Land of Yesterday

[LILY]
Once, I had a palace
Here, merely a flat
I fled with some diamonds
And that was that

[ARISTOCRATS]
It's very tragic

[LILY]
Once, ladies-in waiting
All bending a knee
Now, only one lady-in-waiting— me

[MEN]
No fanfares

[WOMEN]
Or sedan chairs

[MEN]
And no coaches

[WOMEN]
And we sold our broaches

[LEOPOLD]
No afternoon card games with the Tsar

[LILY]
No caviar
But I say we're not dead now

[ALL (BUT LILY)]
We're not dead now
We're in France instead, now

[LILY]
Let us not be sad
The night's young
And Russians are mad
So...

Let's live in the land of yesterday
Live in the grand Imperial heyday
Let's live in the land of yesterday Russia

[ALL]
Husha!

[LILY]
Let's put on the fancy clothes
And let's wile our woes away

[ALL]
In Russia
Land of yesterday

[LILY]
In dire circumstances
Why wallow in regret?
We're out of second chances
Why are we here, except to forget?
We know the world is fickle
Life is a leaky sieve
Pass me a glass
And give me a bow—
And drink to the "Countess Nobody" now
Why should I care
As long as I dare to live

[ARISTOCRATS]
In the land of yesterday

[LILY]
Let's run up the bill
As if we're still
Royalty at play

[ALL]
In Russia, land of yesterday

[LILY]
The night's young
And Russians are mad, so...

[ALL]
Let's live in the land of yesterday
Live in the grand Imperial heyday
Let's live in the land of yesterday Russia
Husha!

[LILY]
Let's brush off the days of old
And let's hold the world at bay...

[ALL]
Yes, here's to

[LILY]
Russia!

[ALL]
Here's to

[WOMEN]
Russia!

[ALL]
Here's to Russia!
Land of yesterday
Land of yesterday
Hey!