On Growing Older

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"On Growing Older"
Song by Strawbs
from the album Grave New World
Released February 1972 (1972-02)
Recorded November 1971 (1971-11)
Genre Progressive rock
Length1:56
Label A&M
Songwriter(s) Dave Cousins
Producer(s) Strawbs
Grave New World track listing
"Tomorrow"
(8)		 "On Growing Older"
(9)		 "Ah Me, Ah My"
(10)

"On Growing Older" is a song by English band Strawbs written by Dave Cousins. The track first appeared on the Grave New World album, although it was written and recorded a few years earlier. The original recording was later released on the Strawberry Sampler Number 1 album.

England Country in north-west Europe, part of the United Kingdom

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to the west and Scotland to the north-northwest. The Irish Sea lies west of England and the Celtic Sea lies to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south. The country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain, which lies in the North Atlantic, and includes over 100 smaller islands, such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.

Strawbs English rock band

Strawbs are an English rock band founded in 1964. Although the band started out as a bluegrass group they eventually moved on to other styles such as folk rock, progressive rock, and (briefly) glam rock.

Dave Cousins singer, songwriter and musician from England

Dave Cousins is an English singer and songwriter, who has been the leader, singer and most-active songwriter of Strawbs since 1967.

Contents

Lyrical and musical content

As befits its place on the album, the song describes "a regret for the waste of my youth" of a middle-aged person who nonetheless realises that they still have time to accomplish some of their ambitions. The imagery is pastoral and natural, similar to "Another Day" from the Dragonfly album or perhaps "A Glimpse of Heaven" from From the Witchwood . The instrumentation is simple, and the jangling guitar sounds are evocative of The Byrds, of whom Cousins is a fan.

<i>Dragonfly</i> (Strawbs album) 1970 studio album by Strawbs

Dragonfly is the second studio album by English band Strawbs. It contains the lengthy and rather progressive ballad "The Vision of the Lady of the Lake" describing the hardships of a boatman who encounters and battles all kinds of mystical creatures on a lake, with a sword that was given to him by the lady of the lake. The album marked the first collaboration of Rick Wakeman with the band, he would eventually join them on their next album Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios in 1970.

<i>From the Witchwood</i> 1971 studio album by Strawbs

From the Witchwood is the fourth album by English band Strawbs. It was recorded at Air Studios, London during February and March 1971 and reached number 39 in the UK Album Charts.

The Byrds American rock band

The Byrds were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member. Although they only managed to attain the huge commercial success of contemporaries like the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Rolling Stones for a short period in the mid-1960s, the Byrds are today considered by critics to be nearly as influential as those bands. Their signature blend of clear harmony singing and McGuinn's jangly twelve-string Rickenbacker guitar was "absorbed into the vocabulary of rock" and has continued to be influential.

Personnel

Singing act of producing musical sounds with the voice

Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice and augments regular speech by the use of sustained tonality, rhythm, and a variety of vocal techniques. A person who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music that can be sung with or without accompaniment by musical instruments. Singing is often done in an ensemble of musicians, such as a choir of singers or a band of instrumentalists. Singers may perform as soloists or accompanied by anything from a single instrument up to a symphony orchestra or big band. Different singing styles include art music such as opera and Chinese opera, Indian music and religious music styles such as gospel, traditional music styles, world music, jazz, blues, gazal and popular music styles such as pop, rock, electronic dance music and filmi.

Acoustic guitar type of guitar

An acoustic guitar is a guitar that produces sound acoustically by transmitting the vibration of the strings to the air—as opposed to relying on electronic amplification (see electric guitar). The sound waves from the strings of an acoustic guitar resonate through the guitar's body, creating sound. This typically involves the use of a sound board and a sound box to strengthen the vibrations of the strings. In standard tuning the guitar's six strings are tuned (low to high) E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4.

Tony Hooper is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as a founder-member of Strawbs together with Dave Cousins and double bassist Ron Chesterman. He left The Strawbs in 1972 after their album Grave New World, when it became obvious that the band was moving further away from its folk roots towards rock and progressive rock. He rejoined for a 10-year stint in 1983. Hooper has been the guitarist in the Ceilidh & Barn-Dance Band Pitchfork since 1984, and is also a member of Misalliance.

Related Research Articles

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References

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