You Don’t Have to Be Eighty, Friend . . . .
A Song by Doug Gwyn.
(Hear Doug sing it, and lots of others, free here.)
The Society of Friends,
Also known as the Quakers,
Question authority of every sort.
They’ve even been known
to second-guess their Maker.
And protests and sit-ins,
Are considered a sport.
They don’t care
if you’re dipped,
They don’t care
if you’re sprinkled;
You can talk to them
Til you’re blue in the face.
But sometimes, they’ll listen
To white hair and wrinkles,
Maybe it makes them think
Of the Ancient of Days . . . .
No, you don’t have to be eighty, Friend,
To be considered a Weighty Friend.
But it Helps,
Lord Knows, it does.
No, you don’t have to
Be eighty, Friend,
To be considered
A Weighty Friend.
But it Helps,
Lord Knows, it does.
Like a fine aged cheese
All covered with mold,
Friends get a whiff of something
They call “Spiritual”
When they come to know
A well-seasoned Soul,
Time is the next best cure
In the absence of miracles.
So if you’re looking for
A spiritual adviser,
Better Look for a head
With at least some gray hairs,
For the time-tested combination
Of older and wiser . . .
Look for a face that
Shows a little wear and tear.
No, you don’t have to be eighty, Friend,
To be considered a Weighty Friend.
But it Helps,
Lord Knows, it does.
No, you don’t have to be eighty, Friend,
To be considered a Weighty Friend.
But it Helps,
Lord Knows, it does.
They say that a thousand years
Are only an instant
In the infinite, eternal
Mind of God;
And they also say that
The wisdom of the Ages
Is mostly buried
Six feet under the sod.
So listen up good,
And take lots of notes,
When you see an elder,
Coming your way,
‘Cause in this gerontocracy
We call the Quakers,
You may have to pass
For wise someday!
No, you don’t have to be eighty, Friend,
To be considered a Weighty Friend.
But it Helps,
Lord Knows, it does.
No, you don’t have to be eighty, Friend,
To be considered a Weighty Friend.
But it Helps,
Lord Knows, it does.
Oh yeah it helps,
Lord knows it does . . . .