Mortality – A Musical Companion

It is not often that you hear a pop or rock song that addresses the topic of our mortality. 

Not only is this not something people typically like to be reminded of,

I would venture to say that most of us don’t find ourselves thinking on such things such as growing old or the inevitability of death until we reach a certain point in life.

November 2 is Día de los Muertos for some, or for others, All Souls Day:

This seems like a good enough time as any to explore songs that address mortality, death, aging,
or are written from the perspective of an older person.

You might be thinking, “Why, rollerboogie, just why?”

I say, “Why not?” 

We’re all on a journey. And if music is our soundtrack, then why shouldn’t it cover multiple phases of life, and yes, death as well?  So grab a shovel, and let’s dig in. (Too much?)

Stevie Nicks was 25 years old when she wrote “Landslide”, pre-Fleetwood Mac, when she and Lindsey Buckingham were struggling, both professionally and personally.

It undeniably captures a moment of uncertainty of the future in a younger person’s life, when nothing seems to be working out and it feels like life is caving in on them.

Perhaps these insights are neither young nor old, but simply timeless.

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Chris Cornell wrote the lyrics to this song. “It’s a guy sitting in a hotel room contemplating death,” he said in an interview.

” And then coming up with an image he likes, going with the philosophy of, maybe when you die, if you’ve been good enough in your life, you get to go somewhere you remember that’s really cool.”

In the bridge, I also hear someone reflecting on the life they have lived, those they have harmed and those they have blessed, something I think about far more often than I did as a younger person. This was definitely written from an “old soul” point of view. R.I.P., Chris.

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Not very many rockers would even think about writing lyrics from the perspective of an elderly woman, but Eddie Vedder does so here. It’s a remarkably vivid description of a sudden recollection of a time long gone by, and the subsequent reflection on her life’s trajectory, brought on by a chance encounter with a significant person from her life from years ago.

In Mick Wall’s book, Pearl Jam, Vedder explains the meaning of the song thusly:

“And then she sees him, and at first she doesn’t even remember who he is, and then she realizes who it is. She’s just too embarrassed to say “hello”. 

Beautifully poignant and sad, without being pitying or condescending.

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I mentioned this song in a previous article but didn’t go too deep into detail.

Oh, and the sun never actually goes down. Add the swirling synths, thundering drums, Coyne’s vulnerable, emotional vocals and an unusual sounding, very moving choir, and you have something strikingly breathtaking. All of this collectively leads to a reminder that life is fragile, fleeting, precious and pretty darn awe-inspiring. 

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Shatner playfully and bluntly shoves in our faces the fact that nobody, absolutely nobody escapes death.

Not the deepest of observations here today, but he has a point – and he’s having way too much fun making it.

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Told from the perspective of a (likely) younger person who wants someone that they secretly adore to take them out for the night, anywhere where there’s music and young, lively people. 

But what if the two of them got hit by a truck or a double decker bus, died together, and did not witness the end of the night? Would it mean that it never actually ended? 

The description of such a horrific death together as heavenly, and the title line, “There is a light that never goes out,” repeating over and over again at the end of song would seem to indicate as much, at least in the singer’s mind. This is just my take of course. There are myriad others. 

Choose your own adventure, but I think this is a profound look into life, death, and eternity, with a dash of absurdly dark humor.

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A lushly produced, melancholic ballad sung beautifully by Zombies’ lead singer Colin Blunstone. The singer reflects forward to a time when he will be old, and death is impending. 

Speaking of the Zombies…

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“I knew her when summer was her crown, and autumn sad how brown her eyes.” How is that for an opening line? The “her” in the lyric becomes a metaphor for the cycle of seasons, the passing of time and the impermanence of the moment. 

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Hearing Johnny Cash in his most world-weary voice singing “Ain’t no grave can hold my body down” is in and of itself incredibly moving.

I will say nothing more.

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The title of this dance floor banger says it all. It’s the only line in the song, and it’s delivered robotically. 

Reminding us that age alone does not have to restrict us from living life, and having our voice heard.

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Awhile back, I wrote about how this was played at the burial service for my mother. In it, a man wonders what he will be thinking about in his final days, what will fade, what will remain, where he will go when he leaves his body, and what it will be like to let go of, well, everything.

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Here is a playlist of the above selections, along with a few more that fit the theme. If you have any songs to suggest, by all means, hit me up in the comment section.

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