(Ah, the Apple Trees) When the World Was Young


" When the World Was Young" is a popular song composed by, with lyrics by. The English lyrics were written by Johnny Mercer. The original French title was Le Chevalier de Paris. Apart from a reference to apples, the English lyrics only have minor commonalities with the original French words.
English lyrics were originally written by Carl Sigman, but these were rejected by the music publisher, Mickey Goldsen. Sigman suggested Mercer, and Mercer wrote the English lyrics in three days.
The song is from the perspective of an aging Parisian "boulevardier"/"coquette", as they review their life.

Notable recordings