Many of us dread getting older, but considering the many happy old people in the world, we don’t think it’s so bad. But if you still want to ruminate about how things will change and what life will be like when you’re older, then this playlist is perfect for you.
Adam Sandler – Grow Old with you
The Adam Sandler we know today may seem like the goofy uncle we don’t always want to invite during Thanksgiving. But would you believe that one of the most heartfelt and romantic songs every used in a movie was his creation? Grow Old with You is an ode to being with someone even through the inconveniences of aging. It’s realistic, practical, and strikes a chord with every couple that’s not into mushy grand gestures.
Lyrics about aging: I wanna make you smile whenever you’re sad
Carry you around when your arthritis is bad
All I wanna do is grow old with you
Jamie Lawson – Wasn’t Expecting That
This romantic little tune starts off as the blossoming of young romance between the singer and a girl. The song then goes through the important moments of their life together, from the first time they slept together to their marriage to having kids together. But as time goes by, our bodies become weaker, and it’s revealed that the woman got sick and passed away. Thus is the story of life.
Lyrics about aging: It was only a word
It was almost misheard
I wasn’t expecting that
But it came without fear
A month turned into a year
I wasn’t expecting that
Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud
Not a lot of people would think of aging as romantic, but when put in the hands of Ed Sheeran, we’re likely to change our minds. Thinking Out Loud is a declaration of love, whether it started at 23 or 70. Ed sings about how even if he can hardly walk anymore or crowds no longer remember him, he’ll still be as in love with his girl as he was when he was young.
Lyrics about aging: And darling I will be loving you ’til we’re 70
And baby my heart could still fall as hard at 23
And I’m thinking ’bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways
Maybe just the touch of a hand
Oh me I fall in love with you every single day
And I just wanna tell you I am
Kenny Rogers – Through the Years
Many of you may know this song as the one old folks would sing at anniversaries, and it’s actually very fitting. It’s a song of thanks to a faithful partner who has stayed with the singer throughout all the years, through good times and bad times.
Lyrics about aging: Through the years
You’ve never let me down
You turned my life around
The sweetest days I’ve found
I’ve found with you
Through the years
I’ve never been afraid
I’ve loved the life we’ve made
And I’m so glad I stayed
Right here with you
Through the years
Lukas Graham – 7 Years
In a similar song that tells a story, Lukas Graham sings about all the lessons he had learned starting from when he was 7 until his 60s. The song was inspired by his father, whom he saw as the perfect example of what a father should be. And he stops at 60 because his father passed away at 61, leaving him with priceless life lessons he’d like to pass on to his kids.
Lyrics about aging: Soon I’ll be sixty years old, my daddy got sixty-one
Remember life, and then your life becomes a better one
I made a man so happy when I wrote a letter once
I hope my children come and visit once or twice a month
Harry Chapin – Cats in the Cradle
As we age, we see ourselves becoming more and more like our parents, no matter how hard we try to resist. In this song, the Chapin sings from the point of view of a young boy who idolizes his nearly-absent father. The father was always too busy with work, and yet the boy loved him regardless. As time passes, the father starts to yearn for his son. But the son has grown up and moved out with a family of his own. And in turn, the son no longer has time for his father. How the tables have turned.
Lyrics about aging: I’ve long since retired and my son’s moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, “I’d like to see you if you don’t mind”
He said, “I’d love to, dad, if I could find the time
You see, my new job’s a hassle, and the kid’s got the flu
But it’s sure nice talking to you, dad
It’s been sure nice talking to you
Frank Sinatra – Young at Heart
In this song about recapturing one’s youth, Frank Sinatra gives us the secret to a long life – to be young at heart. He says you should go out there with an open mind, taking each blow with some humor, and making each day worth living. He says that you’ll get a lot more out of life if you’re young at heart.
Lyrics about aging: And if you should survive to a hundred and five
Look at all you’ll derive out of bein’ alive
And here is the best part, you have a head start
If you are among the very young at heart
Five for Fighting – 100 Years
IF you could meet your fifteen-year-old self, what would you say? In this song, Ondrasik dreams of being 15 again and living through his life until the present day, wherein he is 99. He recalls major life events like meeting his future wife, having a kid, and chasing his youth at 40 until life zooms right by. So he ends the song with a bit of advice: make the best of your life if you only have a hundred (or less) years to live.
