Entertainment For Lively Minds
How terribly strange to be seventy
Posted by Mousey on 12 October 2011 - 9:52pm.
Happy birthday Paul
Hopefully someone will ask him about this lyric.
Our perceptions of age have changed so much in the last 20, 30 years, I'd say because the generational change that happened in the 1960's didn't really occur again with the same divisiveness.
Also, interesting to compare other great songwriters of the era and how they treated growing old. Paul Simon's song is an observation, Macca's is jaunty hey lads what a laugh ("When I'm 64") whereas Uncle Pete was angry and belligerent ("My Generation")
Can't think of any others off the top of my (old) head - Ray Davies must have written something??
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The Times are a Changing
How about 'Not Dark Yet' by Bob Dylan?
Old Man
A Randy and a Neil. How could I have forgotten?
old and in the way
loudon wainwright does it on his charlie poole album can't remeber if charlie wrote it
very poignant lyrics
As you walk down the street – how often do you meet
Some poor man whose life has life had grown old?
His aged form is bent – in his pocket not a cent
And for shelter knows not where to go
See that poor old wreck of toil – his children him do shun
To die I'm sure he has prayed
For himself and dear wife after toilin' all their lives
Find they're old and only in the way
Chorus
So let us cheer them on – they won't be with us long
Don't laugh because they're old and gray
Just remember while you're young that for you the time will come
When you're old and only in the way
Now my message, I'm sure, is for the rich as well as poor
Take a rich man when he's growin' old
His relations 'round him stand – and they take him by the hand
They want him to die – they want his gold.
All through life he has enjoyed all the things that gold can buy
But gold – his life could not save.
After all he's like the poor when his journey's nearly o're
'Find he's old and only in the way
Chorus
So let us cheer them on – they won't be with us long
Don't laugh because they're old and gray
Just remember while you're young that for you the time will come
When you're old and only in the way
When you're old and only in the way
Help the Aged - Pulp
Bowie - Never get old
Break your heart listening to this one then...
John Prine - Hello in There