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.
For me, it was sometime in my 40s, but your results may vary.
November 2 is Día de los Muertos for some, or for others, All Souls Day:
In memory of the beloved dead.
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?)
“Landslide”
Fleetwood Mac
(1975)
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.
Simultaneously, it sounds like it could be sung by someone more advanced in years, contemplating the changing seasons, the reality of growing older, and the prospect of losing that with which they’ve built their whole life around.
Perhaps these insights are neither young nor old, but simply timeless.
“Like a Stone”
Audioslave
(2002)
Chris Cornell wrote the lyrics to this song. “It’s a guy sitting in a hotel room contemplating death,” he said in an interview.
“Where you go, what it means, and all the different possibilities.”
” 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.
“Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town”
Pearl Jam
(1993)
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:
“It’s kind of about a lady, and she’s getting on in years, and she’s stuck in this small town…So here she is working in this little place, and then an old flame comes in, and he’s probably driving a nice car and looking kind of sharp—not a fancy car, but he’s moved on.”
“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.
“Do You Realize??”
The Flaming Lips
(2002)
I mentioned this song in a previous article but didn’t go too deep into detail.
Lyricist Wayne Coyne tackles the big stuff. He finds a way to weave together the fact that everyone is going to eventually die with the equally daunting reminder that we’re all on a giant rock floating in space.
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.
“You’ll Have Time”
William Shatner
(2004)
Shatner playfully and bluntly shoves in our faces the fact that nobody, absolutely nobody escapes death.
At one point he even names some random, well-known dead people, including an artist mentioned here. The message is to live life to the fullest so you won’t have regrets, starting right now.
Not the deepest of observations here today, but he has a point – and he’s having way too much fun making it.
“There is a Light That Never Goes Out”
The Smiths
(1986)
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.
He doesn’t want the night to end, because it would mean having to go their separate ways. Also, he would have to go home, but the does not have a home to which he can return. (Probably got kicked out.)
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.
“Old and Wise”
The Alan Parsons Project
(1982)
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.
Rather than be consumed by the bitter memories, he will look back fondly on those he called his friends and hopes they will do the same.
Speaking of the Zombies…
“Changes”
The Zombies
(1968)
“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.
“Now Silver and gold Strawberry clothes
Money will buy Something to hold
See in her eyes Nothing will last
Like emerald stones And platinum clasp”
“Ain’t No Grave”
Johnny Cash
(2010)
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.
Then consider that it was recorded just months before he died.
I will say nothing more.
“74 Is The New 24″
Giorgio Moroder
(2015)
The title of this dance floor banger says it all. It’s the only line in the song, and it’s delivered robotically.
Absolutely perfect.
Absolutely Giorgio.
Reminding us that age alone does not have to restrict us from living life, and having our voice heard.
“No Hard Feelings”
The Avett Brothers
(2016)
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.
I find this song to be incredibly powerful and it has not failed to hit me really heard since the day I first heard it.
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.
Let the author know that you liked their article with a “Green Thumb” Upvote!
Views: 79
Great list, rollerboogie! “You’ll Have Time,” and the rest of that William Shatner album, is way better than it has any right to be. I love the Joey Ramone shout out, the gospel choir listing causes of death, and “Live life like you’re gonna die. Because you’re going to.” Funny but poignant.
Thank you Bill. Agreed on everything you said about the Shatner’s Has Been album and it’s nice to see someone else appreciates the dark humor and message of “You’ll Have Time”.
Ironically, Shatner was 73 when he recorded it, and he is still kicking around at 93 today. He’s had time.
Mrs. Carto and our youngest daughter saw Shatner at the San Antonio Spacecon last weekend, and they said that he still has “it”. At 93. Good on him.
We got his autograph at an Ohio comicon back in 2022 when he was a young 91. 🙂
I don’t know much Warren Zevon other than the obvious; Werewolves of London but this one is simple yet devastating. And that’s before knowing the context of it being the final song on his final album, recorded while he had terminal cancer.
https://youtu.be/4n2nyXg7fuU?feature=shared
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm3EX1jYBG0
I had heard about this recording but never actually heard it.
From what I understood, the sessions took place while he was literally getting ready to die, given only 3 months to live after a lung cancer diagnosis. He was determined to finish the recording, and fought through tremendous pain to get through it. This song is an excellent choice, and I’ve just added it to the playlist.
I would add “Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve to the list for me. Not the happiest of songs but positively beautiful.
Glad you included “Dream On” – seems like such a sad song for someone so young to write.
I think Costello’s “Veronica” is such a lovely, wistful reflection on aging (plus, that Macca bass work!)
I thought about adding Veronica. Maybe I should!
Beach Bunny just a couple of weeks ago came out with a song that touches on time flying and becoming older and even a touch of thinking about mortality (Lili Trifilio being the ripe old age of 28). I find it kind of touching and relevant even for a guy in his 50’s like me:
https://youtu.be/IsLLmb1Yxj4?si=RFitmKZ9STiARxrm
Yes, I can relate to this too. Thanks for posting this. My daughter was into this group a couple of years ago, but I hadn’t heard this one yet.
Good list.
This one is from Joe Strummer’s final album.
https://youtu.be/j2asJfNd28Y?si=XDP6NkN_1GljG8MZ
Good song. Interesting that it looks like this was recorded right before he died.
The one that comes to mind for me is this one…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9TShlMkQnc
Interesting perspective. It pretty much covers all the bases of an ideally lived life. I may take a pass on the bull riding and sky diving, but the message gets through for sure.
Great piece, rb. One song I heard at a memorial for the son of a friend was Chris Stapleton’s “Broken Halos.” I’d appreciated it before that, but now I’ll always associate it with that young man: https://youtu.be/sI0TeFf6uD8?si=IPpYdvMSdLdo-XBi
Johnny Cash covered Queen Liliuokulani. I had never seen an English translation of “Aloha O’e”.
I own Eye in the Sky. I bought it for “Sirius”. It’s a tradition that I play the track as my cousins and I enter the parking lot, make the prospect of watching low mid-major basketball more exciting. I like “Old and Wise”, too. The title track is a soft-rock masterpiece, in my opinion. I’d rather play “Old and Wise” than “Time”. Cool Pink Floyd pastiche, but, yeesh. Grim Reaper on lead vocal.