Songs about retirement / for a retirement party

Subject: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Naemanson
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 12:33 PM

Next week a close friend will be retiring after 24 years in her second career as a marketing representative for Pfizer. (We have always referred to her as our own junkie dealer.)

She has asked me to sing something at her retirement party and I am coming up short on songs of retirement. Thanks to Jeri I have PROSPECT, PROVIDENCE, PERSEVERANCE but no others come to mind.

How about it gang? Any input? I'll need words and tune.

[Many song titles in this thread have been converted to links by a Mudelf.]

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: GUEST,Matt_R
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 12:35 PM

WHEN I'M SIXTY-FOUR --The Beatles

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: GUEST,Dita (at work)
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 12:44 PM

Peggy Seeger wrote one called "THAT'S HOW THE WORLD GOES ON" More applicable to male perhaps - it's subject is how sailors, miners, etc, get to retire but lovers never do.
love, john

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Naemanson
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 12:48 PM

By the way, the songs have to be something I can sing without accompaniment.

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: GUEST,Matt_R
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 12:50 PM

Dies Irae

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: mousethief
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 12:52 PM

"TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT"?
"I'm Free" by the Who?

Retiring is not something most "folk" have ever gotten to do. It's a fairly recent phenomenon, really.

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 12:56 PM

I've been retired (partly) for 13 years, but haven't had time to sing about it. I'm on the edge of being again temporarily unretired. Those slim retirement checks are much easier to get rid of than those regular old bloated paychecks.

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Hollowfox
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 01:04 PM

"GET UP AND GO", from DT? Might work.

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: mousethief
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 01:10 PM

How about "TIME FOR LIVIN'" by the Association?

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Hollowfox
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 01:13 PM

Or how about "BRING FLOWERS" by Malvina Reynolds? (didn't see it in DT). The chorus is:

Bring flowers, bring flowers,
Not lilies, but roses in showers,
And lilacs and daisies and daffodils sweet
For the guy who is still on his feet!

It's about praising somebody before the funeral instead of during it; sounds strange, putting it like that, but I think it'd work.

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: mousethief
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 01:25 PM

This is still gnawing at my brain.

"I GOT A NAME" by Jim Croce would fit nicely.

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 01:35 PM

I recently retired, and the kinds of songs that come to mind for me would be:

>a href=/thread.cfm?threadid=8056#1440989>OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING
THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE
HOLD WHAT YOU'VE GOT (I'm Coming Home Baby)
WILL YOU MISS ME (When I'm Gone)?
Life's Evening Sun (A BEAUTIFUL LIFE)

Good luck!

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Pseudolus
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 01:39 PM

(I don't wanna work. I just wanna) BANG ON THE DRUM ALL DAY (Todd Rundgen)
DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY (Bobby McFerrin)

Frank

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: mousethief
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 01:43 PM

MONEY FOR NOTHING (Dire Straits)?

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: BobP
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 01:49 PM

Here's a short ditty, easy to learn and all in room will know melody.

Happy Trails to you, you've said with work you're through,
Happy Trails to you, you've o-ther stuff to do.
Who cares if you're employed when you're with us dear,
Who cares if thinking 'bout it makes you cuss dear,
Happy Trails to you, from your loy-al crew.

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: GUEST,Pete Peterson at work
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 02:42 PM

there's a great old protest song, Joe Glazer I think, "TOO OLD TO WORK (and too young to die)" I learned it out of John Greenway's American Folk Songs of Protest. If that isn't appropriate, try Roy Acuff's OLD AGE PENSION CHECK. . . . And now for something completely different, the Waterson's I LIKE TO RISE WHEN THE SUN SHE RISES is a good choice!

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: GUEST,Anon2
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 04:28 PM

Retirement music is easier. Just connect a tie rod from the front of one of the rockers of your rocking-chair to the crank of a barrel organ, or better, get the plans from Dick Rodgers for his mechanical version of the steam-driven hurdy-gurdy, and do the key business with your toes.

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 05:33 PM

Gee, I hope you all remember that it's the custom to post lyrics if we don't have 'em. It seems like a lot of retirement songs are sad, and I certainly haven't experienced much sadness from my 18 months of retirement. I'll have to think of some happy retirement songs. Just now, the one that comes to mind doesn't apply - ALL USED UP
Here's a happy one by Peter Krug - GERITOL GYPSY.
-Joe Offer, retired-

Subject: add: THAT'S HOW THE WORLD GOES ON ^^
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 06:08 PM

THAT'S HOW THE WORLD GOES ON
(Peggy Seeger)

When a miner gets old, he leaves the coal-face,
Abandons his work and the tools of his trade;
The mine was his life but the life got too tough,
When a miner gets old, they pension him off.
Now he looks to his garden, walks down to the pub,
Goes out with the wife, plays darts at the club.
*A strong young miner is filling his tubs-
That's how the world goes on.

