30 Songs for Turning 30
With just four days left of my 20s, I've composed a list of songs about getting older.
If we’re lucky, aging comes for all of us. Even though I can intellectualize the fact that turning 30 isn’t really that big of a deal, it’s also hitting the point where most of the people that have been my lifelong friends are entering their third decades.
I feel that 30 is the first age where there’s some sense of worry attached to it. For many of us, our earliest memories of our parents are in our 30s, and it seems like the decade where you should have things worked out whether it’s career, relationships, or just mental health. As I approach 30, it’s been one of the more trying years, after getting laid off from my job of nearly 3 years and being brought back in on a contract basis, and left to navigate the abysmal hell that the new owners have turned the company into. Comedy hasn’t been as progressive as I’d hoped that it would be, and I’m left wondering if the two year gap that the pandemic left in the middle of my 20s is part of the reason or if I’m just struggling with finding my place or making the jump to the next level.
Still, I’ve found that my relationships have thrived even as I’ve approached 30. I’ve been dating the love of my life for four years now. I find myself having found a decent balance to spend time with friends, and keeping people close to me, while also picking up where things leave off when there are larger gaps. I feel like my relationship with my family is the strongest it’s ever been. Being in fields that almost always prioritize career over relationships, I feel thankful for the relationships that I’ve nurtured, even as some have fallen to the wayside.
Despite this, I still have the anxieties about aging and hitting a major milestone age. I’ve gone back and forth about whether I should even throw a party for myself. At the time that I’m writing this, the only definite birthday celebration on my docket is seeing The Menzingers on the eve of my 30th. Due to some feelings of hopelessness, I’ve withheld on making any planning going forward.
Still, one way that I’ve coped through every major life change has been with music, so I have compiled a playlist of 30 songs for turning 30.
The Menzingers – Tellin’ Lies
The decade taken hostage
By my own guilty conscience
‘When ya gonna quit this nonsense?’
When After The Party was released, I was 23 (maybe 22), and it felt so distant to be hearing the opening song with a chorus that said “Where are we gonna go, now that our 20s are over.” Now that time is here, and I’m going to celebrate my birthday by seeing The Menzingers on the eve of my 30th birthday. I’m sure I’ll have more on that later, but ATP has found itself in heavy rotation for me.
Bo Burnham – 30
It’s 2020, and I’m 30. I’ll do another ten.
2030, I’ll be 40 and kill myself then
Most of my stupid friends have yet to have stupid children, but I know that that’s only for a matter of time. While a true sense of anxiety and discontent is the subtext of the entirety of Bo Burnham’s Inside, “30” has been sitting on the backburner for me for a little while. It’s very funny, and silly. Even though there’s some worry, there’s also some joyful sense that this is his birthday, and he’s excited, even if it is to take his own life when he turns 40.
Dave Hause – Time Will Tell
Staying up blowing tombstone powder with the brokenhearted liars again
To be honest, I didn’t realize that people start to lose it in their 30s, but as I’ve approached the day, my real sense of panic sets in, and I have plenty of worry in there. Dave Hause’s “Time Will Tell” was the first time that I ever thought about that, when he sings the line “Is it that early 30s thing where some guys just go insane?” I know that it’s all in my head, but the worry is still there.
Spanish Love Songs – Aloha to No One
You might move on, but you’ll never feel important
You might be fine, but you’ll never be your best
In the second verse, Dylan Slocum sings about still playing tiny house shows while approaching 30. Being a person in the arts, I think that this rings true, because we all thought we’d be further along. You always see the massively successful superstars who get famous young and grow up in the spotlight. At this point, I didn’t think that I’d be churning out terrible content for a company with no clear vision for a website that they bought after laying me off, but here we are.
Jeff Rosenstock – We Begged 2 Explode
Laura said to me, ‘This decade’s gonna be fucked.’
Even though no one has voiced the downfall of American society better than Jeff Rosenstock on Worry, the album does begin on a somewhat hopeful note. Yes, it does begin with a friend warning him that you’re going to lose your friends to marriage, babies, jobs, and divorce, but he’s still searching for those “magic moments.” Yes, it’s longing for those times when you remembered all your loved ones being together and trying to recapture that magic. Even though we may not hold those as dear as we should, it’s a good reminder to keep trying to make those magic moments, until the magic is gone.
Polar Bear Club – Heart Attack at Thirty
There is no doubt, my body will give and pay for this
This song was seemingly written from a more youthful point of view. By my guess, it was a 22-year-old living a life on the road, already beginning to feel the effects that touring was having on his body (and probably mind). There is some winking knowledge that 30 isn’t really that old as he predicts going into cardiac arrest at 30, paying the toll for all the years on the road. Still, I’m taking it as a reminder to keep doing the things that have made me feel young. Something that I’ve tried to keep in mind as June 8 approaches.
