I was reading Facebook today, when I saw a poster that said, “Remember a time before you could look up lyrics on the Internet, and you went around singing the most horrendous versions of your favorite songs?”
Oh, I do, I do! I also remember recording a song off the radio on a reel to reel tape machine, and then play and stop and play and stop, in order to get the lyrics written down. And even then I know I bungled more than a few song lyrics!
I do like being able to find lyrics just by entering a few words in a search engine. It just makes it so easy, and I look like a real star when singing in the grocery store.
Recently, I heard a song that had been redone by another artist doing the vocals. Oh it was one of my favorite songs back in the day. It was called “The Final – Old & Wise” by The Alan Parsons Project back in 1982.
Old & Wise is a rather melancholy song about growing old and getting toward the end of your time on earth. I remember when it was popular back in 1982 we bought the Album it was on. After my daughter passed away, I listened to it often. I was in a bad place.
Now as I approach my 60th birthday, (later this year!), I think that this song is beautiful in a very different way. It’s the affirmation that you have loved and cared and been loved. It’s such a wonderful song.
The newer version was still done by The Alan Parsons Project, in Antwerp, Belgium in October 1990. But with David Paton singing the lead . Wow it was so good! Here it is, so listen and enjoy!
The Lyrics to Old & Wise
There are shadows approaching me
And to those I left behind
I wanted you to know
You’ve always shared my deepest thoughts
You follow where I go[CHORUS]
And oh when I’m old and wise
Bitter words mean little to me
Autumn winds will blow right through me
And someday in the mist of time
When they asked me if I knew you
I’d smile and say you were a friend of mine
And the sadness would be lifted from my eyes
Oh when I’m old and wiseAs far as my eyes can see
There are shadows surrounding me
And to those I leave behind
I want you all to know
You’ve always shared my darkest hours
I’ll miss you when I go
[CHORUS]
And oh, when I’m old and wise
Heavy words that tossed and blew me
Like autumn winds will blow right through me
And someday in the mist of time
When they ask you if you knew me
Remember that you were a friend of mine
As the final curtain falls before my eyes
Oh when I’m old and wise
As far as my eyes can see
Anyway, back in the day, I had done the lyric writing by listening and writing down what I heard. I thought I had it right back then, but fast forward to now and I looked up the lyrics and I messed up a few. Close though.
Anyway, today’s kids have no idea what it was like, back in the day, before computers, cell phones and search engines that instantly gave you the lyrics. We actually had to work for them!