Lost In Yesterday

Album: The Slow Rush (2020)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Lost In Yesterday" is an examination of the addictive nature of nostalgia. During the song, Kevin Parker attempts to snap the listener out of their throwback trance by outlining time's distorting effect on memories.

    When we were livin' in squalor, wasn't it Heaven?
    Back when we used to get on it four out of seven
    Now even though that was a time I hated from day one
    Eventually, terrible memories turn into great ones


    Even the worst times become rosier the further they recede in the rearview.
  • Parker admits in the chorus that looking back can be a tough habit to break, but there is a danger to continually reliving these moments.

    And you're gonna have to let it go someday
    You've been digging it up like Groundhog Day
    'Cause it might have been something, don't say
    'Cause it has to get lost in yesterday


    Such past recollections can mean missing out on current opportunities.
  • Directed by the Terri Timely duo (Ian Kibbey and Corey Creasey), the single-shot-style clip shows Tame Impala providing the entertainment for '70s wedding celebrations. We see Kevin Parker and co. suited up as the house band that plays at the same wedding reception re-imagined over and over again.
  • "Lost In Yesterday" finds Parker recalling his teen years performing in the Perth pub scene and living in squats. The Tame Impala mainman admitted to NME he is looking back at those early days with rose-tinted glasses.

    "The truth about that time is that it was this kind of creative volcano for me and everyone else that lived there, but I actually kind of hated it," Parker said. "So now, when I'm retelling the story, I'm just telling you the absolute romance. The truth is I was just stoned every night, and probably writing songs to comfort myself as a demonized teenager."
  • Tame Impala performed both this song and "Breathe Deeper" live on TV for the first time on the March 2, 2020 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!
  • This reached #1 on Adult Alternative Songs in May 2020, becoming Tame Impala's first song to top an airplay chart in the United States.
  • The song came in fifth in the 2020 Triple J Hottest 100, Australia's annual listener-voted poll of the most popular songs of the year.

Comments: 1

  • Mary from DenverWas this video filmed in one take or is it clever editing?
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"They're Playing My Song

The Nails lead singer Marc Campbell talks about those 44 women he sings about over a stock Casio keyboard track. He's married to one of them now - you might be surprised which.

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.

Chris Fehn of Slipknot

Chris Fehn of SlipknotSongwriter Interviews

A drummer for one of the most successful metal bands of the last decade, Chris talks about what it's like writing and performing with Slipknot. Metal-neck is a factor.

Thomas Dolby

Thomas DolbySongwriter Interviews

He wrote "She Blinded Me With Science" so he could direct a video about a home for deranged scientists.

Superman in Song

Superman in SongSong Writing

Not everyone can be a superhero, but that hasn't stopped generations of musicians from trying to be Superman.