By Paul Falardeau (Arts & Life Editor) – Email
Certain ages tend to mean a lot to us, so much so that we frequently immortalize them in song. Here are a few ages that musicians seem to have found some significance in.
Big Star – “Thirteen”
Although he never mentions the age in the song, its lyrics carefully capture that tender age where innocence converges with experience in Blake-ian proportions as the opposite sex becomes attractive and rock and roll seems invincible.
Alice Cooper – “I’m Eighteen”
Alice Cooper may be known as a shock-rock pioneer, but his songs, like “I’m Eighteen” hold up surprisingly well. Lyrically Cooper is tough and gritty, and musically he captures the rebellious nature of the age perfectly.
Neil Young – “Sugar Mountain”
“You can’t be twenty on Sugar Mountain” Neil Young ruefully admits in his ode to lost innocence. Country fair imagery creates a dreamlike setting for fading memories as Young ruminates on the transition of boy to man.
LCD Soundsystem – “Watch the Tapes”
From an album where James Murphy battles with growing old, “Watch the Tapes” warns twenty-five year olds of their impending doom as its narrator exclaims “it’s not getting better, it’s just getting older.” Fortunately the bad news is delivered in a dance-ready format.
