"Nick of Time"

Rock and roll has always been a young person's thing. Popular music is designed to go against the grain of the older generation, to cause outrage and huffing and puffing from the Establishment. But somehow, things have begun to stick in recent years. Perhaps it's the influence of the media, making megastars of people who haven't had a hit record in years, and keeping them in the public eye. Or is there another reason the Rolling Stones keep touring? Nostalgia has become big business, when twenty years ago you'd hardly remember the names of the stars of your youth. What is this about? Perhaps it's the generation of the 60s and 70s, who are probably thinking "when I was a kid, songs had proper tunes and all", voting with their feet and wallets. In any case, the theme of time passing is one that's taking a front seat in the minds of a lot of Baby Boomers these days.
Which brings me to this song by Bonnie Raitt: "I see my folks, they’re getting old, I watch their bodies change/I know they see the same in me, and it makes us both feel strange/No matter how you tell yourself, it’s what we all go through/Those eyes are pretty hard to take when they’re staring back at you." There are all kinds of ways to measure the passing of the years, but this is perhaps the most personal, the most visceral sign of age. It's a soft, gentle, reflective song that touches on those sensitive spots, backs away, and leaves you warm and somehow reassured.