21 Songs About Getting Older (2023)

Getting older comes with deep emotions in a package of memories. Others fear the idea of old age.  but still, others embrace it as a part of surviving. Music had been a timeless expression of all emotions, whatever they may be, since time immemorial. As one gets old, this list of songs about getting older will surely be a resounding representation of your recollections.

21. “Grandma’s Hands” by Bill Withers

Album: “Just As I Am” | Style: Soul, R&B, Folk

People who value their grandmothers so much would find this soulful song a touching reverie. Whether to pay tribute to your beloved grandmother or simply to relive happy moments with her, this song’s perfect for you. After listening to this song, you might just as well give Grandma a hug or a phone call, at least.

20. “In the Backseat” by Arcade Fire

Album: “Funeral” | Style: Pop Rock

This song’s about the equivocal transitioning of the persona into an adult. It reflects so much on the different themes of grief, loss, and self-discovery, all at the same time. The song makes its listeners delve into the course of acceptance of mortality and that a death of a loved one is something inevitable since no one remains a child forever.

19. “I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair” by George Jones

Album: “I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair” (single) | Style: Country

Rocking chairs are always associated with old age. The persona in this song is disregarding his old age and telling its listeners that his age is not a hindrance for him to performing at his best on stage. With a speck of humor, the song evokes a sense of resilience and timeless determination. Who needs a rocking chair, then? Definitely, not George Jones!

18. “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac

Album: “Fleetwood Mac” (1975) | Style: Folk rock

One of Fletwood’s most famous and memorable masterpieces, this song reflects how the persona views the passing of time in front of her. This song evokes a deeply personal touch of vulnerability and resilience all in one frame. The emotions depicted in its lyrics make this song even more relatable to its fans.

17. “The Older I Get” by Alan Jackson

Album: Precious Memories Collection (2017) | Style: Country, Gospel

This song is a testimony of a person progressing into an older age. It speaks of heartfelt gratitude and pride in getting better and being wiser the older you get. The song’s melodies will tug your heart while you listen and will prompt you to contemplate your own lives, experiences, and lessons learned.

16. “Older” by They Might Be Giants

Album: Mink Car (2001) | Style: Alternative rock

Have you ever noticed that time is running out and you realized how much time you’ve lost and wasted? This song, with its distinctive instrumentation, highlights a cheeky and humorous way of saying “Happy Birthday, you’re older again!”.  Moreover, despite its limited choice of words in the lyrics, the song reflects a lot of life’s absurdities that come along with aging.

15. “I Guess I Must Be Getting Old” by Kipp McLeod

Album: N/A (Single Release) | Style: Folk

The message of the song along with its delicate guitar accompaniment creates an intimate musical experience for whoever listens to this song. It brings back memories of past and younger years. At a certain point in the song, there is an evident feeling of disappointment having realized that life does not unfold in front of you the way you expect it to.

14. “Stop This Train” by John Mayer

Album: Continuum (2006) | Style: Acoustic Rock

The existence of the “train” in the song metaphorically gives an idea of how time is fleeting so fast. Just like a train, life itself travels on a fixed path where it seems to be impossible to get off or even instantly slow down. The gentleness of its folk-rock melody even creates a raw feeling of vulnerability candidly expressed throughout its lyrics.

13. “Grow Old With Me” by Tom Odell

Album: Long Way Down (2013) | Style: Piano-driven pop

This heartfelt song encapsulated the real essence of truly loving someone so deeply and wanting to spend the rest of their lives in each other’s arms. The song is a positive message of a love that endures and transcends the passing of time. Considered one of the most cherished timeless love songs in music history, this song is a perfect addition to wedding playlists.

12. “The Rest of Our Life” by Tim McGraw, Faith Hill

Album: The Rest of Our Life (2017) | Style: Country Pop

This song can be a perfect wedding song for couples who found true love in each other and decided to spend the rest of their lives together. It is sung in a perspective where marriage had become an option because there couldn’t be any other way to show and treasure their love bond. With an obvious promise of long-lasting love and commitment, this emotional music will surely stand the test of time.

