All Mixed Up 06.01.09: What's My Age Again?

Posted by Tom Santoro on 06.01.2009

Age ain't nothing but a number. Join me this week as I blow out the candles on my own birthday cake and take a look at some of the oldest rockers who keep rocking. Also as a present to you all, I present to you my top 14 songs about growing old.

Multiple bands have been attributed to the quote, "Never trust anyone over 30." Most people think Bob Dylan said it first, but it actually comes from the mouth of an activist named Jerry Rubin. Rubin was over 30 when he said it. Paul McCartney famously sang, "When I'm 64" a corny little love song about growing old in love.

I am bringing up these things because I just celebrated my birthday. We'll just say I am somewhere in my thirties. Now that I am staring middle age in its wrinkled face, I wish to realize my dream of being a rock star. Here is my back story, when I was 13 I bought an acoustic guitar while on a family trip to Nashville. When I returned home my dad set me up with lessons with this 70 year old dinosaur who wanted me to learn "Jingle Bells" and "Camptown Races" over and over again. Needless to say I grew impatient because I wanted to learn songs by Van Halen and Bon Jovi. I became disinterested right after my 14th birthday and quit to focus on baseball. I picked the guitar up from time to time after that but never learned anything except "Jingle Bells" and the open to Pearl Jam's "Jeremy".

Twenty years later I am determined to take the stage at least one time and fulfill my destiny to rock. My wife bought me a bass and I started my first lesson last Thursday and have been practicing every day. At 30 something, I will be a rock star…eventually.

My new career path (tongue firmly in cheek) is to follow the immortal Robert Pollard of Guided By Voices. Pollard had been making music his whole life, he was in a band during his twenties. To make ends meet he became a teacher to pay the bills. After years of self- produced albums, the band finally broke through with Bee Thousand in 1994. Pollard was 37 when he broke through.

Ok. So I haven't written one song or ever played in front of anyone besides my immediate family, but if I follow Pollard, I could reach success at about the same age he did. In addition, many musicians are playing well past retirement as artists like Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, and Robert Plant have all released critically acclaimed records over the past year. Elton John and Billy Joel are still touring and you know it is just a matter of time before the Rolling Stones go out one more time.

Here is my play list of songs about growing old and rocking:





1. blink 182 – "What's My Age Again?"



2. Jethro Tull – "Too Old to Rock and Roll to Young to Die"




3. Neil Young – "Old Man"



4. The Beatles – "When I'm 64"



5. Frank Sinatra – "It Was a Very Good Year"



6. The Who – "My Generation"



7. Toby Keith – "As Good as I Once Was"



8. Jay-Z – "30 Something"



9. The Grateful Dead – "Touch of Grey"




10. The Ramones – "I Don't Want To Grow Up"



11. Garbage – "When I Grow Up"



12. Fleetwood Mac – "Landslide"



13. MC Chris – "Older Crowd"



14. Five For Fighting – "100 Years"