The Last of the Summer Wine

In honor of the New Year, I wanted to post the lyrics to Last of the Summer Wine as read by Bill Owen (see previous post.) Very moving and beautifully read. (It's the second recording on that YouTube video I posted.) Anyway, here it is:

The last of the summer wine
The blossom soon begins to fade
A lonely bird high on a hill sings
Autumn’s on its way
The memory of summers gone
Like passing summers cross my mind
Reflections of the yesterdays
that made our summer wine

The misty haze of golden days when we were young
That heady brew of finding love
Then love passing on

The last of the summer wine
The sweet bouquet of memories
when days were long and nights so warm
I still remember these

We laughed and loved maybe too well
The best laid plans of yours and mine got left behind
Time went too fast
Just like our summer wine

Though shadows grow longer now
Leaves start to fall
I still feel the warmth of you
But most of all
This cup of life of ours we drank

Now grapes are few upon the vine
So let us toast of vintage days
The last of our summer wine
And always remember this
The promise that I made to you
This summer wine of ours, my love,
Will last our whole life through.