Young Anymore
David Baerwald Lyrics
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She rises with the sun
Puts her leotard on
Does her exercise
Her mama waits outside
Smoking cigarettes in the car
And wishing on a star
And concocting alibis
A cop casts suspicious eyes
But I'm only thinking of
A blond ballerina age nine
And I am her daddy
And I'm a cold-hearted man
All my friends are behind closed doors
And I watch the little girls
As they traverse across the floor
And I'm thinking
This time maybe I ain't that young anymore
The wind from the freeway
Is blowing her hair
She tied it back with a string
The hot desert sun comes down like a brick
She rubs a little lotion in
A truck flew by
The driver gave a sexy eye
But she didn't notice
She was only thinking about a blond
Ballerina age nine
And I am her daddy
And I'm a cold-hearted man
All my friends are behind closed doors
And I watch the little girls
As they traverse the floor
And I'm thinking this time
Maybe I ain't all that young anymore
David Baerwald's song "Young Anymore" is a reflection on aging and the dark side of the past. In the opening verse, the song introduces a young ballerina who wakes up with the sun and heads to class, fully committed to her training. Her mother waits outside, smoking and crafting excuses for her daughter, while the singer (presumably the girl's father) watches from a distance, remembering a time when he was young and carefree. Despite his best efforts, a police officer notices him watching the ballerina, and the shadow of guilt seems to loom over the singer's musings.
As the song progresses, the ballerina is revealed to be the singer's daughter, whom he sees as an extension of his own precarious relationship with youth. He describes himself as a "cold-hearted man," and notes that his friends are all "behind closed doors" - a reference, perhaps, to the tangled webs of secrecy and shame that often surround adults who prey on young girls. Despite his internal warning signs, the singer continues to watch other little girls as they dance, reflecting on the passage of time and the erosion of his innocence.
"Young Anymore" is a haunting and introspective track that deals with themes of regret, nostalgia, and self-awareness. Baerwald's lyrics are pointed and evocative, bringing to life the complex emotions that underpin the singer's rumination on youth and aging.
Line by Line Meaning
She's a ballerina
She is a young girl who practices ballet.
She rises with the sun
She wakes up early in the morning.
Puts her leotard on
She gets dressed in a tight-fitting outfit for ballet practice.
Does her exercise
She performs her routine of physical movements to improve her ballet skills.
Her mama waits outside
Her mother sits in the car waiting for her daughter to finish her ballet class.
Smoking cigarettes in the car
Her mother is smoking cigarettes while waiting for her daughter.
And wishing on a star
Her mother is hoping for something good to happen while waiting for her daughter.
And concocting alibis
Her mother is inventing excuses for why they are late or why they missed ballet practice.
Me I drift by
The singer is passing by the ballerina and her mother.
A cop casts suspicious eyes
A police officer looks at the singer suspiciously.
But I'm only thinking of
Despite the cop's suspicion, the singer is only thinking of something else.
A blond ballerina age nine
The singer is thinking of a young blond girl who also practiced ballet at a young age.
And I am her daddy
The singer imagines being the father of the young blonde ballerina.
And I'm a cold-hearted man
The singer acknowledges his own inadequacies as a father figure due to his emotional detachment.
All my friends are behind closed doors
The singer's social circle is secretive, indicating a lack of trustworthiness and possibly criminal activity.
And I watch the little girls
The singer observes young girls practicing ballet.
As they traverse across the floor
The young ballet dancers move elegantly across the dance floor.
And I'm thinking
The singer is reflecting on something significant.
This time maybe I ain't that young anymore
The singer realizes that he is getting older and therefore not as innocent as he once was.
The wind from the freeway
The wind created by cars on the highway blows against the ballerina's hair.
Is blowing her hair
The wind is blowing against the ballerina's hair.
She tied it back with a string
The ballerina tied her hair back with a string to keep it out of her face while she practices ballet.
The hot desert sun comes down like a brick
The desert sun is hot and intense like a heavy weight pressing down on the ballerina.
She rubs a little lotion in
The ballerina applies lotion to her skin to prevent sunburn or chafing while practicing ballet.
A truck flew by
A truck drove by quickly.
The driver gave a sexy eye
The truck driver showed a sexually suggestive look towards the ballerina.
But she didn't notice
The ballerina was not paying attention to the driver of the truck.
She was only thinking about a blond
She was thinking about another blond girl who also practiced ballet.
Ballerina age nine
The young ballerina was around nine years old.
And I am her daddy
The singer once again imagines being the father of the young blonde ballerina.
And I'm a cold-hearted man
The singer reiterates his emotional detachment and inadequacy as a father figure for the young blonde ballerina.
All my friends are behind closed doors
The singer's social circle is still secretive and possibly linked to illegal activities that are hidden from view.
And I watch the little girls
The singer continues to observe young girls practicing ballet.
As they traverse the floor
The young ballet dancers still move gracefully across the dance floor.
And I'm thinking this time
The singer is again reflecting on the situation.
Maybe I ain't all that young anymore
The singer again acknowledges his age and how it affects his perception of the situation.
Contributed by David F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.