Young and the old
Madness Lyrics


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[Repeat; x2]
Whoa oh

Staggering home everybody sings (whoa oh)
All the old songs, the cockney routines (whoa oh)
All the old women, all the young men (whoa oh)
Try changing places then back again (whoa oh)
Old man in the morning
Young man at night
Breakfast full of wisdom
Until you hit the lights

Knock back the drinks, hitch up your skirt (whoa oh)
Fall over backwards, undo your shirt (whoa oh)
Everyone shouting what a terrible state (whoa oh)
Age creeping backwards as it gets late (whoa oh)

Old man in the morning
Young man at night
Breakfast full of wisdom
Until you hit the lights

Have a quick short forget about work (whoa oh)
Have a couple more then you go berserk (whoa oh)
Who cares about this morning wise old man (whoa oh)
The wisdom comes up later and goes down the pan (whoa oh)

Old man in the morning
Young man at night
Breakfast full of wisdom
Until you hit the lights

Then another round, forget who's turn (whoa oh)
Waking up to feel your stomach churn (whoa oh)
Who's in the chair and who's on the floor (whoa oh)
Incoherants knocking on the door (whoa oh)

Old man in the morning
Young man at night
Breakfast full of wisdom




Until you hit the lights
Hit the lights

Overall Meaning

The song "The Young and the Old" by Madness explores the idea of getting older but still feeling young at heart. The first stanza talks about everyone singing old songs and performing old routines, with both old women and young men swapping places to demonstrate a sense of youthfulness. The lyrics then describe the process of drinking and partying, with people letting loose and forgetting about their responsibilities. The chorus emphasizes the idea that age doesn't necessarily dictate the level of fun someone can have. The second stanza continues to describe the party scene, with people getting more drunk and acting crazier. However, the final lines of the song mention waking up with a hangover and feeling the consequences of their actions, lending a darker tone to the song as it warns against the dangers of excessive behavior.


The song's message is that everyone can still have fun and behave like the young, regardless of their age. However, the consequences of such behavior can't be ignored, and it's important to have balance in life.


Line by Line Meaning

Staggering home everybody sings (whoa oh)
Everyone is drunk and singing while walking home


All the old songs, the cockney routines (whoa oh)
They are singing traditional, old songs and performing old-fashioned dance routines


All the old women, all the young men (whoa oh)
Both the elderly and the youths are present


Try changing places then back again (whoa oh)
The elderly try to dance like young people and the young people try to act more mature


Old man in the morning
Aging man who is sober and responsible during the day


Young man at night
Aging man becomes young and wild at night while drinking


Breakfast full of wisdom
The man is wise and sober in the morning


Until you hit the lights
Until you go to sleep, drink and party nonstop


Knock back the drinks, hitch up your skirt (whoa oh)
Drink alcohol and dance seductively


Fall over backwards, undo your shirt (whoa oh)
Get so drunk that you lose your balance and begin to strip


Everyone shouting what a terrible state (whoa oh)
People are noticing how drunk and disheveled they all look


Age creeping backwards as it gets late (whoa oh)
As the night goes on, they act younger


Have a quick short forget about work (whoa oh)
Drink alcohol and forget about responsibilities


Have a couple more then you go berserk (whoa oh)
Drink more and become uncontrollable


Who cares about this morning wise old man
They no longer care about being responsible or wise


The wisdom comes up later and goes down the pan (whoa oh)
They act foolishly now, but will regret it later


Then another round, forget who's turn (whoa oh)
Drink again and can't remember whose turn it is


Waking up to feel your stomach churn (whoa oh)
They will wake up feeling nauseous


Who's in the chair and who's on the floor (whoa oh)
They are so drunk they can't remember who is sitting and who is lying down


Incoherants knocking on the door (whoa oh)
People are so drunk they can't even speak properly and knock on the wrong door


Hit the lights
To go to sleep or end the night of partying




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARK WILLIAM BEDFORD, CHRISTOPHER JOHN FOREMAN, CATHAL JOSEPH SMYTH, DANIEL MARK WOODGATE, MICHAEL BARSON, LEE JAY THOMPSON, GRAHAM MCPHERSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@NeonGSP

most great underrated song by madness

@josephmurphy7768

Another great song by madness....they done so many though didn't they!!!.....i use to love dancing to madness, sadly i never saw them live....and that fact still torments me to this day!!lol....i wos a punk in 78/79...then changed to skinhead in 80!!....it wos a train of music that i had to ride on!!..the music madness made wos irresistible to my ears!!!lol

@bigbadbillb

This should have been a hit single. Very underrated song....too bad.

@dennisclark5206

My favourite Madness song. 

@stevep30716

Love it ...... LOVE IT!!!

@obaolori

i need a breakfast full of wisdom

@richwilkinson7495

Should've been .👍😎🤔

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