People Get Old

Album: The Tree (2018)
Play Video
  • Someone said, "Youth is wasted on the young"
    I spilled every last drop of time that summer in the sun
    My daddy had a Timex watch
    Cigarette in his hand and a mouthful of scotch
    Spinnin' me around like a tilt-a-whirl on his arm

    Houses need paint, winters bring snow
    Kids, come on in before your supper gets cold
    Collection plates and daddy's billfold
    And that's how it goes
    You live long enough, people get old

    I sat up right beside him in the cabin of that truck
    Goin' thirty miles-an-hour down a side road talkin' 'bout the fish we caught
    And I'm older now than he was then
    If I could go back in time, I would in a second
    To his beat-up blue jeans and a t-shirt with the sleeves cut off

    Houses need paint, winters bring snow
    Kids growin' up and seekin' out the window
    Hittin' every small-town dirt road
    And that's how it goes
    You live long enough and people get old
    Yeah, people get old

    Daddy keeps busy in the aftenoons playin' cards by himself
    And he shouldn't be shovelin' that first snow, but you know he won't take the help
    Full of pride and love, he don't say too much but hell, he never did
    And you still think he's forty-five and he still thinks that you're a kid

    One day you'll find yourself sayin' the things that he said
    You'll be walkin' down the hallway, turnin' off every light switch
    When you twirl your kids in your arms
    Before you know it, it won't take too long
    They'll be runnin' off makin' a life just like you did

    Houses need paint, winters bring snow
    Nothin' says "love" like a band of gold
    Babies grow up and houses get sold
    And that's how it goes
    Time is a thief, pain is a gift
    The past is the past, it is what it is
    Every line on your face tells a story somebody knows
    That's just how it goes
    You live long enough and the people you love get old Writer/s: Lori Mckenna
    Publisher: CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 1

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

Editor's Picks

They Might Be Giants

They Might Be GiantsSongwriter Interviews

Who writes a song about a name they found in a phone book? That's just one of the everyday things these guys find to sing about. Anything in their field of vision or general scope of knowledge is fair game. If you cross paths with them, so are you.

Kim Thayil of Soundgarden

Kim Thayil of SoundgardenSongwriter Interviews

Their frontman (Chris Cornell) started out as their drummer, so Soundgarden takes a linear approach when it comes to songwriting. Kim explains how they do it.

Women Who Rock

Women Who RockSong Writing

Evelyn McDonnell, editor of the book Women Who Rock, on why the Supremes are just as important as Bob Dylan.

Laura Nyro

Laura NyroSongwriting Legends

Laura Nyro talks about her complex, emotionally rich songwriting and how she supports women's culture through her art.

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," Kiss

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."