Making Friends With My Grey Hair
Christine Lavin Lyrics

My big sister's hair went grey in her 30s
The singer's older sister experienced premature greying of hair in her 30s.

My little brother Eddie also went grey early
The singer's younger brother Eddie also experienced premature greying of hair.

I was lucky that didn't happen to me / My hair was brown I was 43
The singer did not experience premature greying of hair and had brown hair until the age of 43.

But a few years later my hairdresser stared at my head / I'll never forget those words he said
The singer's hairdresser noticed grey hair on her head and informed her about it.

'you've got to accept you've come to the day / Where you've got to admit your hair's going grey'
The hairdresser asserts that the singer must come to terms with her hair turning grey.

He said 'but I can fix it, I can highlight it' / I said 'do your thing,' and frankly I was delighted / My brown hair now looked kinda blonde / And all that grey looked kinda gone
The hairdresser offers a solution to highlight the grey hair which the singer willingly accepts, leading to brown hair looking blonde with no visible gray.

Sure it cost a lot of money but I happily paid / Every 3 or 4 months when the streaks would fade
The singer paid a considerable sum of money to get her hair highlighted every 3 or 4 months when the color would fade.

'Til the last time I went to get my hair cut / He said 'the usual?' I said yes but
During a visit to the hairdresser, the usual procedure for highlighting was followed despite the singer's wish to change.

I want to make friends with my grey hair / It's here to stay it's not going anywhere / You may think I'm kidding but I swear / I want to make friends with my grey hair
The singer expresses her desire to embrace her grey hair instead of trying to hide or cover it as it is a permanent part of her appearance.

I want to make friends with my grey hair / I don't want any chemicals up there / If you don't like it I don't care / I'm making friends with my grey hair
The singer is determined to avoid using chemical solutions on her hair and is unbothered if her choice is not acceptable to others.

When I was a kid I was skinny and tough / I couldn't give blood I didn't weigh enough / I had no chest I had no hips / Had no butt, barely had lips
The singer reflects on her childhood when she lacked feminine, curvy features due to being skinny and tough, which led to challenges like not meeting the minimum weight requirement for blood donation.

But holy moly things have changed / I look in the mirror who's that stranger / Where did she come from? where did I go? / The woman in the mirror says I think you know
The singer acknowledges the changes in her appearance as an adult and is amazed by the person she sees in the mirror who looks different from her past self.

You gotta make friends with those new pounds / They're here to stay they're not leaving town / So you used to be a stick guess what? you're round / Start making friends with those new pounds
The singer advises accepting one's new body shape even if it is different from the past and encourages making peace with the changes.

I'm making friends with my new pounds / Sometimes it's a drag to haul em around / Once I lost a lot of weight but then it was found / So I'm making friends with my new pounds
The singer is learning to accept her new body shape but admits the weight can be burdensome, and she's trying to be content instead of focusing on losing the weight again.

When I look closely at my face / I see lines that I could erase / But a face like mine that has no lines there / Would look so weird my new grey hair
The singer notices fine lines on her face that she thinks she could remove, but she realizes that completely removing them would not suit her as she has chosen to embrace her grey hair.

I take off my glasses I like what I see / This is much nicer than harsh reality / Hmm... you look much better to me / Cancel my lasik surgery
The singer removes her glasses and is more comfortable with her appearance without them, deciding to ditch her plan to undergo Lasik surgery.

With the money I used to spend covering my grey / I go to concerts, I go to plays / I support public radio, I buy a good book / I even take lessons from a gourmet cook
The singer saves the money she previously spent highlighting her hair and uses it for leisure activities such as attending concerts, plays, supporting public radio, buying books, and learning gourmet cooking.

With the money I wasted on diet club dues / Save em up once a year I go on a cruise / With the money I save since I quit that fancy gym / I think I'll spend a little bit ot it on him
The singer instead uses the money she saved from not attending diet clubs and fancy gyms to fund annual cruises or to spend on loved ones.

Hmm, looking around I see I'm not the only one / You look good, baby and
The singer observes the visual changes in herself and others, commenting that they still look great.

With the money you save / You can buy yourself a cuban cigar / With the money you save / You can buy yourself a new guitar / With the money you save / You can buy yourself a jaguar
The singer uses repeated instances of language to encourage listeners to save money and spend it on things they desire, such as a cigar, guitar, or car.

With the money you save / Think of the money you save
The singer repeats a reminder to think of how much money can one save by making a different choice or decision.