When I'm Sixty-Four | Page 4 | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

Ahhh Girl said
A nice essay about this song. http://www.afr.com/lifestyle/w.....203-gu53vf

Here's a little bit of the article:

George Martin (the band's legendary producer) called When I'm Sixty-Four the album's "jokey song", a classic counterpoint to George Harrison 's sombre, spiritual and sitar-influenced Within You Without You which started Side Two. Yet Paul McCartney 's jaunty, music hall melody now causes more angst and introspection than any of the other more exulted tracks on the album.

Why? Because Baby Boomers regard it with special dread.

If you had the misfortune to be born in the 1950s, celebrating your 64th has become far more gut-wrenching than your 60th ever was. Or your 65th could ever possibly be. As a rite of passage, it's simply the pits. Search the web and you'll find entreaties from both sexes complaining about the pressure they felt. Some post photos of themselves looking hot. Subtext? "Be honest – does my backside look 64 to you?"

And let's remember this: 50 years ago, 64 was definitely old. In the year McCartney was born (1942) average life expectancy for a British male was 63. By 2030 (according to Imperial College London research) it will be 86 years (88 for British women).

No wonder 84 is being called "the new 64". Perhaps McCartney should update the title?

Still, few who grew up with the Beatles providing the soundtrack of their youth can reach this age without humming the tune and pausing for self-reflection. Am I who I expected to be at 64? Is the person lying next to me who I expected to be with at 64? How does my own complicated life compare to the sublime domesticity envisaged by McCartney's youthful protagonist proposing to the girl he wants to spend a life with: "And if you say the word/I could stay with you"?

Much more at the link. Check out the feminist take on the song.

  

I came to this thread to post about the life expectancy of men born in 1942, and I found this post from February 2017.  The article said 63, but that is rounded up...the actual age was 62.6. I'm so glad McCartney stormed right past that number and is still going strong.

Mr. Moonlight said
64 happens to be the age my grandfather died at. So I had double reason to be apprehensive about reaching it - and passing it as it turns out.

  

Off-topic comment here, but I need to commiserate. My dad had a huge aneurysm when he was 45. It left him like Terri Schiavo for 15 years. Boy, was I terrified of reaching 45.