{{Short description|1985 single by Madness}} {{For|the 1971 BBC television documentary|Yesterday's Men (TV programme)}} {{Distinguish|Yesterday Man}} {{Infobox song | name = Yesterday's Men | cover = Yesterdays Men.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Madness | album = Mad Not Mad | B-side = * "All I Knew" * "It Must Be Love" (live) | released = {{Start date|1985|8|19|df=yes}}<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Smith|first=Robin|date=17 August 1985|title=News: Madness Today|magazine=Record Mirror|page=4}}</ref> | recorded = | studio = | venue = | genre = Bossa nova<ref name="O' Brien 2025">{{cite web|last= O' Brien|first=John|title= Album by Album - Madness|website= Classic Pop|date=24 February 2025|url=https://www.classicpopmag.com/features/album-by-album-madness/|accessdate= 26 December 2025|quote=The surprisingly seductive bossa nova of lead single "Yesterday’s Men" is a wistful meditation on mortality...}}</ref> | length = 4:07 | label = Zarjazz | lyricist = Graham McPherson | composer = Chris Foreman | producer = * Clive Langer * Alan Winstanley | prev_title = One Better Day | prev_year = 1984 | next_title = Uncle Sam | next_year = 1985 | misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|OJFMYoz4Uuw|"Yesterday's Men"}} }}}} "'''Yesterday's Men'''" (wrongly listed as '''"Yesterday's Man'''" on the label of the European release on Virgin 107 584) is a song by the English ska and pop band Madness, released on 19 August 1985 by Zarjazz as the lead single from their sixth studio album ''Mad Not Mad'' (1985). It was written by Graham McPherson and Chris Foreman, and produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley. The song spent 7 weeks on the UK singles chart, peaking at number 18.<ref name="officialcharts1">{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/28003/madness/ |title=Madness &#124; full Official Chart History &#124; Official Charts Company |publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=2018-07-29}}</ref> The song was edited for release as a single, the album version being some thirty seconds longer. A music video was filmed to promote the single, directed by Chris Gabrin.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jgk9BAAAQBAJ&q=madness+%22yesterday%27s+men%22&pg=PT495 |title=House of Fun: The Story of Madness – John Reed|date= 30 August 2014|isbn=9781783233342 |via=Google Books|access-date=2018-07-29|last1=Reed |first1=John}}</ref>

== Critical reception == Upon its release as a single, Paul Bursche of ''Number One'' described "Yesterday's Men" as "a grim portrait of a land without hope" and "a real grower that finally emerges into one of the best songs the group have ever done". He added that although it was "very Sade-ish", "even the orchestration can't disguise a new lush Madness sound".<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Bursche |first=Paul |date=24 August 1985|title=Singles |magazine=Number One}}</ref> Ian Cranna of ''Smash Hits'' wrote, This mournful little exhortation to hang on in there with gentle percussion and varied instrumental weaving must be quite satisfying to record after being so nutty for so long, but it's hardly soul-stirring stuff."<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Cranna |first=Ian |date=14 August 1985 |title=Review: Singles |magazine=Smash Hits}}</ref> Paolo Hewitt of ''NME'' felt the song was "cast in a similar mould" to the band's previous single "One Better Day" and noted that Madness "have never sounded so wistful and yet so relaxed as this song of optimism and smashed dreams". He praised Suggs' vocals for "fast becoming the vehicle to carry off such sentiments" and noted the song's "lilting and haunting refrain". He concluded it was "assured, classy and irresistible music".<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Hewitt |first=Paolo |date=24 August 1985 |title=Singles |magazine=NME |page=18}}</ref>

The song was ranked number 7 among the "Tracks of the Year" for 1985 by ''NME''.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.nme.com/bestalbumsandtracksoftheyear/1985-2-1045389 |title=Albums and Tracks of the Year |date=2018 |magazine=NME |access-date=8 September 2018 }}</ref> In a retrospective review of ''Mad Not Mad'', Darryl Cater of AllMusic described the song as "dwell[ing] on themes of transience and aging".<ref>{{cite web |author=Darryl Cater |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/mad-not-mad-mw0000650444 |title=Mad Not Mad - Madness &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits |website=AllMusic |access-date=29 July 2018}}</ref> Terry Staunton of ''Record Collector'' noted, "The wacky humour of old, already on the wane in their previous outing, ''Keep Moving'', was almost totally eclipsed by sombre tones of resignation, best exemplified on 'Yesterday's Men'."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/mad-not-mad |title=Mad Not Mad |publisher=Record Collector |access-date=29 July 2018}}</ref>

== Track listing == * '''7" single''' # "Yesterday's Men" – 4:07 # "All I Knew" – 3:07

* '''12" single''' # "Yesterday's Men" (Extended Version) – 8:05 # "All I Knew" – 3:07 # "Yesterday's Men" (Demo Version) – 3:33

* '''7" 'Picture disc and extra disc''' # "Yesterday's Men" – 4:07 # "All I Knew" – 3:07 # "Yesterday's Men" (Harmonica Version) – 4:37 # "It Must Be Love" (live) – 3:35

== Charts == {|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! Chart (1985) ! Peak<br />position |- {{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|18|artist=Madness|song=Yesterday's Men|artistid=28003|rowheader=true|access-date=9 December 2022}} |}

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == * {{discogs master|type=single|20091}}

{{Madness}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Yesterday's Men}} Category:1985 singles Category:Madness (band) songs Category:Songs written by Suggs (singer) Category:Songs written by Chris Foreman Category:1985 songs Category:Song recordings produced by Clive Langer Category:Song recordings produced by Alan Winstanley Category:Zarjazz singles