5 Classic Rock Songs About Getting Older
There are classic rock songs about every topic under the sun. For example, some great classic rock songs deal with getting older. Notably, Paul McCartney once produced such a song for another singer.
5. The Beatles’ ‘When I’m Sixty-Four’
Getting older can be difficult, but The Beatles’ “When I’m Sixty-Four” makes it seem fun. Paul had a thing for vaudeville music, and this is probably his best stab at the genre. It’s not one of the more experimental classic rock songs on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, but it’s still a lot of fun.
Paul turned 64 in 2006. During that year, he told the Los Angeles Times he had a regret about the song: it should’ve been “When I’m Ninety-Four.” He said some listeners don’t even think “When I’m Sixty-Four” is about old age.
4. Mary Hopkin’s ‘Those Were the Days’
Paul produced Mary Hopkin’s “Those Were the Days,” a song with a similar subject matter to “When I’m Sixty-Four.” Unlike “When I’m Sixty-Four,” “Those Were the Days” features more sadness and regret — at least in the verses. The chorus is still pretty upbeat despite the subject matter.
“Those Were the Days” reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Paul produced Hopkin’s next single, “Goodbye.” It reached No. 13 and Hopkin never released another top 20 single. However, Hopkin’s connection to Paul means she’ll always have some notoriety among fans of classic rock songs.
3. The Rolling Stones’ ‘Mother’s Little Helper’
The Rolling Stones’ “Mother’s Little Helper” is just plain mean. The track discusses some second-wave feminist concerns about unfulfilled housewives turning to pills to fill the void. Rather than approach the subject with empathy, Mick Jagger and company make fun of older women with the snide refrain “What a drag it is getting old.”
While “Mother’s Little Helper” is a product of the Baby Boomer generation, it’s ironically a predecessor of the “OK Boomer” meme. The sitar riff on the track is good, but it’s nothing compared to the sitar riff from “Paint It Black.”
2. Marianne Faithfull’s ‘As Tears Go By’
Jagger contains multitudes. While he co-wrote “Mother’s Little Helper,” he also co-wrote Marianne Faithfull’s “As Tears Go By,” which is a much more empathetic take on aging. The song has a lovely melody and some of the most moving lyrics of all classic rock songs from the 1960s. Incredibly, Faithfull was only 17 when she released the track! The Rolling Stones later recorded their own version of the song, but it pales to the original.
1. Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way’
We can argue whether Frank Sinatra’s songs are classic rock songs, but no one can deny the quality of “My Way.” It’s one of the greatest victory laps in the history of popular music and it only works because it was recorded by one of the most famous singers of all time.
Elvis Presley also took a stab at “My Way,” and while his version is good, it doesn’t live up to Sinatra’s. Notably, Paul Anka wrote the lyrics for “My Way.” Even if he never wrote another song, he’d still have a musical legacy with “My Way.”
