Hurtin', Leavin' and Longin' (14)—Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)

Click here to read the introduction to the Round and Square series "Hurtin', Leavin', and Longin'..."

[a] Battered  RF

A young man in an old man's body. This idea is hardly new in world literature, and its tired, gendered images have woven their ways into poetry and prose since Homer and Qu Yuan. Everything from war to sports has been grist for this literary mill, and it is one of the few themes where we might find Odysseus and Prospero meeting Brett Favre and Derek Jeter. It should not be surprising that country-western writers and singers have associated it with the aches and pains (not to mention lost opportunities in love and work) that come with a life in the rodeo.

Let's take a listen to the first work in the oeuvre of one of Nashville's greatest writers. He also did a pretty good job on the stage, and in the recording business. Garth Brooks has a way with images, and few are better than the white line stretching on into the distance...and the saddle getting cold.

Much Too Young  3:04

For advice on how best to "engage" the lyrics, click here.

Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)

—Garth Brooks

[b] Tired  RF

(Garth Brooks)

This ol' highway's getting longer
It seems there ain't no end in sight
To sleep would be best

But I just can't afford to rest
I've got to ride in Denver tomorrow night
 
I called the house but no one answered
For the last two weeks no one's been home
I guess she's through with me

[c] Spent  RF

To tell the truth I just can't see
What's kept the woman holding on this long

Chorus

And the white line's getting longer

And the saddle's getting cold
Now I'm much too young to feel this damn old
All my cards are on the table

With no ace left in the hole
Now I'm much too young to feel this damn old
 
The competition's getting younger
Tougher broncs, you know I can't recall  
A worn out tape of Chris LeDoux

Lonely women and bad booze
Seem to be the only friends I've left at all
 
Repeat Chorus
Lord, I'm much too young to feel this damn old.

[d] Gender  RF

The only "problem" this week with selecting an East Asian poem is that so many of them over the centuries speak to (almost) exactly the same sentiments voiced by Garth Brooks. I had a little bit of work to get the juxtaposition just right, and hope that you enjoy a Song dynasty (960-1279) lyric by one of the true masters of the form, Liu Yong. In "Travels of Youth," Liu passes over familiar ground, but is unable to enjoy it the way he did in younger, happier days. The sentiment is one that ties together the weary traveler and the tired cowboy in a way that could well inspire further reflections in the coming weeks and months. Think about age and fatigue, and then mix it with a nice dose of nostalgia.

        少年遊
          柳永 (宋; 987-1053) 
              長安古道馬遲遲
              高柳亂蟬嘶
              斜陽鳥外
              秋風原上
              目斷四天垂

              歸雲一去無蹤跡
              何處是前期
              狎興生疏
              酒徒蕭索
              不似少年時

              Travels of Youth 
                   Liu Yong (Song dynasty; 987-1053)

                   On the old road to Chang’an, my horse plods along slowly

                   Above, high in the willows, cicadas give disordered calls

                   The sun’s rays slant beyond the islands in the distance

                   Autumn winds sweep across the plateau

                   My view of the heavenly canopy is obstructed

                   The clouds recede; once gone they leave no trace

                   Where is the place I knew in former times?

                   Bits of the good life are sparse and scanty

                   Even wine brings on melancholy

                   It is not the way it was when I was young.[1]

[e] Memory RF

[1] Liu Yong [柳永], "Travels of Youth" [少年遊] Complete Song Dynasty Lyrics [全宋詞]. Translated freely by Robert André LaFleur.

Bibliography

Liu Yong [柳永], "Travels of Youth" [少年遊] Complete Song Dynasty Lyrics [全宋詞].

NEXT

Sunday, August 7th

Pocket Full of Gold

The incomparable Vince Gill will lead us down the interpretive path toward the worst of lying, cheating, and supremely bad human conduct. Today's post was upbeat compared to next Sunday's. It's all misery and despair...every weekend on Hurtin', Leavin', and Longin'.