Lyrics about aging: I’m 45 for a moment
The sea is high
And I’m heading into a crisis
Chasing the years of my life
Fleetwood mac – Landslide
This song was written by Stevie Nicks during a crossroads at her life. At the time, her father has offered to pay for her to go back to school to pursue a more stable career. But as is mentioned in the song, she thinks of this for a moment and comes up with no answers. What she does know is that she built her life around music, even if she’s aging while still uncertain about her future.
Lyrics about aging: Well, I’ve been afraid of changin’
‘Cause I built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
And I’m getting older too, oh yes
I’m getting older too
Bowling for Soup – 1985
Let’s lighten things up just a little bit with a song about an aging It Girl. In 1985, Debbie recalls the dreams she had when she was young versus the settled, married life she’s living now. She recalls all the big-name bands she rubbed elbows with along with being the center of the party scene back in the 80s. So, stuck between her memory of her heyday and reality of her quiet life, she’s now the uncool mom who’s still stuck in 1985.
Lyrics about aging: Bruce Springsteen, Madonna
Way before Nirvana
There was U2 and Blondie
And music still on M-T-V
Her two kids in high school
They tell her that she’s uncool
‘Cause she’s still preoccupied
With 19, 19, 1985
Arctic Monkeys – Fluorescent Adolescent
Now here’s another take on feeling old when your glory days are over. This song was inspired by a girl Alex Turner knew in school. She peaked then when she partied all the time as boys fell at her feet. Sadly, those wild nights of fun are now just a memory as she’s no longer as young, wild, and free as she used to be.
Lyrics about aging: You used to get it in your fishnets
Now you only get it in your night dress
Discarded all the naughty nights for niceness
Landed in a very common crisis
Everything’s in order in a black hole
Nothing seems as pretty as the past though
That Bloody Mary’s lacking in Tabasco
Remember when he used to be a rascal?
Blink 182 – What’s My Age Again
This list may be about aging, but that doesn’t mean it’s all about maturity. What’s My Age Again is taken from the perspective of a man who’s the epitome of immaturity. He’s 23 and should know better, but all he wants to do is watch TV, make prank calls, and act like a frat boy. We guess there are some people whose bodies get older while their brains are still stuck in middle school.
Lyrics about aging: And that’s about the time she walked away from me
Nobody likes you when you’re 23
And you still act like you’re in freshman year
What the hell is wrong with me?
The Byrds – Turn! Turn! Turn!
Now here’s a song for when you’re feeling existential. Turn! Turn! Turn! has lyrics taken right out of the bible, but that doesn’t make it religious. Instead, the song is about how there’s a time for everything – to live, to die, to kill, to heal, to dance, to mourn. Everyone’s life goes through phases, and it’s just a matter of the turning of the seasons before your fate changes.
Lyrics about aging: A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
Smashing Pumpkins – 1979
The beautifully cryptic lyrics paired with the catchy tune has turned this into one of the Smashing Pumpkins’ most enduring songs. It’s taken from the perspective of a youth who wants to live in the moment and strive for all those dreams. But in the back of his mind, there’s that lingering feeling that none of this is meant to last. He somehow knows that we will all eventually age and lose that drive that pushed us to our limits when we were younger.
Lyrics about aging: We were sure we’d never see an end to it all
And I don’t even care to shake these zipper blues
And we don’t know
Just where our bones will rest
To dust I guess
Lana Del Ray – Young and Beautiful
We mentioned before that aging isn’t really the most romantic of subjects, but it is a great test of how much someone loves you. This song was inspired by the writings of F. Scott Fitzgerald, whose decadent depiction of the roaring 20s left many in an existential crisis. At the heart of this song is the question, “Would you still love me when our life is no longer this wild and glamorous?”
Lyrics about aging: Will you still love me
When I’m no longer young and beautiful?
Will you still love me
When I’ve got nothing but my aching soul?
I know you will, I know you will
I know that you will
Will you still love me when I’m no longer beautiful?
Whether you’re advanced in years or mature for your age, we’re sure you’ll get a kick out of listening to all these songs that tell different stories about aging!
