As I was posting this, I remembered “Hello in There,” a Bette Midler song I played over and over in the early 70s. As it turns out, the lyrics were written by John Prine when he was only 25: “…So if you’re walking down the street sometime, and spot some hollow ancient eyes, please don’t just pass ’em by and stare, as if you didn’t care, say, ‘Hello in there, hello.'”
I am wise but not because I am smart;
I’ve learned from my mistakes,
But I am old…and you don’t listen.
I am strong but not because I am fit;
The years have given me inner strength,
But I am old…and you don’t listen.
I face life but not because I am brave;
I no longer argue with reality,
But I am old…and you don’t listen.
I am not perfect, just worth listening to;
I have lived and I have been there,
But I am old…and you don’t listen.