Words & Music by Mike Power

There’s nothing wrong with getting old. The alternative, obviously, is dying before you get old, which sounds great in a rock’n’roll song but kind of sucks for the people gathered around your casket.

I’m too old now to be too young to die and there’s something to be said for reaching that milestone (even if you wouldn’t necessarily say it to my face). The downside of being too old to be too young to die is that there seems to be a lot less of everything, very much including time, than there used to be.

When I was young, the promise of the future and the pleasures of the present made the minor struggles of life easy enough to endure. Now, most of life’s pleasures threaten to destroy or severely damage any future promises. And the drudgery of work seems more futile every day.

That reminds me of a song. This one’s by my brother James, written and performed when we were both a lot younger. Actually, it’s kind of reassuring to think you can be pitiful at any age. Here’s James with his “Pity Me Blues”:

All I want to do is sit down and write some
Pity me blues
All night
And all I’ve gotta do is sit down to write some
Pity me blues
And say anything
It’s alright, ’cause you mean everything

I’ve just got to see you every night
Even if it’s only for a little while
Because when I get home I pick up my guitar and
 
All I want to do is sit down and write some
Pity me blues

And all I’ve gotta do is sit down

And say anything
‘Cause you mean everything

I want to hear your sweetest talk
I want to watch your sweet legs walk
I want to see that twinkle in your eye
I want to see your mouth smile

All I gotta do is sit down
All I gotta say is anything
Because you mean to me everything
It’s alright, it’s alright, it’s every night

Tight tight tight tight fitting clothes
Bright bright bright bright smile and a winning nose

All I want to do is sit down and write some
Pity me blues
All night
And all I’ve gotta do is sit down to write some
Pity me blues
And say anything
It’s alright, it’s alright because you mean everything