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Old Friends (Part I) / Like It Was Lyrics by Amy Ryder

Merrily We Roll Along (The New Cast Recording)

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[MARY]
Hey, old friend
What do you say, old friend?
Make it okay, old friend
Give the old friendship a break
Why so grim?
We’re going on forever
You, me, him
Too many lives are at stake
Friends this long
Has to mean something’s strong
So if our old friend’s wrong
Shouldn’t an old friend come through?
It’s us, old friend—
What’s to discuss, old friend?
Here’s to us
Who’s like us—?
[CHARLEY]
Damn few
[MARY]
Charley
Why can’t it be like it was?
I liked it the way that it was
Charley
You and me, we were nicer then
We were nice
Kids and cities and trees were nice
Everything…
I don’t know who we are anymore
And I’m starting not to care
Look at us, Charley
Nothing’s the way that it was
I want it the way that it was
Help me stop remembering then
Don’t you remember?
It was good, it was really good
Help me out, Charley
Make it like it was
(spoken)
Come on. We both know it, it was better, Charley. The three of us. 
[CHARLEY, spoken]
And you come on—we’re not the three of us any more, Mary. Now we’re one and one and one. 
[MARY]
Charley
Nothing’s the way that it was
I want it the way that it was
God knows, things were easier then
Trouble is, Charley
That’s what everyone does:
Blames the way it is
On the way it was
On the way it never ever was...
Credits
Amy Ryder

Amy Ryder

About “Old Friends (Part I) / Like It Was” by Amy Ryder

Read the complete lyrics to "Old Friends (Part I) / Like It Was" by Amy Ryder from the album "Merrily We Roll Along (The New Cast Recording)". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Off-Broadway, Musicals, Pop.

"Old Friends (Part I) / Like It Was" is performed by Amy Ryder. from the album "Merrily We Roll Along (The New Cast Recording)" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Old Friends (Part I) / Like It Was", explore more songs by Amy Ryder using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Old Friends (Part I) / Like It Was" is credited to Amy Ryder. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Old Friends (Part I) / Like It Was" appears on "Merrily We Roll Along (The New Cast Recording)".

Visit the Amy Ryder artist page at /artist/amy-ryder for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.