Words & Music by Mike Power

A friend once told me that I was the youngest 50 year old she’d ever met. I took it as a compliment at the time but now I’m not so sure. It’s no fun to be out of sync with your own life. I watch my friends fit comfortably into the slots of their lives but I can’t find the way to fit into mine. It’s like I’ve been too young for too long and now have to catch up to myself.

The advantages of youth are obvious: physical beauty and strength; fountains of energy; the ability to bounce back quickly and fully from injuries and setbacks. The advantages of age are more subtle: experience; perspective; patience; if you’ve been able to gain some insight over the years you might even achieve that most elusive and valuable advantage of age, wisdom.

There’s also the whole don’t-give-a-fuck-anymore thing, which is nice.

I recently traveled to a place where time is measured in centuries rather than weeks. The past is everywhere in Sicily but it’s immutable, so people learn to accept it. An echo from my immutable past reverberated across the oceans of time to me while I was there. It was this song, from 1981, by the Kinks. Written by Ray Davies, it’s got some of that elusive wisdom about it for people who believe in hope, and in the healing power of music.

Here’s wishing you the bluest sky,
And hoping something better comes tomorrow.
Hoping all the verses rhyme,
And the very best of choruses to
Follow all the doubt and sadness.
I know that better things are on the way.

Here’s hoping all the days ahead
Won’t be as bitter as the ones behind you.
Be an optimist instead,
And somehow happiness will find you.
Forget what happened yesterday,
I know that better things are on the way.

It’s really good to see you rocking out
And having fun,
Living like you just begun.
Accept your life and what it brings.
I hope tomorrow you’ll find better things.
I know tomorrow you’ll find better things.

Here’s wishing you the bluest sky,
And hoping something better comes tomorrow.
Hoping all the verses rhyme,
And the very best of choruses to
Follow all the doubt and sadness.
I know that better things are on the way.

I know you’ve got a lot of good things happening up ahead.
The past is gone it’s all been said.
So here’s to what the future brings,
I know tomorrow you’ll find better things.
I know tomorrow you’ll find better things.

I hope tomorrow you’ll find better things.
I know tomorrow you’ll find better things.
I hope tomorrow you’ll find better things.