Chorus: That's how the world goes on and on,
That's how the world goes on;
A strong young miner is filling his tubs-
That's how the world goes on.

When a seaman gets old, he retires to land,
Leaving the skills that were at his command;
He dreams of his ship and it's hard to be free,
When a seaman gets old, he's not welcome at sea.
Now he sits on a bench and he cracks with his mates,
Hangs around harbours and dockyard gates.
A strong young seaman has taken his place-
That's how the world goes on. (chorus)

When a lover grows old, he's tempted to spurn
The knowledge that took him a lifetime to learn;
But a woman is more than a mine or a ship-
My lover's grown old and I won't let him quit.
You've still got the job, you've a garden to tend,
No pension for lovers, just toil to the end.
*It's time to clock on, love, so kiss me again,
That's how the world goes on. (chorus)

*This line becomes the third line of each following chorus.

Source: Peggy Seeger Songbook
copyright 1992, Peggy Seeger (written in 1988)

@work @love
filename[ HOWRLDGO
JRO
Apr01^^

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Sarah the flute
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 03:36 AM

What about Vin Garbutt. I'm sure he does an unaccompanied song or two concerning retirement

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: nutty
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 08:46 AM

There's MAN OF THE EARTH written by Bernie Parry

ALBERT'S PRETTY FLOWERS by George Armstrong

OLD CISSY LEE by Vin Garbutt

SILVER IN THE STUBBLE by Sidney Carter

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: GUEST,Pete MacGregor at work
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 09:25 AM

Try 'THEIR WAY' in digitrad. Maybe it could be adapted for the occasion.

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Naemanson
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 02:13 PM

These are great! Thanks all. Now I have some work to do to sort through and find them either written out or recorded so I can get a sense of the tunes. Anything you can do to help would be greatly appreciated.

Brett

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 02:29 PM

"FARMER IN FLORIDA," by Sally Rogers, but it's a downer. Sorry.

There's always "TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT." You might look for other anti-work songs.

What does your friend plan to do after retirement? How does she like to spend her time? There are songs in DT about fishing, for instance, and gardening, if those are appropriate.

Subject: Lyr Add: BANKS OF THE DEE^^^
From: bill\sables
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 07:25 PM

BANKS OF THE DEE

Last Saturday night on the banks of the Dee
I met an old man in distress I could see
We sat down together and to me he did say
I've lost my employment 'cause my hair it's turned grey

Chorus;
I am an old miner aged fifty and six
If I could get lots I would raffle my picks
I'd raffle them, I'd sell them I'd throw them away
For I can't get employment my hair has turned grey

When I was a young chap I was just like the rest
Each day in the pit I'd do my very best
When I had a loose place I'd be filling all day
Now at fifty and six my hair it's turned grey

Last Wednesday night to the reckoning I went
To the colliery office I went straight fornenst
I'd just got my pay packet, I was walking away
When they gave me my notice 'cause my hair it's turned grey

Now all you young fellows, it's you that's to blame
If you get good places, you'll do just the same
If you get good prices you'll hew them away
But you're sure to regret it when your hair it's turned grey.

HTML line breaks added. -JoeClone, 12-Apr-01.

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: GUEST,Roll&Go-C
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 07:42 PM

Brett, you could do worse than "TIS OUR SAILING TIME." Then there's "GREY FUNNEL LINE" and if you're feeling cynical "THE DUMMY LINE." There's also Nor's story about the tank designer who gets laid off "THE BALLAD OF JAKE AND 10-TON MOLLY" and when you're really feeling bitter there's "(I'm Gonna) GO TO WORK ON MONDAY (One More Time)" by Si Kahn. You'll do fine!

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Naemanson
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 08:10 PM

And I just remembered "THE LAST WATCH" by Stan Rogers! I already know that one.

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From:
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 08:33 PM

I sang Matt Armour's 'GENERATIONS OF CHANGE' at my own retirement

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Tinker
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 08:59 PM

More on the lines of aging rather than retirement specifically. Shel Silverstein has written some great stuff that is collected on the "Old Dogs" Cd (Jennings, Bare, Tillis, Reed) OLD DOGS ("He can still bury a bone"), CUT THE MUSTARD ("I ain't too old to cut the mustard, just too tired to spread it around"), and more seriously TIME. I'll post lyrics tomorrow, my server has kicked me off twice already tonite. Some of it may need to be folk processed to switch the gender but it's awfully funny stuff about life as we get older

Tinker

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Naemanson
Date: 23 Mar 01 - 06:37 AM

Thanks Tinker, I'd like to see the lyrics for those Shel Silverstein songs. I have a soft part in my head, er... heart for Shel.

