album, Post Card. The lyrics, combined with Hopkin’s beautiful voice, evoke feelings of longing and yearning for the past.