I turn 42 in a couple of months. That’s a mindfuck. Being middle-aged was not something I saw in the cards as recently as five years ago. Part of it is that I’ve always seen myself as a younger person. I remember turning 30 and starting to make “old man” jokes, but I don’t know that I really felt “old”, making those jokes just felt like the right thing to do. Then all of a sudden, I was forty-something. Which is also weird because, physically, I feel (and probably look) much better than I did when I turned 30. Still, I find myself wondering often what my now 41 year old self would tell my 30 year old self or my 20 year old self. Probably some combination of “enjoy the moments while they last because they’ll be gone in an instant” and “don’t be afraid to take risks, because even if you fail, you’ll never say you didn’t try.”

“Born And Raised” is a song about aging. About sitting back, realizing how much time has passed, and acknowledging how much your perspective has changed with time. It’s also about realizing that the race is not over, no matter how many revolutions around the sun you’ve made. One key line from the song talks about still having time and faith. Time isn’t guaranteed, so John might be wrong on that front, but faith is there as long as you want to have it. The lyrics are sober, but ultimately hopeful. And Graham Nash and David Crosby add harmonies that are as wistful as the song itself is.