Those Were the Days (song)

"Those Were the Days" is a song credited to Gene Raskin, who put a new English lyric to the Russian romance song "Дорогой длинною" (literally "By the long road"), composed by Boris Fomin (1900–1948) with words by the poet Konstantin Podrevsky. It deals with reminiscence upon youth and romantic idealism. It also deals with tavern activities, which include drinking, singing and dancing.

Quick facts: "Those Were the Days", Single by Mary Hopkin,... ▼

"Those Were the Days"
A-side label of UK single
Single by Mary Hopkin
from the album Post Card
B-side	"Turn! Turn! Turn!"
Released	1968
Studio	Abbey Road Studios, London
Genre	Folk[1][2]
Length	5:05
Label	Apple
Songwriter(s)	Boris Fomin Gene Raskin
Producer(s)	Paul McCartney
Mary Hopkin singles chronology
"Those Were the Days" (1968) "Goodbye" (1969)

Mary Hopkin's 1968 debut single of "Those Were the Days", which was produced by Paul McCartney of the Beatles, and arranged by Richard Hewson, became a number one hit on the UK Singles Chart and on the Canadian RPM Magazine charts. The song also reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, behind "Hey Jude" by the Beatles. It was number one in the first edition of the French National Hit Parade launched by the Centre d'Information et de Documentation du Disque.[3] The song was featured on the US debut album which excluded some tracks missing from the UK LP Post Card but was omitted from the U.K. release