Old man, look at my life
I'm a lot like you were
Old man, look at my life
I'm a lot like you were

Old man, look at my life
Twenty-four and there's so much more
Live alone in a paradise
That makes me think of two

Love lost, such a cost
Give me things that don't get lost
Like a coin that won't get tossed
Rolling home to you

Old man, take a look at my life, I'm a lot like you
I need someone to love me the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes and you can tell that's true

Lullabies, look in your eyes
Run around the same old town
Doesn't mean that much to me
To mean that much to you

I've been first and last
Look at how the time goes past
But I'm all alone at last
Rolling home to you

Old man, take a look at my life, I'm a lot like you
I need someone to love me the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes and you can tell that's true

Old man, look at my life
I'm a lot like you were
Old man, look at my life
I'm a lot like you were


Lyrics submitted by H-bomb, edited by Singme1

Old Man Lyrics as written by Neil Young

Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Hipgnosis Songs Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Old Man song meanings
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68 Comments

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  • +7
    General Comment

    This song means so much to me right now. As I am writing this, It's been about 20 hours since my dad died. I'm hurting so bad right now. He struggled with alchoholism for so long and whenever this song came on the radio we would both cry. My father's gone forever now but this song will always make me remember him. Dad, I will never forget you...

    toolmusikon December 22, 2004   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    this song makes me think about my dad. my mom always calls me little Philip (which is my dad's name). i think it is about a man who is repeating his father's mistakes, and then is calling his dad a hypocrite when he gets pissed about it. it's also a statement of proof that they really are a lot the same, thus removing justification for his anger... hueoh, too many big words.

    ataraxia37on June 10, 2003   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    According to the decade book, in Neils own hand: "I wrote this for the caretaker of my ranch after I purchased it in 1970. Special thanks to James Taylor for his banjo playing."

    xdvron September 29, 2005   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    banjo played by James Taylor...

    Yeah, i read about how Young stayed at this farm one time and wrote this song inspired be the old man who owned it...don't quote me on this though...

    jehosefaton April 07, 2003   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This songs not about his father. He wrote it about a caretaker/owner of a rance he bought in California in 1970.

    TylerGon February 01, 2011   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This song is indeed about an old man who lived with him on the ranch he purchased in California, however whenever I listen to this song I can't help but be reminded of my father and I, and how similar our lives have turned out to be. It can mean whatever you want it to. They don't call people like Mr. Young music ARTISTS for no reason. A picture or painting says a thousand words, a song can say millions. I'm 23 and have been fortunate enough to grow up with great music like this. Like a famous painting, this song will never grow old.

    FunkyJunk88on January 07, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    It's about the janitor/custodian guy on his ranch. Sad character, and a real sad, melancholic number. Haunting.

    headlessparroton June 28, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This is one awesome fucking song.. puts you in quite the melancholy mood. My own little interpretation to the song is as follows: a younger man reflecting upon his hardships, and although they may be fewer than a man twice his age, he feels as though he hurts just as much as the older man.

    x_nikole_xon October 05, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Interesting to read everyone's thoughts on this one. I hadn't heard the story about the farmer. I'd always fallen in line with the father-son story. But I think it can be more generally interpreted to just be about dealing with the disappointment of your elders, the expectations that are passed between generations, and the constant struggle to define oneself as separate from everything and everyone else.

    Definitely a classic in my book.

    therealsvendenon October 29, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    For those poeple who commented that this song has no meaning , abviously you are not very observent. If you look into the contrast of these lyrics and know that he was kicked out of his home then you will realize that maybe he hekd a grudge for many against his father , and then when he realized that his father did the same thing that he would have in that situation maybe then he noticed that he was alot like his father was.

    sabbathkidon January 04, 2005   Link

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