Growing Up And Growing Old: How Country Music Addresses The Senior Years
From Willie Nelson to George Strait to Taylor Swift, country musicians reflect on the passage of time.
Country music often delves into the subject of aging, showcasing how the genre handles life's final chapter. Lee Thomas Miller co-wrote Trace Adkins' "You're Gonna Miss This," a song about an older repairman imparting wisdom to a young mother. Bruce Channel co-authored John Conlee's "As Long As I'm Rockin' With You," which explores the protagonist's acceptance of future rockin' chair years after finding his soul mate.
Shawn Camp's album, "The Ghost of Sis Draper," is centered around the semi-fictitious story of a real-life fiddler from an older generation, featuring songs co-written with Guy Clark. George Strait will receive the Hall of Fame's career maker award, and his 2008 hit "Troubadour" addresses the passage of time in an entertainer's life.
Taylor Swift, the former teen star who is now 36, has addressed adulthood through songs like "All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)," "You're On Your Own, Kid," and "Nothing New (Taylor’s Version)," which either nostalgically look back at past youth or admit fear about moving into the next life phase. While aging is not unique to country music, it seems to be more prevalent in the genre than in other formats due to its storytelling and focus on real-life experiences.
However, the prevalence of anti-aging products and society's resistance to growing old makes singing about life's final stage a challenge. Country music still tackles older life passages honestly, but it seems to have done so more frequently in the past. The genre has explored the hardest parts of growing old, including mental decline, with songs like "Back When We Were Beautiful" and "Sunday Drive."
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