Photograph by Greg Giannuko

For some time now I have been listening to the song “Kids these Days” by the American one man band musician Alejandro Rose-Garcia (aka Shakey Graves). The song debuted on Rose-Garcia's 2018 album “Can’t Wake Up” and it periodically pops up on a playlist that I listen to on my music app. Admittedly, up until now I hadn’t given the song much thought, but for some reason today something in the lyrics caught my attention.

After giving the song a deeper listen and reading through the lyrics I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s actually a pretty interesting song and relatable in many ways, to a wide demographic audience. After presenting the song and lyrics in my article I will offer my own interpretation of the songs meaning. I hope you enjoy!

Kids these Days: Song and Lyrics

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cECFux1TYvw

I'm too young to die Gonna live forever I just want to talk tough, look mean Life is good at seventeen

One thing that I know is that You don't know a thing about me You were the young, dumb, chosen one Now you shake your head and say Kids these days

Mirror mirror on the wall What's the meaning of it all?

Wasted all the time Nothing lasts forever Maybe I should give up the good fight Change my image overnight

One thing that I know is that You don't know a thing about me I am the young, dumb, chosen one Losing in the loveliest way Kids these days

Mirror mirror on the wall What's the meaning of it all?

Image from the Music Video

Adolescent intuition Murder on the rise Make an easy million Blow it in the night

Tell me that I'm pretty Tell me that I'm nice I know you can see it in my eyes You can see it in my eyes You can see it in my eyes You can see it in my eyes

Everybody tries Tries to be somebody To be somebody's wet dream, prom king Golden boy, new toy

Mirror mirror on the wall What's the meaning of it all?

Life is a honeymoon phase Kids these days Kids these days Kids these days

Song Meaning and Interpretation

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Source

I interpret the song as Shakey Graves looking back on his youth through the lens of adulthood and recognizing the parallels between his own adolescents and the youth of today.

For instance, I think it's common for many young adults to feel invincible, as if they are going to live forever. Similarly, many young adults are self-absorbed often believing that are being scrutinized by everyone around them, a psychological phenomenon referred to as ego-centrism which tends to be highly prevalent in individuals during childhood and adolescents. This feeling of being scrutinized may lead to some individuals to try to protect themselves by “talking tough” and/or “looking mean,” as suggested by the songs lyrics. But Shakey Graves also quickly points out that we do not know a thing about these people which highlights another common experience for adolescents, that of being misunderstood by those around them.

For me, in many ways this song is about the commonalities that people experience in their youth. As such, the phrase “Kids these days,” which is normally meant as a judgement statement towards the younger generation, is actually a recognition of the self in the other. It’s kind of like saying, “Hey, I was just like you when I was your age. I went through all of those things as well.”

Adolescence is something that we all go through and it’s an important part of our development. It is a time when we ignore the advice of our parents and stubbornly act on our own (sometimes careless) intuitions. It is a time when we make bad decisions, experiment with our identity and ultimately discover who we are as a person. These are all important discoveries and experiences that help us grow and learn and mature as a person.

So kids these days indeed. We were all a kid at some point in our life. That’s something that we all share.

Thanks for Reading