Once our grandchildren began listening to pop music on the radio, and it was earlier than we realized, this Grandma convinced Grandpa that we too had to listen to pop. Since our eldest grandson is fourteen, we have been listening to pop for nearly six years.
Occasionally, we go back to music of the sixties decade of our youth, but mostly we listen to what our grandchildren listen to. Not only do we want to be cool and hip grandparents, we want to be able to sing along with our grandchildren and be able to converse about their favorite artists.
Every once in a while, a current pop song grabs us and we LOVE it as much as our grandchildren. Such is “Good Old Days” by Macklemore and Kesha. The song is so our generation that I find it hard to believe young people wrote it. Today, most of the hit pop songs are collaborations, and this is no exception. The artist, Macklemore, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter, whose real name is Benjamin Hammond “Ben” Haggerty. He is 34 years old, married, and has a child. To be a really cool grandparent, read more about him on Wikipedia. The featured artist is Kesha, an American singer, songwriter, and actress, whose real name is Kesha Rose Sebert. She is 31 years old, and according to Wikipedia, she was first signed as a recording artist at age 18. Read more about her at Wikipedia. Once you read about them you might realize you have heard and loved their previous separate songs.
I love the chorus of “Good Old Days”:
“I wish somebody would have told me babe
That some day, these will be the good old days
All the love you won’t forget
And all these reckless nights you won’t regret
‘Cause someday soon, your whole life’s gonna change
You’ll miss the magic of the good old days”
“Good Old Days” is considered hip-hop rap and you will surprise yourself that you truly enjoy this hip-hop rap song. You will join Grandpa and me in appreciating that our grandchildren are listing to this song. Listen to “Good Old Days” on YouTube:
Follow along with the lyrics.
The musical story is of beginnings, wanting and wishing to be a “star,” and when reaching the goal, wishing back to the youth of the good old days. It talks of the mistakes and missed opportunities along the way. It talks of reaching stardom and still thinking back to the days when things were simpler.
The songwriters: Andrew Joslyn, Ben Haggerty, Joshua Karp , Kesha Sebert, Samuel Wishkoski, and Tyler W Andrews, give us much to talk about with our grandchildren. Just look at the words of the last stanza:
“Never thought we’d get old, maybe we’re still young
Maybe we always look back and think it was better than it was
Maybe these are the moments
Maybe I’ve been missing what it’s about
Been scared of the future, thinking about the past
While missing out on now
We’ve come so far, I guess I’m proud
And I ain’t worried about the wrinkles around my smile
I’ve got some scars, I’ve been around
I’ve felt some pain, I’ve seen some things, but I’m here now
Those good old days
You don’t know, what you’ve got
Till it goes, till it’s gone
You don’t know, what you’ve got
Till it goes, till it’s gone”
The theme of “Good Old Days” makes it really a Boomer generation song. We, of course, are forever young. I am still amazed that those of such youth get it. We can share the message of live each day to the fullest, appreciate each day, with our grandchildren through the words sung by Macklemore and Kesha. Be present, as my yoga teacher preaches. The journey, not the destination, counts.
Macklemore and Kesha are to be thanked for giving us grandparents a beautiful song with which to connect to our grandchildren.
Joy,
Mema
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