Songs about nostalgia

It's autumn, and it seems you're more thinking about the past in that season. And that reminds me to many many songs written about nostalgia. Maybe a nice thread to start about this musical subject. I know many, but I give here just some fine examples as start:

'Nostalgia' by David Sylvian
'Nightswimming' by REM
'74-75' by the Connels
'The River' by Bruce Springsteen

The rest is up to you to remind

 

For nostalgia in songs you really can't go past The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society.

 

"Old Days" - Chicago

 

Here are a couple of well-known examples.

Carpenters - "Yesterday Once More"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTaWayUE5XA

Frank Sinatra - "It Was a Very Good Year"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emAe6IClGys

 

Johnny Thunders "You Can't Put Your Arm Around a Memory"

Love and Rockets "Dog-End of a Day Gone By"

Beautiful songs..

 

Chris Rea - too many to list but including most notably Steel River & Windy Town.
John Prine - Paradise
Rod Stewart - When we were the new boys

 

Those Were The Days - Mary Hopkin

 

Goin' Back - Byrds, Dusty Springfield etc.

 

"Goin' Back" and "Old Days" would be my top picks. Here's a few more songs that deal with or discuss nostalgia in the lyrics:

Bryan Adams - "Summer of '69"
Eric Burdon & The Animals - "When I Was Young"
Paul Anka - "Times of Your Life"
The Beach Boys - "When I Grow Up (to Be a Man)"
The Beach Boys - "Getcha Back"
Boyz II Men - "Motownphilly"
Chicago - "Old Days"
Nat “King” Cole - "Looking Back"
Paula Cole - "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?"
Paul Davis - "'65 Love Affair"
Dawn - "Summer Sand"
Dick & DeeDee - "Turn Around"
The Earls - "Remember Then"
First Class - "Beach Baby"
Dan Fogelberg - "Same Old Lang Syne"
The Four Lads - "Moments to Remember"
Bobby Goldsboro - "Autumn of My Life"
Gunhill Road - "Back When My Hair Was Short"
George Harrison - "All Those Years Ago"
George Harrison - "When We Was Fab"
Don Henley - "The Boys of Summer"
Bertie Higgins - "Key Largo"
Elton John - "Crocodile Rock"
Barry Manilow - "The Old Songs"
Kenny Rogers - "Through the Years"
The Rover Boys - "Graduation Day"
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - "Old Time Rock & Roll"
Paul Simon - "Still Crazy After All These Years"
Bobby Vinton - "The Days of Sand and Shovels"
Stevie Wonder - "I Wish"

 

Those Oldies But Goodies by Little Caesar & The Romans

Those oldies but goodies reminds me of you
The songs of the past bring back memories of you
I always remember the first night we met
The songs they were playing I never will forget

I always will treasure them so close to my heart
They always will haunt me although we're apart
Each time that I hear them a tear's bound to fall
For I love those memories that I, I-I recall

Those oldies but goodies reminds me of you
The songs of the past bring back memories of you
Forever they will haunt me but what can I do?

Those oldies but goodies reminds me of you
(Oldies but goodies reminds me of you)

SPOKEN: "Yes, dear, they are playin' our songs. And they will always remain our
songs. And each time you hear them, I hope you, too, will cherish the wonderful
memories that our love once knew. For these songs are just a symbol of the
love that I had for you."

Those oldies but goodies reminds me of you
The songs of the past bring back memories of you
Forever they will haunt me but what can I do?

 

'Schooldays' & 'No More Looking Back': The Kinks, from 'Schoolboys in Disgrace'

 

Two great examples by Bob Seger from the Night Moves LP - the title track Night Moves and Main Street.

 

''R.O.C.K In The U.S.A''
''Cherry Bomb'' - John Mellencamp

''Those Were The Days'' Mary Hopkin

''My Old School'' Steely Dan

 

The Jam
"Tales From the Riverbank"
Paul Weller

Bring you a tale from the pastel fields
Where we ran when we were young
This is a tale from the water meadows
Trying to spread some hope into your heart
It's mixed with happiness - it's mixed with tears
Both life and death are carried in this stream
That open space you could run for miles
Now you don't get so many to the pound

True it's a dream mixed with nostalgia
But it's a dream that I'll always hang on to
That I'll always run to
Won't you join me by the riverbank

Paradise found down by the still waters
Joined in the race to the rainbow's end
No fears no worries just a golden country
Woke at sunrise, went home at sunset

Now life is so critical, life is too cynical
We lose our innocence, we lose our very soul

True it's a dream mixed with nostalgia
But it's a dream that I'll always hang on to
That I'll always run to
True it's a dream mixed with nostalgia
But it's a dream that I'll always hang on to
That I always run to
Won't you join me by the riverbank
Come on and join me by the riverbank

 

Little River Band -- "Reminiscing"

 

"Fading Lights" by Genesis (on the We Can't Dance album).

 

Ramones - Rock & Roll Radio

 

Nightswimming is not a song about nostalgia. Nightswimming is nostalgia.

Other REM songs qualify as well.

What about Winter by Tori Amos and other stuff, as well?
A few songs from Boys for Pele, especially Marianne, can definitely top even Stipe & Co.'s best efforts.

And what about the little gems this band comes up with sometimes?

 

Deadbeat Club - The B-52's

 

Do you Remember Walter
Picture Book
Last Of The Steam Engine Powered Trains
Village Green Preservation Society

- The Kinks

 

Ticket To The Moon
Julie Don't Live Here Anymore
Long Time Gone

ELO

 

Yesterday - Beatles

1900 Yesterday - Liz Damien and Orient Express

Don't It Make You Want to Go Home - Joe South

 

Check out "Good Old Days" by Owsley on his amazing self-titled CD.

 

Playground In My Mind - Clint Holmes

 

Southside Johnny and the Jukes "It's Been a Long Time" from their 1991 Better Days album is a good one, with vocals by Johnny, Steven and Bruce. My favorite "nostalgia for the scene" song is probably "Hammersmith Palais," by ex-Hanoi Rocks Michael Monroe's group Demolition 23.