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When I'm 64 - The Beatles
Old - Dexy's Midnight Runners
Happy Birthday - Altered Images
The Old Laughing Lady - Neil Young

...than wet my bed'.

Mr Harry Nilsson said that.

Sadly, he achieved his ambition shortly afterwards.

Young At Heart-The Bluebells?
Old Before I Die-Robin Williams

(Overwhelmingly wonderful final song at Brixton Academy, last Thursday...)

(Do you really want to make her cry?)

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You Make Me Feel So Young

40's nothing, BTW
"Oh well a touch of grey, kinda suits you anyway,
Thats all I had to say, but its all right
I will get by, I will get by, I will get by, I will survive"
It would be even better to have a version, should one exist, by Garcias side project, Old and in the Way/Old and in the Grey.
is there one, Stimpy?

And another goodie would be this, by Kasey Chambers:

http://open.spotify.com/track/4Yzt8bQMvDk2YfKamGLAxR
Enjoy

Possibly followed by Another One Bites The Dust

Max "Do me a favour" Bygraves has "news for Elvis P.":

Mary Chapin Carpenter version - guaranteed to make you go all goosepimply.

Old man inside a young man - Richard and Linda Thompson

40 is bloody young for chrissakes - 52 and loving it, still feel like I am in my 20's. Age is an attitude. Have people in my office who are 30 acting 50 and vice versa. Keep your body and mind active.

by The byrds or dusty.
Number two would be My Back Pages by BD or The Byrds.

It Was A Very Good Year...

A bit of a fib from Charlie there though, last time I looked he was in his fifties!

gb

...by The Pursuit of Happiness:

"I can sleep in 'til noon anytime I want
Though there's not many days that I do
Gotta get up and take on that world
When you're an adult it's no cliche -- it's the truth."

19 Forever by Joe Jackson
Time is on my side - there are lots of versions too

Anyone mentioned My Generation yet?

knicked from some music magazine

by John Prine:

http://open.spotify.com/track/6ZKUpjwkMQfRdgKY8gQ3zK

now you're even older, and now you're even older. You're older than you've ever been and now you're even older.....and now you're older still.

When there is plenty of drink taken:

Either the Dictators original or the Nomads cover (don't seem to be on youtube, can't access spotify here).

I curated the music for a 40th in 2005 - The Barracudas "I Wish It Could Be 1965 Again" was a big hit on the night

Martha

Martha

(Bis)

How about Fade to Grey by Visage?

No? Oh, OK.

"Old folks' boogie" - Little Feat, and Ry Cooder - "Look at Granny run run". Both pre-viagra I think. Wasn't there a 70s single about "when I'm old and grey"? Can't remember who it was by.

Glory Days

Dignified and Old.
Or you could chuck in Death is Not The End if you want to be really cheeky!

few put it as well as Loudon Wainwright III. In this instance, search for - and buy - The Birthday Present II, a gentle instruction to a close one not to fret over the passing of years. (The 'II' is because the previous album also had a song called The Birthday Present, this one sung defiantly to himself by Loudon in the shower.)

Given the thread and my heartfelt advice to buy it, I'm sure Loudon wouldn't mind the lyrics being quoted. But if Fraser's worried about potential legals, feel free to edit them out.

You got another one coming up
Baby don't be blue
I know you're one year older now
Honey I've been there too

Time flies when we're fooling around
We're just wasting away
You're dreading the date
You'd much rather wait
But happy birthday

Once we were young and foolish
Just starting out on that ride
I don't want to get ghoulish
But it seems like time's no longer on our side

It never used to get here
It always seemed so far away
But now it's here
Same time each year
That happy birthday

They say that we live many lives
I can believe it but I'm still not so sure
I don't know if it's gonna be a next time
But this time I'd like a little more
Time that is

I'm going to give you a present
That's just what I'm gonna do
To remind you to forget the past and the future
All that regret and worry's just bad for you
And when you unwrap your present
Throw the paper and the ribbon away
Remember dear
It's now we're here
So happy birthday

You got another one coming up
Baby don't be blue.

Thank you all for your time and your excellent suggestions. I will get cracking with the cd.

Specifically, Entwistle's b-side from 1971, When I Was a Boy

"My how time passes by, the moment you're born you start to die. And time waits for no man, and your lifespan, is over before it began..."

Hey Nineteen by Steely Dan. Also Father and Son by Cat Stevens.

"Veronica"

It's funny how, as we grow old
We cling to the past as we cling to the air
And feel nostalgia for things that were maybe never there

get out and start enjoying life. As the strapline goes - "Old enough to be sensible, young enough to be stoopid!"

In the meantime there's:

Talk Talk - Life's what you make it
Genesis - Ripples
Iggy Pop - Lust for life

Dylan - Not Dark Yet
John Martyn - My Creator

Not sure if this is suitable for a 40 year-old (forty for chrissake!!....old?), or for any celebration really. It usually has me reaching for the kleenex (no, you pervert, I mean to mop up the tears).

The most beautiful and moving song about growing old is Hello In There by John Prine