“When You’re My Age”
Lori McKenna with Hillary Lindsey and Liz Rose
Written by Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, and Liz Rose
What makes Lori McKenna’s music so special is the depth of its gratitude.
That defining characteristic of her work is never more evident than when she sings to her children. McKenna’s earlier material was haunted by the wounding loss of her mother at an early age. Her more recent work is of a mother deeply grateful to still be here as her children grow into adulthood.
It gives her a unique perspective on parenting and the passage of time, and helps her to reveal powerful truths about the nature of parenthood. When she sings about her own childhood where things seemed easier, she’s really romanticizing a time when you don’t see the world through the lens of wanting to protect your own children from harm. That’s easier to do when they’re young and you can keep them close.
But as she sings to her child, “You’ll outgrow your shoes. You’ll outgrow your bed. You’ll outgrow this house.” They’ll have to enter that world with more questions than answers and do it on their own, but thankfully, she’ll always be there, because “you’ll always be my baby, even when you’re my age.”
Because as long as you have your mother or father still with you on this plane of existence, you’re still a child. “When You’re My Age” is a whispered “thank you” to God that even you’re grown children are still just children, because they still have their mother here on Earth to love and protect them.
Hold this song to your heart as sacred as a prayer, fellow parents and fellow children. Time always runs out, but if it hasn’t yet, whisper your own “thank you” to God today.
Grade: A
Great song and review. The first verse made me think of “A Little Good News” while the next 2 lines brought back “Stones in the Road”. Then there’s the outgrow/still gonna be my baby part I heard many years ago. I like how she ties in prayer with not working too much overtime in the same verse.
You mentioned that McKenna lost her mother at an early age. I think that it would – in most cases – be harder to deal with than losing a father. Still, I can relate to McKenna’s situation to some extent since I lost my father when I was 4 and my younger brothers were 1 and 2. Losing a parent at those ages in one respect is easier on the kids since they are losing someone they barely knew at all. My mother didn’t have it easy but i’m happy she made it into her 80’s, dying on my middle brother’s 50th birthday. My wife, kids and grandkids are doing well so I have no complaints. I have a lot to be thankful for.