Rankin's best-known composition, "Peaceful," was a major hit for Helen Reddy in 1973. He had a major fan in Johnny Carson, who had Rankin appear on "The Tonight Show" more than two dozen times. Carson wrote the liner notes for Rankin's 1967 debut album, "Mind Dusters."
Rankin died June 7, 2009, in Los Angeles. According to his management company, he was diagnosed with lung cancer three weeks earlier.
Blame It On My Youth
Kenny Rankin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If only just for you, I did exist, blame it on my youth
I believed in everything
Like a child of three
You meant more than anything
You meant all the world to me
If, you were on my mind, all night and day, blame it on my youth
If I cried a little bit, when first I learned the truth
Don't blame it on my heart, blame it on my youth
In Kenny Rankin’s song “Blame it on My Youth,” he sings about the pains and frustrations of young love. In the first stanza, he explains that if he expected love when they first kissed, it is because he was young and inexperienced. He goes on to say that in his mind, she was everything, and meant the world to him, even though he was just a child of three.
The second stanza highlights how engulfed he was in his love for her, such that he forgot to eat, sleep, and even pray. He admits that he cried when he first learned the truth, but does not blame his heart for it, rather he blames it on his youth. This song perfectly captures the intense, and often overwhelming feelings that young people experience in their first love.
Overall, the song is a reminder that youth is not just a number, but a state of mind characterized by inexperience, naivety, and urgency, and some of the decisions we make during this period may be based on these emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
If, I expected love, when first we kissed, blame it on my youth
I was naive and inexperienced. I thought that love would come easily and naturally when we shared our first kiss.
If only just for you, I did exist, blame it on my youth
I was young and in love. My entire existence revolved around you and our relationship.
I believed in everything
I was trusting and hopeful. I had faith in the future and our potential together.
Like a child of three
I was innocent and unworldly. I lacked the experience and knowledge to navigate the complexities of love and relationships.
You meant more than anything
You were the center of my world. My love and devotion to you eclipsed everything else in my life.
You meant all the world to me
You were my everything. My love for you was all-consuming and complete.
If, you were on my mind, all night and day, blame it on my youth
My love for you was all-consuming. You were always on my mind, day and night.
If, I forgot to eat, and sleep and pray, blame it on my youth
My love for you was so strong that it distracted me from everything else in my life. I neglected my basic needs like eating, sleeping, and praying.
If I cried a little bit, when first I learned the truth
I was heartbroken when I discovered the truth about our relationship. It was painful to accept that my dream of us being together forever was not going to be a reality.
Don't blame it on my heart, blame it on my youth
I was young and foolish. My heart was pure, but my inexperience and immaturity led me to make mistakes in love.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Edward Heyman, Oscar Levant
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paul Amirault
on Through the Eye of the Eagle
Verse three replace "Walking "with the word "Moving" which he sings