«When I’m Sixty Four» is supposed to be the first song Paul wrote, and he wrote it when he was just about fourteen years old (1956)… It was released in the Sgt. Pepper album in 1967. The song, of course, is credited to Lennon & Mc Cartney but John claims he only threw a few words in, like the names of the grandchildren «Vera, Chuch and Dave» and «doing the garden, digging the weeds.» So it’s a Paul song…
Although it is said that Paul wrote it exactly when his father turned 64, as a sort of cabaret piece, written before the advent of rock and roll, and sort of tongue in cheek, I find the lyrics quite disturbing. I will copy the entire song below and you can tell me where you find the creepiness that immediately popped into my eyes.
When I get older losing my hair
Many years from now
Will you still be sending me a Valentine
Birthday greetings 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
You’ll be older too
And if you say the word
I could stay with you
I could be handy, mending a fuse
When your lights have gone
You can knit a sweater by the fireside
Sunday mornings go for a ride
Doing the garden, digging the weeds
Who could ask for more
Will you still need me, will you still feed me
When I’m sixty-four
Every summer we can rent a cottage
In the Isle of Wight, if it’s not too dear
We shall scrimp and save
Grandchildren on your knee
Vera, Chuck and Dave
Send me a postcard, drop me a line
Stating point of view
Indicate precisely what you mean to say
Yours sincerely, wasting away
Give me your answer, fill in a form
Mine for evermore
Will you still need me, will you still feed me
When I’m sixty-four…
To me it sounds like somebody is getting ready to be placed in a «happy home» either for the elderly or for the incapacitated in one way or another. Where else does one need to «fill in a form» or provide «your answer,» or «indicate precisely what you mean to say?» And why sign «wasting away?«
And the part about being handy? To mend a fuse? Good grief! Men at 64 and at 84 are running countries, economies, armies! And this 64 year old chap is only good for «doing the garden, digging the weeds?» And should he be out «till quarter to three,» or to any hour he wants, wouldn’t he have his own bloody key?
No, there’s something hidden in this song that The Beatles never talked about. It’s one of the strangest Beatles songs in any album. It had two clarinet players, one of them a bass clarinet, and Ringo playing the bells! Weird mate! We all knew Paul always had a penchant for audience-pleasing show tune type songs, but…
One thing that really stands out for me (hard to find something more than all I’ve already said, but I did) is that «birthday greetings bottle of wine.» I’ll take the wine old chap, you sound like yer too decrepit to drink it! Cheers!
I am really anxious to hear what you think, so listen to the song, read the lyrics, then play it again and sing along, it’s an easy enough song to sing along with Paul. (Oh, by the by, Paul did say that he had the recording speeded up so his voice sounded younger. Another weird thing!)
Thank you!
