[Verse 1]
Those were the days, hungry days
Needing more, having less
I learned the game, wanting fame and success
I left behind, as I climbed
As I raced against time
My pals, my gals
My young and troubled days

[Verse 2]
Those early years, selfish years
Full of me, full of schemes
A foolish mind, running blind, chasing dreams
The bridges burned, bridges crossed
Were the way that I lost
My pals, my gals
My young and troubled days

[Refrain]
Crazy times I shared with all my pals
Burning love I made with all my gals
And the troubled days I now recall
Never could have been really so heavy at all

[Verse 3]
We shared the rough and the tough
And the bills never paid
The give-and-take, each mistake that we made
We had the drive to survive
Feeling great and alive
My pals, my gals
My young and troubled days
[Verse 4]
I'm not ashamed of myself
Did the best that I could
I’ve got my health and my wealth, fate's been good
On the whole, life is bliss but
Somehow I still miss
My pals, my gals
My young and troubled days

[Refrain]
All those careless days of fooling 'round
Weighing up the balance I have found
That the troubled days I now recall
Never could have been really so heavy at all

[Verse 5]
Those were the days, crazy days
Crazy ways, gay parade
The times we crashed, getting smashed, getting laid
We had the steam, had a ball
Had a dream, had it all
My pals, my gals
In those troubled yet wonderful days