It would be fair to say that the themes we’ve been asked to choose from for Song Lyric Sunday this week comprise an eclectic bunch. For those who might not have seen Jim’s post, here is the list in its entirety: bike, asparagus, strawberries, eggs, mental health, elderly and military.

Surely, you’d think, there must be something appropriate in that gene pool. Well, maybe not. I searched in vain for a song about a slightly dotty retired colonel who ordered an asparagus and strawberry quiche from Deliveroo, but came up with absolutely nothing.

So instead I chose to focus my attention on just one of the range on offer and, given it’s absolutely my demographic, I chose ‘elderly’. That led me to an album released in 1975 by the group ‘Old And In The Way’, of which this is, I suppose, the title track. It’s bluegrass music, which isn’t really my thing at all, but I knew that Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead played banjo on it and that’s good enough for me.

Old and in the way, that’s what I heard them say
They used to heed the words he said, but that was yesterday
Gold will turn to gray and youth will fade away
They’ll never care about you, call you old and in the way

Once I hear tell, he was happy
He had his share of friends and good times
Now, those friends have all passed on
He don’t have a place called home
Looking back to a better day, feeling old and in the way

[Chorus]
When just a boy, he left his home
Thought he’d have the world on a string
Now the years have come and gone
Through the streets he walks alone
Like the old dog gone astray, he’s just old and in the way

Written by David Grisman

Song Lyric Sunday 10 May 2026