Someone once said that "Youth was wasted on the young". Well, it was mostly wasted on me, but I still remember the feelings I had that made this song resonate for so long. Still does some times.
Here's The Who, recorded live at the Isle of Weight festival in 1970, doing one of my favorites of theirs, called "Young Man Blues". Best recorded version is on the CD Live at Leads. You may want to crank this puppy, and then stand back in wonder and amazement.
"Sweeeeeet Fuck all!" Yep, that's how it feels some times. As I get older though, I find myself shifting away from envying the young, with all their zits and stupidity, their lousy music and their retread illusions of coolness, and looking up to the older boomers who've lived a rich life, did what they were supposed to do, and now, having retired relatively young, they have the freedom to enjoy themselves. That's what I'm shooting for. That's the real goal. I hope to God I get there some day. Someone should write a song called "Middle-aged and in debt up to your rusty ass blues".
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Truer words were never spoken.
Posted by FHB at 8:00 AM
Labels: 8:00 am my ass, old man envy, young man blues
8 comments:
LOL!
I'm with you on that one.
Whenever I see my daughter's bandmates smooching, etc. I feel grossed out, like they're too young to be messing around like that. Then I remember how I behaved at that age, and let's just say "smooching" was the least of it.
So that makes me feel really, really old.
They look like babies to me.
Damn. I was in the army for the decade of the 60's, no free love, what the hell happened to my youth.
I hear ya. The youngsters now are just as annoying as the ones I remember from the late 80s.
Good luck on the early retirement!
Me, I'm shooting for "so happy with what I'm doing that I never wanna retire". The way I figure it, that way it'll FEEL like retirement, just with better pay.
Christina - Yep. Too many Boomers out there (not you of course) who can't or won't teach their own kids because they remember the things they did at that age and feel like hypocrites if they say "Don't do that!" Does bring on the realization that time has passed.
Sarge - Oh come on man, you've probably got some cool stories, from coming back on leave at least. Anyway, It's NEVER free, I don't think. At least you did SOMETHING.
Hammer - Dude, I'll be lucky if I get to cut back to only a few classes by my 70s.
Les - Yep, sounds more likely.
"Older Boomers"
Yep, {chuckle} here I am.....
I wouldn't be young again for all the tea in china! But will you quit harping on bloomin' retirement? It's fast approaching with hubby, and Lord knows what the hell I'll do with him then..
Dang! So much to comment on, so little space! ;-)
The Who...and "Live at Leeds"... wore out at least one vinyl copy; thank God for CDs. My fave: "Magic Bus." Probably overplayed and something of a cliché these days, but..."I want it, I want it, I waaaant it..." And the live version is the BEST.
'70s music in general...1970 was something of a high water mark in pop music. SO many of my favorite albums released that year!
And retirement...it's everything I thought it would be AND a bag o' chips. One of my favorite quotes is something to the effect of "No one ever laid on their death-bed wishing they'd spent more time at work."
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