New song about oldies

1989. Turning forty.

I’m in my cab, two o’clock in the morning, sitting on Cammeray rank.

No work on the radio, nobody about and I’m pretty down.

These words popped into my head.

Too old to be a boxer, too short to be a cop. Too young to be a wise man, my body’s not much chop.

Long story short, I wrote more words, recorded the song at a mate’s recording studio in suburban Leichhardt, got together with a film maker friend who had bits of 16mm film in her fridge and we made this video.

“Middle aged”

(The picture quality is a bit rubbish. It’s had a journey from 16mm film to one inch video tape to VHS to digital.)

2023.

Heading towards seventy four and wondering how I got old so quickly.

My friend Grahame visiting from UK says, “Mate, you should write a song about old age, now we’re there.”

After a month or two I wrote a poem, called “Oldies” and read it at the poetry slam at a local reader’s and writer’s festival.

It went down well.

Grahame is now back in Essex. I emailed him words, we talked a few things over. After a few versions, he came up with a fantastic tune, channeling his inner Brian Wilson.

He’s a modest man, but he did have a one hit wonder years ago with “Star trekkin’”.

And a follow up song about Arthur Daley.

Grahame has also spent time recording in Nashville and has several albums under his belt, and recently a novel, (ADLIB by Grahame Lister), brilliantly satirising the advertising industry.

In time I hope to have a video clip for oldies, but for now …

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