Does pop music affect perceptions of ageing?

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) the number of people aged over 65 is going to increase from 524 million in 2010 to 1.5 billion in 2050. With so many people living to an older age there is of course lots of interest and research going on into how we will age. One aspect of the ageing process is how we, as a society, perceive ageing since as many philosophers have agreed, we unconsciously tend to see ourselves as others see us. One easy way to measure society’s attitude to ageing is too look at the lyrics of popular songs since these are, after all, ambiently pumped into our hearing everywhere from waiting rooms to shopping centres. We already know that aggressive music can make people feel more aggressive and that soothing music can ease anxiety but what effect does popular music have on our perceptions of ageing?

The results showed that 72 per cent of the lyrics had a negative message associated with ageing leaving only 28 per cent as positive.

For a new study researchers sought to answer this by sampling popular music lyrics archived in online music lyric databases. The criteria were that the lyrics had to be available in English language texts and all had to relate to the phenomenon of age or ageing. Music pieces ranging from energetic to calm and soothing pieces were included and there were no time limits imposed on when the lyrics were published. The researchers noted that, “Popular music is a powerful instrument in itself as it is a vehicle for the establishment of social norms, introducing new concepts and helping individuals to identify themselves across the spaces”.

In the end the study sample consisted of music lyrics recorded from the 1930s to the present day. With the exception of the 1930s where only one music lyric was found and none in the 1950s, the average number of music lyrics released in each decade was approximately nine, however a significant increase was noted in the 2000s, where 27 relevant texts were identified, indicating an increase in interest in the issue of age and ageing. The music came from around the world and includes styles such as Country, Dance, Electronic, Folk, Lounge, Jazz, Metal, new wave, Pop, Rhythm and Blues, Rock, Soul and Soundtrack. The most common genre was Rock (40 per cent) followed by Pop at (27 per cent).

The results showed that 72 per cent of the lyrics had a negative message associated with ageing leaving only 28 per cent as positive. Positive themes related to contentedness and self-esteem while negative themes revolved around how age and ageing is viewed by society and the adverse changes thought to inevitably accompany ageing.

Central to a lot of the negativity was the change that comes with ageing and with that change comes uncertainty. A lot is also made in pop music lyrics of the physical decline that is supposed to associate with old age.

The problem of course, as the researchers note, is that popular music is inevitably written and sung by young people prognosticating on what it will be like to grow old.

There is a range in how these lyrics are presented. There is The Beatles more gentle take in “When I’m Sixty-four” with the lyrics “When I get older losing my hair many years from now. Will you still be sending me a valentine? Birthday greeting, bottle of wine. If I’d been out till quarter to three would you lock the door? Will you still need me? Will you still feed me? When I’m sixty-four?”. A touch more harsh is Green Day’s “The Grouch” with the lyrics “I was a young boy that had big plans. Now I’m just another shootty old man. I don’t have fun and I hate everything. The world owes me, so freak you. Glory days don’t mean shoot to me. I drank a six pack of apathy. Life’s a bitch and so am I”. Then there is the soft but maudlin lyrics of Eric Carmen in “All By Myself”, “When I was young I never needed anyone And making love was just for fun Those days are gone. Livin’ alone I think of all the friends I’ve known. When I dial the telephone. Nobody’s home. All by myself”.

The problem of course, as the researchers note, is that popular music is inevitably written and sung by young people prognosticating on what it will be like to grow old.

In the end while it cannot be denied that the likelihood of physical decline and infirmity is high as people advance in years, perhaps the negative ideas people harbour about old age can be altered and popular music can play a role in that.