Released: 2024
“S’old” by Taking Back Sunday isn’t just a track that echoes through the room—it’s a resonating message wrapped up in powerful guitar strings and raw vocals. At its core, the song is a bittersweet reflection on aging, the inevitable passage of time, and how life’s burdens can weigh us down. But it’s not all gloom; there’s a silver lining in accepting this reality and focusing on what truly matters—love and connection.
The opening lines, “You’re going to get s’old / You’re going to get so old / You’re gonna get so old either way,” serve as the blunt, unavoidable truth everyone must face. Aging isn’t a choice; it’s a universal journey we’re all on. But Taking Back Sunday doesn’t just leave it at that. They dive deeper, touching on themes of loss, disillusionment, and the yearning for something more meaningful in life.
When the lyrics shift to, “I was at a loss, / Call me conjecture / You seemed happy enough to have me stay,” we’re thrust into a personal anecdote. It speaks to a moment of uncertainty, of being at a crossroads with someone else, presumably in a relationship that’s seen better days. The mention of “conjecture” interestingly points to assumptions made without complete evidence, perhaps reflecting misunderstandings or miscommunications that often plague relationships as they evolve or deteriorate.
The phrase, “Well I am one of god’s great creatures / Science never lies it only learns,” might come off cryptic at first blush. Yet, it cleverly juxtaposes faith and science—two realms that seek understanding in different ways. The takeaway? Just like science, we’re always learning, growing, even through our relationships and personal trials. Love is posited as the empirical evidence, the universal truth we’re all seeking.
Digging into the heartaches and heavy burdens we carry, “Used to be I stood a head taller / Long before your legs began to sway / Beneath the weight,” speaks volumes about feeling diminished by life’s pressures. The imagery of standing tall versus legs giving way under weight is a potent metaphor for losing one’s strength or resolve over time, perhaps due to the strain within a relationship or the general toll of existence.
However, amid this contemplation on aging and love lost or strained, the repeated mantra-like reminder that “You’re going to get so old either way” serves as a grounding, albeit resigned, acknowledgment of our shared fate. And while it might seem a tad morose to hammer this point home, the song doesn’t wallow. Instead, it emphasizes the importance of love—as both a salve and a necessary human connection—as we all march towards our inevitable aging.
“S’old” may not offer the comfort of a happy ending or the promise of eternal youth, but it steers us towards a more profound acceptance of life’s truths. It’s an ode to the beauty and pain of growing old, the complexity of human relationships, and the simple, yet often overlooked, solution to seek and offer love amidst it all. Taking Back Sunday, with their signature mix of emotive rock and introspective lyrics, encourages listeners to face the ticking clock with a bit more heart: a little less burden, a little more love.
