Getting old in the head

A lament for voice, guitar and lost youth, to the tune of anything you like:

Oh!  Listen up grown sons and daughters, hark to your dear dad and mum.
Not only do we know your history, we also know what you'll become. 

Take cannabis - that once was harmless.  But now there's these much stronger kinds.
Not like the wholesome stuff we smoked; it can damage impressionable minds.
We knew how to handle drug-taking.  Didn't make *us* righteous bores - No!
Pot was fine for our generation, but we really must ban it for yours.

You kids won't mind paying for Uni?  Though our education was free?
Yeah and sorry we raided your pensions, for ours - based on last salary.
The baby-boom buckled the system, us living too long is the cause:
See, retirement's a birthright for our generation we just can't afford it for yours.

An Englishman's home is his castle.  Or second home, then life's a beach!
'fraid we've pulled up the drawbridge behind us, pushed house prices well out of reach.
You could always mortgage your eyeballs, or get used to renting toujours
Homeowning's just dreamy for our generation, and a dream's what it's staying for yours.

We don't need to limit consumption, CO2, when we drive, when we fly.
Who says we're extinguishing species?  Melting icecaps?  Boiling sky!?
I still say the science is dodgy.  All that saving... recycling... such chores.
We don't "do" environment, our generation - think it's more of an issue for yours.

Terror's threat made us part from our senses. Invasions ignoring m'lud.
Some lads will come back in boxes, but we value crude oil over blood.
We remember your great and grandfathers, whose sacrifice ended world wars.
But peace was their gift to *our* generation and not one we're handing to yours.

The TV keeps us from thinking, the newspapers feed only fear.
But we don't mind media-mangle while they tell us what we want to hear.
Keeping us safe in our certainties, so we know best to lay down the laws, 'cos
Hypocrisy's staple to our generation.  It may prove a lux'ry for yours.

So - listen up grown sons and daughters, hark to your dear dad and mum.
Not only are we each your history, we also are what you'll become. 

Comments

[Aidan]

Note to other readers - don't try it to "The Entertainer", "Imagine" or "Love Machine", they don't quite catch it right. Will keep essaying others, mind...

[overnighteditor]

The more I look at it, the more I think it should be easy-listening.

[Jack]

I'm hearing Bob Dylan, but I think it's the first line that's doing that.

[overnighteditor]

Yeah... monotone drawl and a burst of harmonica between the verses.

[emma]

Brilliant poem. I hope, as a Gen Xer myself I never start having those opinions. But I probably will, twenty years down the line.

[robin]

Forgive a double comment - and if such this is then please delete - but I wanted to tell you how good I thought that was.

[overnighteditor]

Thanks.

Apparently Dylan can be hired for corporate events. I'm gonna save up, hire him, force him to sing this.

That'll learn him.

[betty]

Spot on. I'm also put in mind of those fiftysomethings who retire and announce they're going to move full time to their second home in Spain because "this country's gone to the dogs. Not that I'm a racist or anything, but they just let anyone in to Britain these days. This country's a soft touch", then they can't see the irony in what they're doing.

[Moobs]

NIcely done. Doesn't work to teh Girl from Ipanema either. Just so you know.

[overnighteditor]

Betty - My parents too. Mouthing off about Poles moving to the UK to work, and the "disaster" of freedom of movement betweeen EU nations.

Meanwhile, the coffee table groans softly under the "Buying Property in Europe" magazines...

[pocketpunk]

maybe it would sound good to "ill in the head" by Dead Kennedys