People Get Old

Album: The Tree (2018)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is a contemplative look at Lori McKenna's upbringing as she pays tribute to her father. He raised Lori and her five siblings alone after her mom died when she was only six. McKenna has continued to live in her hometown of Stoughton, Massachusetts, so she can keep an eye on her aging dad, rather than making the move to Nashville. It's only now that he's reached the age of 83 that she's penned a song for him.

    "I never had a song for my dad," McKenna mused during a Country Music Hall of Fame event, "and I think it was probably because it's sort of too close, you know? Like, he's right there. It's almost easier to write a song for someone that isn't with us anymore."
  • McKenna told The Boston Globe she considers "People Get Old" to be "the anchor" of The Tree album, which follows the many ways we're shaped by our families. She added:

    "It just seemed fitting to have this be a record about aging and watching your kids go off and watching your parents age. If you had your kids young enough like I did, you have a point in life where your kids are leaving the house at the same time that your parents start showing signs of needing more help."
  • The music video for "People Get Old" was directed by John Moessner. It features McKenna flipping through an old photo album and wandering from room to room through Holly Williams' White's Mercantile Room and Board house in Cornersville, Tennessee.

Comments: 1

  • Adkannie from NyWhat is the wallpaper in that video? I love it!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

The 10 Bands Most Like Spinal Tap

The 10 Bands Most Like Spinal TapSong Writing

Based on criteria like girlfriend tension, stage mishaps and drummer turnover, these are the 10 bands most like Spinal Tap.

Michael Sweet of Stryper

Michael Sweet of StryperSongwriter Interviews

Find out how God and glam metal go together from the Stryper frontman.

Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds

Jim McCarty of The YardbirdsSongwriter Interviews

The Yardbirds drummer explains how they created their sound and talks about working with their famous guitarists.

Butch Vig

Butch VigSongwriter Interviews

The Garbage drummer/songwriter produced the Nirvana album Nevermind, and Smashing Pumpkins' Gish and Siamese Dream.

Rob Halford of Judas Priest

Rob Halford of Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford dives into some of his Judas Priest lyrics, talking about his most personal songs and the message behind "You've Got Another Thing Comin'."

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.