We live in a culture obsessed with youthfulness. This is neither a novel idea nor is it really open for discussion. It is a fact.
I don’t want to get all philosophical and morbid about it, but I’m pretty sure that all our attempts to hold on to youth stem from our fear of dying. It is amazing how much money we spend on postponing death or erasing the signs that indicate we are aging (i.e. getting closer to dying), as if somehow it could be avoided.
With that cheerful thought, I bring you four songs that underscore the point I’ve just made. They are all “young” songs, and I don’t mean Neil.
fun. – We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monae) // Currently, numero uno on iTunes singles chart. Maybe you’ve heard it.
Punch Brothers – Who’s Feeling Young Now? // Sound sort of familiar? Punch Brothers’ frontman, Chris Thile, used to be with Nickel Creek.
Death Cab for Cutie – Stay Young, Go Dancing // Strange juxtaposition of “death” and “young.”
The Band Perry – If I Die Young // I think you know how much it kills me to put a pop “country” group on here, but the “death” and “young” thing again was too much to resist.
Join me next week when I’ll encourage all of us to reflect on the decimation of the ozone layer.
