I love playing this live and I love dedicating it to all the blokes of my age and above in the audience. A few times I've had fellas coming up to me to say how much it resonated with them, which is both nice and deeply worrying at the same time. This is not a song complimentary to the menfolk. This is quite brutal in many ways which is why I insist it's not about anyone specific, but obviously it is about lots of people in general. Whilst I like my comfy shoes I have not yet developed right-wing views, quite the opposite.
The video for this was filmed around Chester and specifically lots of it was filmed in the wonderful Cornerhouse, my local and somewhere I've been playing regularly for years. It was filmed in the depths of winter, and those of you who know the city and are very observant will notice that in the shot of the river by the suspension bridge, the river is flowing the wrong way. This is not editing trickery, the river really was flowing the wrong way that night due to a spring tide and a storm surge, I've never seen it before or since.
You can listen to You're Getting Older and watch the video above, the lyrics are below.
You're Getting Older
You're getting older, your hair is growing thin
You've put on weight, your clothes are out, not in
And you can't keep up, and things just pass you by
It's time to give up, you're much too old to try
And you're not a good man, there's lots that you've done wrong
You've let us all down, you tried but you're not strong
Enough to see, it's not like it used to be
No, it's not easy, not as easy as it used to be
It's so much harder, you can't stay hard all night
After just a few drinks, you can see the end's in sight
The drugs don't work, they just give you a headache
The music's too loud, you might just need a break
But I don't think so, coz you're so old
And you like your comfy shoes
And a good book, and a long look
At the papers and the news
So retire now, light the fire now
And develop right-wing views
On the sofa, coz it's over
And you're too white to sing the blues
And you're getting older, there's no one left to blame
You've lost the spark now, it all just sounds the same
And it's time to give up, you're much too old to try
Your eyes are half shut, and the end is drawing nigh
So retire now, light the fire now
And develop right-wing views
On the sofa, coz it's over
And you're too white to sing the blues
So just retire now, light the fire now
And develop right-wing views
On the sofa, coz it's over
And you're too white to sing the blues
It's not easy, it defeats me
Not as easy as it used to be