Jeffrey Lemelson

Aging and Death in Song Lyrics

Everyone gets old, that is a fact of life. The aging process is one that many may fear or put off and still others might even look forward to. Regardless it will come to all of us and different people view and experience aging in very different ways. This is also true of the many songs that depict aging and the inevitable demise of death that follows. Ron Aday and Ben S. Austin wrote a study that examined country music songs in the Billboard Top 40 from 19201990. They used eight distinctive characteristics to label and group their chosen songs into more specific categories. These were (1) Attractiveness, (2) Physical, Mental or Sexual Aspects, (3) Life Review, (4) Loneliness/Isolation, (5) Social Relationships, (6) Character Assessment, (7) Mortal Concern, and (8) The elderly as a cultural symbol. Attractiveness looks at how a song might incorporate an aging individuals decline of youthful attractiveness or describe as a fine wine which gets better with age. The physical, mental and sexual aspects examine the effects of getting old in a negative way (difficulty getting around the house, forgetting why you walked into a room) or positively (an old man with surprising vigor for his age group). Life Review is a common theme in many songs as it is a memory of the good old days a review of ones many travelled roads to reach their current situation. Loneliness/Isolation is something that is feared by all as no one wants to die alone or to die unnoticed by others. Social Relationships in songs tend to be more negative than the other categories with songs that depict neglected old men and women, sitting at home waiting for someone to stop by and just talk. Character Assessment in a song describes an individuals way of life. Their occupation, personality and location are all factors that might be included in the character assessment group. Mortal Concern shows up in almost all songs regarding aging and death as it deals with both directly. There is always a concern, a thought in the back of our minds of that one day we will slowly deteriorate and pass

Jeffrey Lemelson

on. Naturally as people get older this mortal concern grows stronger and stronger as the final days approach. Viewing the elderly as a cultural symbol in a song usually refers to song lyrics that describe a simpler world when growing old was accompanied by increased respect and an aura of wisdom. For this assignment I have chosen a total of four songs to analyze and categorize using the model of the Aday/Austin study above. Two of the songs were written by the band that most influenced me in high school and in as such has led me to the way I live my life now and the music I currently listen to. That band is the Grateful Dead. The first song of theirs that I will examine is called Hes Gone and as the title suggests can be interpreted as a song about loss and how to deal with it. Loneliness is a prevalent theme that can be extracted from the lyrics, Hes gone, gone, and nothins gonna bring him back.Hes gone. The song is usually played with a fairly slow beat and sang with an almost mournful hint in the voice which would illustrate that the singer is the one who lost someone, someone who will never come back. Death in this case has left the singer with a profound sense of loss and isolation. Social relationships can also be found within the lyrics, You know better but I know him, this line assumes that the singer and the individual who passed on had a very close relationship. The final aspect of this song can be found in Physical and Mental aspects of aging and in turn dealing with loss. The line, Nothin left to do but smile, smile, smile, helps the listener understand that there really is nothing they can do to reverse the untimely demise of their friend or loved one, the only thing left to do is remember them fondly and smile. French philosopher Michel de Montaigne once said To practice death is to practice freedom. One who has learned how to die has unlearned how to be a slave.(376HB) To apply his words to this song death should be viewed as the ultimate release

Jeffrey Lemelson

from the restraints of society, and to die peacefully without regrets can be the most freeing feeling an individual might ever experience. The second Grateful Dead song I chose, Brokedown Palace, takes a more personal approach at the process of aging and dying. Brokedown Palace is the story of an old man talking to his wife of many years about how he would like to be remembered and where he will be put to rest. Again this song includes loneliness and isolation which can be seen in the very first verse. All the birds that were singing, have flown except you alone. This examines the fact that the old man has seen many of his friends and family members come and go and now the only one left to watch him pass on is his constant companion. Mortal concern is a constant theme throughout the song as the man describes by the waterside I will rest my bones, listen to the river sing sweet songs, to rock my soul. The river is a very special place for him and he wants to be laid to rest in a place where he is comfortable and where he has seen much of his life go by. This factor is found under the Life Review section. The man recalls the earlier years in his life Its a far gone lullaby sung many years ago, Mama Mama many worlds Ive come since I first left home. This is an example of gerotranscendence, an internally driven process of integrating life experiences during the last chapter of life. (381HB) Finally the song concludes with Fare you well, Fare you well, I love your more than words can tell. This examines the social relationship between the man and his wife, saying a final farewell to the love of his life and showing that relationships as strong as the bond between man and woman sometimes cannot be described using words alone. Moving away from the Grateful Dead the next artist I will discuss I may never have discovered had it not been for the influence the Grateful Dead had on me at an early age. Show of Life by Phish examines life as a whole and the craziness of it all. Physical and Mental aspects

Jeffrey Lemelson

jump of the page at you from this song from the unknowns that we all experience every day. Its no easy road, this struggle and strife, we find ourselves in the show of life. Everyday our bodies and minds are subject to an ever changing environment that at any second could change and affectively end our lives without any warning. This theme of the unknown is continued again later in the song with Just as the blind imagine, what it is to have sight, we slowly make our way into the night. Mortal concern can also be viewed through these lines as I stated previously our lives are so fragile and many of us take this for granted. This is supported by Its a limited time, that we exist, we slowly make our way into the mist. Through all this uncertainty there comes a feeling of not wanting to take life for granted and viewing every minute of it as important and crucial to our development as individuals. My thoughts are racing, I see faces of the friends that I recall, Id like to take this time to thank you all. So as you can see Life review is also a very large theme found is this song. For my last song I turn to the artist Neil Young. Youngs song Heart of Gold may be the best song on this list in its depiction of the aging process. Life review can be seen clearly in the lines Ive been to Hollywood Ive been to Redwood Ive crossed the ocean for a heart of gold, Ive been in my mind its such a fine line. This describes the artists journey through life, where hes been what hes accomplished. There is also a feeling of loneliness combined with a very present mortal concern that one feels while listening to this song as the singer exclaims keeps me searching for a heart of gold, and Im getting old. The singer has been searching their entire life for the proverbial heart of gold and now that it seems his life is drawing to a close he is afraid of the continued loneliness he already feels. By never being able to find that special someone a deep mortal concern develops and almost a loss of hope and Im getting old. Kubler- Rosss stages of grief describe something similar in the Anger stage. Someone who

Jeffrey Lemelson

learns they dont have much time to live after experiencing the initial shock may experience anger in that they have not yet done something important.(380HB) While the overall mood of this song does not show anger but rather grief and misery the connection is still there as the artist searching for a heart of gold feels that his time is running up and he may never be able to accomplish one his lifes main goals. Through writing this paper on the process of aging and death I have learned both about the music I listen to and something of life itself. My choice in music seems to put very little emphasis on many of the categories described by Aday/Austin. Generally ignoring attractiveness, character assessment, and the elderly as a cultural symbol my music tends to focus more on life review, loneliness, social relationships, and mortal concern. By listening to mainly this music and not much else (I dont have much taste for what is referred to as popular music) there is a chance that in my own aging process I am focusing more on subjects mainly discussed in these songs. At this point attractiveness and character assessment are a huge part of the college atmosphere as we are attracted to certain people and certain personality styles. Without these factors in many of the songs I listen to there could be a relation to the importance of which I view the world. In the future I intend to keep these factors in mind as I grow as an individual and a member or our larger society.