11. “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old” by Luke Combs

Album: N/A (Unreleased) | Style: Country

Most of us can relate to this song because we’ve all been in that same line where we were caught between growing up and getting old. The lyrical narrative of the song describes a man with a very active and carefree youth realizing that he has now to slow down his toll because he finds some better and serious things are worth hanging out his hat on.

10. “Getting Older” by Billie Eilish

Album: Happier Than Ever (2021) | Style: Alternative pop

This song is a more personal approach and accounts for the singer’s real-life experiences growing in front of the public’s eye. It declares the things that she used to not understand and later when she finally understands them, the vague and perplexed feelings have already taken a toll on her. Billie boldly opens up on the pressures she went through and the pains inflected by her fame through this song.

9. “Glory Days” by Bruce Springsteen

Album: Born in the U.S.A. (1984) | Style: Rock

Reminiscing the past and glory days could sometimes feel depressing. Despite this, who wouldn’t want to catch up with old acquaintances and remember your glory days? Whether you are alone by yourself remembering old times or catching up with an old friend over coffee, this song will complete the background.

8. “Getting old song” by Frank Watkinson

Album: N/A (Single Release) | Style: Folk

This song eludes a reflective and intimate experience of getting old and finding yourself alone in silent memories. It also fosters deep introspection to the changes that transpire in one’s life, the memories that will soon fade, and the special moments that will just remain in photographs. This song, although sad, is quite comforting and emphatic.

7. “Forever Young” by Rod Stewart

Album: Out of Order (1988) | Style: Pop Rock

This is every parent’s song to their children with its powerful message that goes straight to the soul. All parents wish well for their children, and they want to see them succeed and grow into the best person they could become. This song evokes a parent’s promise to their children that no matter what happens, they will stay forever young to push them to soar high.

6. “I Don’t Want to Grow Up” by Ramones

Album: ¡Adios Amigos! (1995) | Style: Punk Rock

When we become aware of the harsh realities of life, it’s often natural to fear growing up. This song’s totally about how the persona does not want to grow up because he doesn’t want to experience the complications and pains that come along with old age. Sometimes, though, we come to this realization when we are already in our old age.

5. “One Less Day (Dying Young)” by Rob Thomas

Album: Chip Tooth Smile (2019) | Style: Pop/Rock

This song’s something that someone who loves living his life will probably sing while driving his car. Its upbeat music is lively enough to put life into one’s mood. Although the song expresses an acceptance of fate and finite life, it equally evokes a sense of confidence that it is not yet the persona’s due time to wither and fade because he is still bound for greater things.

4. “Getting Older” by Adam Lambert

Album: Velvet (2020) | Style: Pop rock

This cover of Billie Eilish’s version forges a fantastic feel of Adam Lambert’s unique musical prowess. The message of the song is the same, though. It talks about the changes the singer experienced due to stardom. However, the musical accompaniment and beat were exceptional from that of the original version. This one’s easier to jive with and is more resonating.

3. “Grow Old With You” by Adam Sandler

Album: The Wedding Singer (Original Soundtrack) (1998) | Style: Pop

The wittiness of this song’s lyrics is incomparable. The music is very light-hearted and phenomenal.  The simple acoustic guitar accompaniment of the song makes it even easier to contemplate. Listening to this song makes you appreciate marriage and having someone to grow old with. Overall, it speaks of true love beyond comparison.

2. “7 Years” by Lukas Graham

Album: Lukas Graham (Blue Album) (2015) | Style: Pop/Soul

Released in 2015, this song became an international hit for its touching vocals, melody, and powerful message. It reflects the passing of time in a person and the changes in perspectives over those periods of transition. From being carefree at 7 years old to be a big-time shot at 20 – all these were captured in this four-stanza song.

1. “I Wanna Grow Old With You” by Westlife

Album: The Love Album (2006) | Style: Pop Ballad

This is a love song that expresses how much a person desires to grow old and die in the arms of the person he loves. The song conveys a deep commitment to enduring love with the promise to journey life together through its roller-coaster ride of challenges and emotions. The song’s soaring chorus is very heartfelt that you can’t get over easily with the emotions reflected in the song.