Icona Pop – I Love It (feat. Charli XCX)
I’m a 90s bitch
Not much else to say besides the fact that being born in 1994, I think officially makes me a 90s bitch.
Heart Attack Man – Old Enough 2 Die
Happy birthday, baby girl
Old enough to die
Yes, Heart Attack Man’s song is sort of smirking and silly. It’s also sort of a comment on how little we actually value life in society. Still, I think it’s going to be very funny singing along that I’m “old enough to die” on my 30th birthday.
Frank Turner – Live Fast Die Old
You’d rather burn out than fade away
Well, why not both?
There’s a little bit of a musical theater-ness to Frank Turner’s Poetry of the Deed song about living life to the fullest and longest. While there are certainly a lot of songs about trying to burnout and die young, Turner’s ode to constantly pushing yourself further is a joyous tribute to aging gracefully.
Anxious – Growing Up Song
As I’m getting older, the hate that I shoulder subsides
I’ve been working on this joke about how as I approach 30, I’m trying to be kinder and not think too much about dumb bullshit. That’s true now more than ever. It’s a combination of trying to act and think with grace, while also simply seeing that most things don’t matter. Screaming along with the young men in Anxious’ song “I don’t care at all” still rings true.
Japandroids – True Love and a Free Life of Free Will
Plans loose as the morals we are planning with
Baby, be the beast, but free what burdens thee
I’m hoping that my 30s bring a new Japandroids record. Back in 2017, The Menzingers and Japandroids each released records about the end of your 20s and looking to your 30s. Now, that I’ve been rapidly approaching 30, I’ve gone ahead and revisited Near to the Wild Heart of Life and After The Party more frequently. While the Menzos have remained active and continued to show their growth, Japandroids have quietly faded from the face of the planet. The celebratory sophomore record remains the large part of their legacy, but I hope to get another check-in now that the guys are in their late 30s soon. Although, that seems unlikely.
Danny Brown – 30
The last ten years, I been so fucking stressed
Maybe this is the decade that I get into Danny Brown, because this song is sick. Brown’s ode to hitting his third decade is both a denouncement of the previous decade, and it’s a prediction for the next step of greatness. As he looks back on the hard times that brought him to 30, he can only hope for the best in the closing track to his record XXX.
R.E.M. – Find the River
This life passed before my eyes
And nothing is going my way
At this point, Michael Stipe is double the age that he was when Automatic for the People was released. It’s a record that he said is supposed to mirror the experience of being in your early 30s. I suppose since I have gotten older and I can see how I’ve changed over the course of three decades, everything makes sense, but at the same time, I suppose I’m still too young to fully appreciate every change that’s happened, and that’s why I feel a little lost like in “Find the River.”
Neil Young – Old Man
Old man, look at my life
I’m a lot like you were
Neil Young was about 27 when he released “Old Man,” and even though he seem to appreciate the fact that he was still young, he seemed to be foreshadowing a point in time where he may not feel akin to people in their 20s. Checking a handful of his recent setlists, it doesn’t seem like it’s a current staple in his live shows, but it seems like it could’ve been a great moment of commentary to tell his older fanbase that they should be listening to the younger folks who they may occasionally still disparage as not understanding the way that the world works.
Gregor Barnett – Don’t Go Throwing Roses in My Grave
Lately, I’ve been feeling like the slayer and the slain
Don’t go throwing roses in my grave
Menzingers singer-guitarist Greg Barnett’s debut solo record is a commentary on the drifting feeling that you can experience in your mid-early adulthood. The title track from the album is about feeling constantly conflicted and sort of lost. Despite being unsure, he seems dedicated to get through it all. Don’t get ready to bury him just yet.
Miley Cyrus – Used to be Young
You say I used to be wild
I say I used to be young
Miley Cyrus is technically older than me, but she always feels like someone younger than me, which to some extent makes “Used to be Young” somewhat comical. Still, it’s a solemn reflection from someone who’s looking to mature a little bit, and though much of this list is about songs about preserving a youthful hunger for life, to some extent, there’s also some acknowledgement that I’ve regretfully grown up to some extent, no matter how hard I try not to.
Camp Cope – Lost (Season One)
Hope you know where you are
I hope you feel like you’ve gotten far
And maybe you were told you were special
One too many times and now you’re lost
RIP Camp Cope. One of the best emo bands of my lifetime, gone too soon. Their debut record is as much about discomfort in the world, as it is about seeing the failings of late stage capitalism. “Lost” is a romantic song, but it’s also a little bit self-deprecating. While frontperson Georgia Maq was in her 20s when the song came out, there’s a lot of directionless-ness that feels like the previous decade and not knowing where you should be going or where you’re going.
Taylor Swift – Florida!!! (feat. Florence + the Machine)
My friends all smell like weed or little babies
Really, more like weed if we’re being honest.