Let's take this in another direction. Many of the retirement songs focus on age and slowing down and the negative side of retirement. Lets get some songs that focus on the up side of life. Maybe some songs about her hobbies and life.

She is spiritual so any spiritual song will do. I have access to tons of those.

She is a photographer, specializing in wildlife pohtography. She especially loves bears and her walls are covered with pictures of them including some rather heartstopping closeups (and, no, there was no telephoto lens used).

She loves to travel and will be doing more of that. She just came home from a trip to Ecuador where she was photographing Sea Lions and was bitten by one (in the butt!)

She loves to go sea kayaking.

She's in her mid sixties and single if there are any special guys out there looking for a mate. She's shopping around... (That's SHOPPing!)

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Naemanson
Date: 23 Mar 01 - 06:38 AM

And she's a birdwatcher and loves birds.

She loves her cats and is convinced she will be able to teach them not to eat her birds.

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: GUEST,Dita (at Work)
Date: 23 Mar 01 - 06:58 AM

Pertaining to her hobbies you could try:-

TEDDY BEARS PICNIC.

love, john.

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Auxiris
Date: 23 Mar 01 - 11:36 AM

Jim Dixon: I'd just like to say that "Farmer in Florida," was written by Kitty Donohoe, not Sally Rogers and it's on her cassette tape by the same title.

cheers,

Aux

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Hollowfox
Date: 24 Mar 01 - 10:58 AM

How about "WALTZING WITH BEARS"?

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 24 Mar 01 - 01:53 PM

A DALESMAN'S LITANY is about giving up work in lots of dramatic jobs. It also has a cracking, and spiritual, chorus.
Best wishes,
Keith.

Subject: Lyr Add: QUARTZITE^^
From: GUEST,Nancy
Date: 24 Mar 01 - 08:26 PM

Can't believe nobody has mentioned a lovely retirement song on Small Potatoes' "Time Flies" CD: QUARTZITE

Roy took his pension after 30 some years, A machinist at Allied in Cleveland
Now he passes his days pretty much all the same, Maybe listens to the Indians in the evenin'

He watches his options whittle down to a few, And his once wide horizons grow narrow
So Roy went downtown, took a second on the house, And drove home in a brand new Pierce Arrow

There's a cab-over Roadstar with a Datsun in tow, On a road ten miles out of Sedona
Three days ago they closed the house in St. Paul, And tonight it's southwest Arizona.

She's slower in rising, sometimes she forgets, And what's left of his hair has gone white
But by anyone's measure there's life in them yet, And they'll dance on the desert tonight.

Chorus: Up north where we come from it's snowing, of course
But it's warm as a baby here in Quartzite
The rivers are frozen way back to their source
But we'll dance on the desert tonight

There's a bunch of old duffers with drums and guitars, Tuning up on an old plywood stage
We'll pull on our boots and our best western gear, just to get out and act half our age

Ch.

I ain't leaving none of these pages unfilled, Always felt like a rascal, I feel that way still
Stay with me, dear, up this one final hill, And we'll dance in the desert tonight.

Makes me tear up just to type it!

nancy

HTML line breaks added. -JoeClone, 12-Apr-01.

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 25 Mar 01 - 08:00 PM

Not so much about retirement as being 50 (or any age you like to change the words to) "FREEWHEELING NOW" is a great song by Jim Reid, very popular when someone reaches a certain age: it does talk about the effects of aging but not in a negative way.

Tattie B

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: cetmst
Date: 26 Mar 01 - 06:47 AM

If there's a retirement home in the future, Ruth Pelham's "ACTIVITY ROOM" is upbeat. Chords and lyrics in "Rise Up Singing" which contains many other songs in its Time and Changes section.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE FACTORY LAD^^^
From: radriano
Date: 26 Mar 01 - 11:25 AM

The Factory Lad by Colin Dryden is a great retirement song.

