Yesterday Man

The speaker describes himself as someone who used to matter to a woman but has been left behind. He tells friends that he was fooled by her appearance and now thinks badly of her, yet admits he would take her back. The mood shifts between wounded pride, disappointment, and a longing he cannot quite hide.

“Yesterday man” suggests a person who belongs to the past: he is no longer her partner, though he still feels tied to her. Calling her an “angel” means he once saw her as unusually beautiful or wonderful, not that she is literally an angel. “Taken in” means deceived or persuaded to believe something, while “I’d take her back any day” reveals that his harsh criticism has not ended his attachment.

The song leaves his feelings deliberately mixed. His complaints may be an attempt to protect his pride after being hurt, but the pleading near the end sounds like a direct wish for her to stay and say she loves him. The repeated label could be self-mockery, resignation, or both. We cannot tell exactly what happened between them; what is clear is that he feels rejected and still hopes for affection.