The Menzingers – Livin’ Ain’t Easy
In vibrant hues and subtle brush strokes of memory
The life I’ve painted I’ve sold for a quick twenty
The closing song to The Menzingers’ ode to growing up is a resolve that nothing really gets easier. We have to try to do the best we can, but we also have to do what we gotta do to survive. Every time you get a perk, you’re just left out of coffee. Still, we have nothing else to do but try.
Frank Turner – Photosynthesis
No one’s yet explained to me exactly what’s so great
About slaving 50 years away on something that you hate
Frank Turner’s ode to keeping a youthful spirit can be played on every birthday. It’s a positive reminder to not let yourself get bogged down and surrender to the types of things you don’t want to do. Even though you will start to see the passage of time as you chat with friends about “mortgages and pension plans,” you can keep on fighting to not sit down, shut up, or grow up.
Jeff Rosenstock – Old Crap
You can call it “angst,” but I ain’t seen proof
That the world ain’t fucked, and we ain’t just doomed to truth
Unfortunately, as time has gone on, my faith in the state of the world has continued to dwindle more and more than it did when I was a teenager and pre-teen. Still, we all just keep doing the shit that we feel like we need to, even knowing it may hurt our slowly breaking down bodies or damage our mental health.
Charles Bradley – Changes (feat. The Budos Band)
Now, all my days are filled with tears
Wish I could go back and change these years
Just as Johnny Cash performed the definitive version of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt,” Charles Bradley’s cover of Black Sabbath’s “Changes” has outshined the original, partially due to being the theme song to Big Mouth. Still, Bradley’s cover which he performed late in life, he sounds truly regretful for the things that he missed out on, looking back on past loves, knowing that he can’t get them back, and that time has gone on for too long. Now, all he has is the life that he wishes he could’ve.
Lorde – Ribs
It feels so scary getting old
Lorde wasn’t even in her 20s when she wrote this anxious banger. Even though at the time, it felt like a rude awakening to the un-magnificent life of an adult that was slowly coming; now, it just feels more and more like asking “how did I end up here?” There’s not an answer besides the slow and unforgiving trudge of time.
Fleetwood Mac – Landslide
Climb a mountain and turn around
And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Well, the landslide bring it down
Stevie Nicks really was younger than I am now when Rumours came out. Still, she wrote one of the most tender ballads of loss and time passing. It’s a reminder that even though there’s going to be beauty to be seen, it will someday be brought down. Time keeps carrying on against us all.
Koyo – Anthem
We grow old and die off
But the best has yet to come
Now that I’ve hit the tail end of my twenties, I’ve started to see myself get tired of the people younger than me on occasion. Still, I try to keep in mind that I may not always be the most up-to-date on slang or trends. That’s not a bad thing. I try to embrace the torch getting passed on, just as Koyo predict someday “dying off” and a new, better generation taking over.
Frank Turner – Ceasefire
I’m haunted by a ghost who hides inside my body
Much of Frank Turner’s new record Undefeated is about making peace with the person you’ve grown into. I try not to dwell much on what I think my past self would think of my current self. I do like to think that ultimately, I would be completely fine. Still, I guess that I’ll never know, because I can still feel the fire that I had then deep inside me.
Future Teens – Mourning Time
When he said it can be so damn relentless sometimes
And you laughed, just so you don’t cry
I try not to dwell too much on the things that have felt like they’ve been lost to the sands of time. Still, every now and then, I find myself sitting here and wondering why am I still dealing with all of this shit? I’m left wondering what my younger self would say, and I’m left wondering what “the fuck I’m supposed to do now.”
Fall Out Boy – Growing Up
Winning looks like losing
And I’m winning every time
There’s nothing like looking back on the type of angst filled songs that were written by younger people to remind you of how far you’ve come. Still, it seems appropriate to want to shout the words “growing up” as I turn 30.
The Menzingers – The Last One Killed Me
Blame it all on shitty timing, bad luck
Every hour hurt, but the last one killed me
The newest song on this list is the recently released deluxe track from The Menzingers’ Some Of It Was True. The Scranton punks have taken a country-tilt for their latest song. It’s a reflection on getting older, watching bands you love breakup, and acknowledging that this shit can be hard some times. The time is still going to catch up, and the pain will be there, but ultimately, we’re all going to go through it.
Jeff Rosenstock – Get Old Forever
Breathe in deep and debride my life
Stale regrets are a waste of time
Only one thing remains secure
That we all get old together
And we all get old forever
Sometimes when I tell people that are the same age as me that my primary hobby at this point in my life is going and getting the shit kicked out of myself in a moshpit, I feel a little embarrassed. Those moments serve as good reminders that I should keep embracing those moments where I feel alive, because we’re all still going to “get old forever,” and I know that there will come a time that I can’t hop in the pit. When that day comes, I’ll regretfully stand in the back, but for now, I’m going to keep pressing back and living fearlessly.