Here comes another new feature (this was "How I Spent My Summer Vacation")...
Having turned 45 earlier this year, I straight away went out and bought myself a Lamborghini, chatted up the 18 year old on the Tesco checkout, and started using Just For Men on my sideburns. OK, I didn't do any of those things: but I did stare down the ever-darkening tunnel of my own mortality and wonder if I could hear any songs there. (Actually, something I did do was book myself in at the Ear, Nose & Throat clinic to finally get myself checked for a hearing aid. The songs do keep getting quieter.)
Anyway, I decided to start featuring some of my favourite songs about getting older. Will I get to 90? Well, that's the question every 45 year old must ponder...
For those of you who think I'm still a whippersnapper at 45, I'm starting with Neil Young. Recorded in 1972 when I was just getting born and Neil was 27 (despite pretending that he's still 24 in the lyrics: he was lying about his age even before he hit 30!). Having just spent his riches on a huge ranch in the country, he wrote this song for the old caretaker who asked him how such a young fellow could afford such a place. "Just lucky, I guess," was Neil's response...
Old man take a look at my lifeJames Taylor and Linda Ronstadt are kicking around in the background of this song, but those two pretty much lived in the recording studio in the early 70s.
I'm a lot like you
I need someone to love me
The whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes
And you can tell that's true.
This series will get more personal as it goes along. You may want to look away now.
45? I long to be 45 again!
ReplyDeleteOK, old man. Whatever you say.
Delete(I'd like to say I took inspiration for this series from your new blog, but it's just a coincidence really.)
I know you'll tire of those of us older than you telling you how young you are so I won't go there, except to say that older friends do help put it in perspective sometimes! I have a lovely old friend, he's 84, and sometimes when he's telling me about people he knows he'll (perfectly naturally) say things like, "she's only young, about 70," etc. I do like that, it's genuinely how he thinks! This is someone who, incredibly sadly, lost two of his sons as well, one at 18 and one (my good friend) at 57.
ReplyDelete'Old Man' is a wonderful song - I won't be looking away for the rest of the series - may as well face up to it....plus I can think of a few great songs which you may well feature!
Yes, it's all relative. Something I'll be touching on in a future post, I think.
DeleteA lot of synchronicity going on at the moment as my American blogging pal Rich reviewed the Neil Young album Harvest this last weekend which led me to revisit his catalogue and start a post which includes one of my "little" anecdotes about my relationship with Mr Young's songs. Will let it stew for a while and return to it later I think.
ReplyDeleteFine song here and sorry for the cliché but "age is just a number" - I think I mentioned elsewhere that we've just had a reunion weekend with old friends and although my closest buds were all still very youthful and full of joie de vivre, one chap had definitely become an old man before his time. No need for it at all and funnily enough I think the blogging and more importantly giving up my job "to do new things" has just knocked a fair few years off my chronological age! Not for everyone I know but glad I bit the bullet.
Looking forward to the song choices and considering what I share and write about, I certainly won't be looking away.
Yes, age is just a number... but it's a number that keeps going up! Bah.
DeleteAt either end of the spectrum, I offer Young Man Blues (I only know The Who's cover) and Handyman Blues by Billy Bragg. Either way, it's the blues, but belated happy birthday. For my 45th, a couple of years back, I bought myself a 45RPM t-shirt from London Lee's Teepublic store.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, Handyman Blues... that could very well be my Middle-Aged theme tune.
Delete