The Factory Lad
by Colin Dryden


You wake up in the morning and dawn's as black as night,
Your mother's shouting up the stairs and you know she's winning the fight
So you'd best venture out of your bed, me lad, for you know it's getting late
And it's down the stairs and up the road and through the factory gate

Chorus:
Turning steel, how do you feel,
As in the chuck you spin?
If you felt like me you'd roll right out
And never roll back in

Wet and bleak the morning as you squeeze in through the gate,
As you clock on your bell'll ring - eight hours is your fate
Off comes your coat, all wet and cold and, "Right, lads!" is the cry
With an eye on the clock and the other on the lathe
You wish that time could fly

The gaffer's walking down the shop and so it's work you must
The grinding, groaning, spinning metal - the hot air and the dust
And I'm often dreaming of me girl as we're walking through the park
Whilst I'm gazing on the blueing steel and a million flying sparks

Now old Tom Black, last Friday his final bell did ring
With his hair as white as his face beneath and his oily, sunken skin
Well, he's made a speech, and he's bid farewell to a lifetime working here
And as I shook his hand I felt I'd laboured forty years

So when me time it comes and at last I leave this place
I'll walk out past the chargehand's desk and I'll never turn my face
Up to the gates, into the sun and I'll leave it all behind me
With one regret, for the lads I've left to carry on the grind

Richard

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: JudeL
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 07:00 AM

How about "THE PARTING GLASS" or since you said she was convinced she could teach her cat not to go after birds perhaps she'd appreciate "THE CAT THAT ROAMED" sometimes known as "I can't fly but my moggy can"

Jude

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Naemanson
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 08:38 AM

The retirement songs are too sad and she is anything but. There will be a fair number of doctors and nurses in the room. How about medical songs? Something funny about medicine would be good.

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: pattyClink
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 10:54 AM

Another tack that would work if you or a colleague can do parodies: take the honoree's favorite song and write new lyrics. I came up with a fractured but tender spin on "GENTLE ANNIE" for my sister when she turned 50, it was much appreciated. Had lines like "so congratulations to you, don't let barnacles unglue you, make your next 50 be hearty and be hale".

We had a man leave our office after many years for something better; for him, we turned 'MY WAY' into "Ware's Way" and wove in typical, funny things he would do. Framed the lyrics as a memento. I think he took it well, and it gave the party a great focus and a lot of laughs.

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Genie
Date: 02 Aug 02 - 02:51 PM

Just connecting the threads.

click here

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: GUEST,jaze
Date: 02 Aug 02 - 10:12 PM

"IN TALL BUILDINGS" by John Hartford

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Hrothgar
Date: 05 Aug 02 - 05:42 AM

If you want a Colin Dryden song about retirement, try "Old Sither," but it's not all that cheerful.

If you want it, I can dig out some words. Tunes, I'm not into. That could make it awkward!

[Recording at Soundcloud]

Subject: Lyr Add: ROLL THE U-HAUL DOWN
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 05 Aug 02 - 12:50 PM

When Bernie Klay announced his retirement to Florida, Jan and I got up and premiered a song we had written several years ago to the tune of "Roll the Woodpile Down."

When I retire in due time
    Way down to Florida
Mine Miami Condo will be divine
    And we'll roll the U-Haul down.

Rolling, rolling, rolling the U-haul down
That sweetheart of mine's of the Flatbush line;
And we'll roll the U-Haul down.

Mine condo will have an ocean view
    Way down in Florida
That the hurricanes will blow right through
    And we'll roll the U-haul down.

A redwood hot tub there will be
With Champagne and a Jacuzzi.

Mine condo it will be so neat
With plastic slipcovers on every seat.

[You can personalize it also. For Bernie we added
The folks in Naples had better flee
    Right out of Florida
Cause Bernie is the Terror of the Streets
    And we'll roll the U-Haul down.]

It really goes over well if you sort of gargle the l's and r's. Even if you start this as a solo, generally the audience ends up joining in. Feel free to add verses and play with it.

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From:
Date: 31 May 05 - 08:55 PM

my husband is retiring after 23 yrs in the Air Force, he wants a song that reflects his childhood thru the adult years accompanied witha video of childhood/adult hood pictures. He doesn't want a sad melodramatic song.

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Peace
Date: 31 May 05 - 08:58 PM

I saw the thread title and thought, "What could be better than writing something like, 'Hey, Jude'?" That oughta be enough to retire on, but then I realized what the thread's about.

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Sorcha
Date: 31 May 05 - 09:18 PM

GONNA LAY DOWN MY OLD GUITAR???

Subject: RE: Searching For Retirement Songs
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 31 May 05 - 09:22 PM

How about a song from where he comes from?

there's lots of songs about where people come from about being a GEORDIE LAD, or MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE I'M A LONDONER or THE LINCOLNSHIRE POACHER, or IN MY LIVERPOOL HOME....

after all where you come from is part of your identity

all the best

al