Tune: Those Were the Days - by MARY HOPKIN
Lyrics modified by David Massey - (C) 2001 - Revised August 5, 2001

Once upon a time there was a System,
Nothing but the very best would do.
Remember how we talked away the hours,
And phone repairs were free for me and you.

CHORUS 
Those were the days my friend -
We thought they'd never end.
Ma Bell would last forever and a day.
Back then you couldn't choose,
Then Judge Greene made the news.
Yes, we were young when Judge Greene got his way!
La la la la la la la la la
Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days

 
Nineteen Eighty Three went rushing by us.
And the great Bell System went away.
If by chance they fix my phone line next week,
We'll smile at one another and we'll say... 

CHORUS 
Those were the days my friend -
We thought they'd never end.
Ma Bell would last forever and a day.
Back then you couldn't choose,
Then Judge Greene made the news.
We were young when Judge Greene got his way!
La la la la la la la la la
Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days

 
Just tonight I picked up the receiver.
Nothing seemed the way it used to be.
I dialed zero for the operator,
But instead a computer talked to me! 

CHORUS 
Those were the days my friend -
We thought they'd never end.
Ma Bell would last forever and a day.
Back then you couldn't choose,
Then Judge Greene made the news.
We were young when Judge Greene got his way!
La la la la la la la la la
Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days


Some thought it best to destroy the System.
"Competition is the way it should be"
But with competition came poor service
And that is not acceptable to me.


CHORUS 
Those were the days my friend -
We thought they'd never end.
Ma Bell would last forever and a day.
Back then you couldn't choose,
Then Judge Greene made the news.
We were young when Judge Greene got his way!
La la la la la la la la la
Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days