Will you Still Need Me, Will you Still Feed Me?

When I'm 64
Date	September 15, 2010
Section(s)	Generations
Byline	By LINDSEY ADKISON The Brunswick News
Paul McCartney was 15 years old when he started playing around with the music and lyrics to the Beatles' hit "When I'm Sixty-Four." It was meant to be a salute to his musician father (who was actually only 54 when the song was written) and his 1920s-era cabaret style. The younger "narrator" in the song envisions an idyllic life growing old with his love. He seeks a long-term promise of commitment and wants reassurance that she will still "need him" when he's 64. When McCartney penned those now iconic verses more than four decades ago, 64 seemed far away and a distant expectation. But time has a way of changing things. McCartney, himself, is now 68, and even though he's led a charmed life, it certainly hasn't been perfect. He lost his first wife, Linda, to cancer. Two of his Beatles band mates have died, one violently. He went through a messy divorce from Heather Mills a few years back. Of course, he still has plenty of money and fame. But it just goes to show that life is never predictable. Even all the wealth in the world can't guarantee happiness. Like McCartney, others who grew up with the song are reaching their 64th years. The oldest of the baby boomers, who were 21 years old when the Beatles released "When I'm Sixty-Four" in 1967 on their "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album, this year are, in fact, 64. Like the former Beatle himself, many have taken twists and turns on the road of life. Now they have a different take on the classic tune than they did when they were younger. Gary Share, owner of City Music is not quite 64, but he is a self-proclaimed Beatles fanatic. The song has a special meaning for him now. "I remember when Paul McCartney turned 64. I thought that it was pretty cool. He's still singing that song. I think it's cool that he's still singing that song. I'm sure when he wrote it, he never thought he'd be singing it at that age," Share said. He's also noticed that his view on the song has changed, too. There is one line in particular that strikes him differently: "Grandchildren on your knee." "It's neat the way your views change on things. When, in the song, he's talking about having the grandchildren on your knee ... I've got seven grandchildren now and one on the way," he said. "That's become more important to me. Those are the real gifts in life, much more important than things. Things change as you get older." Lanny Grammar, who teaches drums and percussion, feels the same. His daughter will have his first grandchild in the spring. He thinks that the song is a timeless testament to the aging process. "It really is timeless and it transcends all the decades. It's still a great song and a great message. I mean, let's face it, 'will you still need me when I'm 64?'" Doug Lampkin's views on the song have changed since he first heard it in 1967. "I was 17 or 18 when it came out, and I was living in Virginia. It was a hip place to be. Virginia Beach was one of the hippest places on the East Coast," he said. "I was playing in a rock band, so that song had some weight on me. At the time, I honestly didn't think I'd live that long." Lampkin and his wife Patrice own Murphy's Tavern on St. Simons Island. Now he is 62 and will reach the milestone in just two years. "It was more light-hearted when I was younger. I loved the song, but I never related to it back then," he said. "I can definitely relate to it a lot more now. It gives you a nostalgic look back now." Think about it Some lyrics of "When I'm Sixty-Four" to ponder: * "When I get older losing my hair,/Many years from now./Will you still be sending me a Valentine/Birthday greetings bottle of wine." * "... 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." * "... We shall scrimp and save/Grandchildren on your knee."