About the song: 

Only Yesterday is a song written by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis and recorded by American soft rock duo Carpenters. It was released in March 1975 as the second single from their sixth studio album, Horizon. The song topped the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The song’s lyrics tell the story of a young woman who is reflecting on her past and how she has changed over time. She realizes that she is no longer the same person she was “only yesterday” and that she has grown and matured. The song is a beautiful and poignant ballad that has resonated with listeners of all ages.

“Only Yesterday” has been covered by many artists, including Barry Manilow, Dionne Warwick, and Olivia Newton-John. It has also been featured in several films and television shows, including The Big Chill, Friends, and The Wonder Years.

The song is a classic example of the Carpenters’ signature sound. Karen Carpenter’s vocals are pure and angelic, and Richard Carpenter’s arrangements are lush and sophisticated. “Only Yesterday” is a timeless and unforgettable song that will continue to be enjoyed for generations to come.

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Lyrics: Only Yesterday

After long enough of being alone
Everyone must face their share of loneliness
In my own time nobody knew
The pain I was goin’ through
And waitin’ was all my heart could doHope was all I had until you came
Maybe you can’t see how much you mean to me
You were the dawn breaking the night
The promise of morning light
Filling the world surrounding me
When I hold you

Baby, baby, feels like maybe, things will be all right
Baby, baby, your love’s made me

Free as a song, singin’ forever

Only yesterday when I was sad and I was lonely
You showed me the way to leave the past and all its tears behind me
Tomorrow maybe even brighter than today
Since I threw my sadness away
Only yesterday

I have found my home here in your arms
Nowhere else on earth I’d really rather be
Life waits for us, share it with me
The best is about to be
So much is left for us to see
When I hold you

Baby, baby, feels like maybe, things will be all right

Baby, baby, your love’s made me
Free as a song, singin’ forever

Only yesterday when I was sad and I was lonely
You showed me the way to leave the past and all its tears behind me
Tomorrow maybe even brighter than today
Since I threw my sadness away
Only yesterday

You Missed

Dolly Parton turned a simple handmade coat into one of the most powerful songs of her life because to her, it was never really about the fabric. “Coat of Many Colors” sprang directly from Dolly’s growing-up years in East Tennessee. Her mother, Avie Lee, pieced the jacket together by sewing colorful rags the family already owned. Cash was mighty tight, so there was no running down to the store for brand-new clothes. Instead, Avie Lee took what was on hand and stitched together something warm for her little girl to wear. While the needle flew, she shared the Bible story of Joseph and his coat of many colors, turning an ordinary piece of clothing into something special in Dolly’s eyes. Proudly wearing that coat to school, Dolly felt rich, but the other kids saw it differently. They laughed at the patches and teased her for having so little. Years down the road, Dolly penned those childhood memories into “Coat of Many Colors.” Released in 1971, the tune became a shining example of why her songwriting touched so many souls. She never tried to hide hard times or dress up her youth to look prettier than it was. She simply laid the sting of teasing side-by-side with the deep love that stitched the coat together, letting that honest truth speak for itself. The song eventually grew far beyond that original vinyl record. Its spirit inspired the 2015 television movie Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors, followed by Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love the very next year. Those films opened a window into Dolly’s mountain home, introducing folks to the hardworking parents and siblings who shaped her long before the bright lights found her. By then, Dolly had worn glittering stage gowns worth more than her family could ever have dreamed. Yet the garment folks remember best remains that humble little coat stitched by a mother’s loving hands when buying something new simply wasn’t in the cards. That is why the memory stayed alive. The scraps faded away, but the lesson underneath never did.