Forever Young

Well I'm from Germany, from the west part of Berlin and this song really REALLY resonates with me. I was born in 1970 during the height of the Cold War and I grew up with the spectre of nuclear war always overhead. While a lot of the younger generation who didn't live through the Cold War see this as more of a graduation song, for me it's really about living life to the fullest because during those days when i was 12, 15, 18, we knew that if the US and USSR ever went to war our country would be the first to get bombed. That's what this song is about, about the fragility of life under the shadow of two superpowers. Also it should say "if this race is won" because "turn our golden faces to the sun" is an allusion to a nuclear explosion which for a split second can rival the heat of the sun.

Essentially it is saying, we don't want to live under this shadow for our whole lives...better we be bombed so that our youth remains forever, like diamonds, than to be put down like an old racehorse.

This song was released during the cold war, and the lyrics, I'm sure, had stronger meaning then than they do now.

It is not only a song about the dreams of youth, but also of cold-war politics and the overshadowing fear of a nuclear war.

There are several key terms that allude to this concept.

"Hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. Are you gonna drop the bomb or not."

"can you imagine when this race is won" is in reference to the nuclear arms race.

"praising our leaders we're getting in tune the music's played by the madmen" While praising our leaders, we're "getting in tune" to their music, even though the music is played by a madman.

Sure, it's about wanting to live forever. But it's also about trying to make the best of life amid the fear and paranoia of possible nuclear extintion.

Many people say how this song reminds them of a happy moment, when in fact this song is about the struggles of youth during the Cold War. I did not live during the cold war so i have little insight on how it was, but I am a major history geek so I know quite alot.

"hoping for the best but expecting the worst are you going to drop the bomb or not?"

Talking about the nuclear missile race between US and USSR

"can you imagine when this race is won"

Also talking about the nuclear race.

"some are like water, some are like the heat some are a melody and some are the beat sooner or later they all will be gone why don't they stay young"

That whole verse is interesting. It seems like it's talking about that US and the Soviets should "get over" their differences.

"so many adventures couldn't happen today so many songs we forgot to play so many dreams are swinging out of the blue we let them come true"

Kind of talking about the "bucket list" philosophy. It talks about that people should live in the "now" and go out and make their dreams come true, as if it was their last day, which it might as well have been back during the Cold War.

"this song stickes a knife in hearts of people who are above 30 years old"

That's only too true. One of the sweetest songs from back in the day... it reminds me of a friend back then. Her little brother had died at 16 in a car accident. She would listen to this song over and over. Even now my vision blurs to think of it.

This is a very depressing song to me. Maybe it's just because I tend to interpret songs in the darkest possible way.

You can think of it in many ways, literally and figuratively, but here's what I think.

To me, the more literal interpretation of this song is that a nuclear war has already begun, and everyone knows that it's just a matter of time. A group of teenagers/young people are sitting together in a bomb shelter, reflecting on their fates, lamenting that their lives are being cut short when they still have so many dreams left to achieve. They feel completely helpless, because they know they can't do anything to change what's happened. They're at the mercy of their governments and the bombs. But still, they manage to find a bit of hope and peace in their situation by remembering all the happy times they had in their lives, and reliving them together. And, as they know they will never grow old, they will, in a way, be forever young.

No wonder this song depresses me.:/

In my opinion, rather than supporting the concept of eternal life, this song questions those who claim this as a desire. A wise man once said "Those who want eternal life understand neither eternity nor life."

To me, this makes me think of my years in universities. We're growing,learning about ourselves. We're scared of the future, no matter how good it might be. We cling to alcohol, drugs and relationships to try to keep us in the easy place where we are. We know that we can't go on forever living the lifestyle that we are, but at the same time we never want to let go. I think this actually a really sad song.

I first heard this song as part of the Legend soundtrack(back when Tom Cruise still had his marbles), and I fell in love at first listen. What's the name of the female band that gave it that techno cover? I. Detest. That. Version. They butchered my song!!!!

This is one of the most profound, beautiful songs I've ever heard, and I want it played at my funeral when God calls me home.

Yes, definitely cold war stuff and coming out of a country that was smack in the middle of the cold war with a divided Germany and a divided Berlin. People were really afraid and very aware of the possibility of nuclear war, witness many other cultural things like "The Day After" or Sting's "Russians" song or even The Smiths "Ask" ("if it's not love then it's the bomb that will bring us together"). In the 80s, "The Bomb" was pretty clearly understood to refer to an atomic bomb.

Everyone was very aware that the human race was poised to destroy itself, but there was not much an average person could do. ("Are you gonna drop the bomb or not.")

Not only is it the cry of youth for the possibilities for it yet to fulfill, but the idea of lost youth forever unfulfilled by nuclear obliteration. Killed possibilities times a million, ten million, 100 million, 8 billion?

Yes this song is sad because it talks about the different types of people (some like water, heat, etc) and so many possibilities for good things to happen and good experiences that will be lost prematurely.

Even without the nuclear Armageddon overtones it's still sad since it points out the inevitability of death, maybe without so much lost potential, but still ultimately sad.

It's the perfect mix of a beautiful song that is even more beautiful because it's sad and it points out the shortness of life and needing to try and fulfill the good possibilities of it.

Let’s dance in style let's dance for a while, Let's dance and make the best of it while we can

Heaven can wait we're only watching the skies We do not need to worry about going to heaven (or morality) as destruction is imminent

Hoping for the best but expecting the worst Hoping that nuclear holocaust will not happen but preparing for it as best as we can

Are you gonna drop the bomb or not? Will the powers that be make a decision any time soon?

Let us die young or let us live forever What are our options, die young or live forever

We don't have the power but we never say never We don't have a say in the matter, but let's not admit it to ourselves

Sitting in the sandpit life is a short trip Living on this earth is a short experience anyway

The music's for the sad man Singing about this is oh so sad ...

Can you imagine when this race is won? When this power struggle between the world powers are over, what will we have?

Turn our golden faces into the sun We will be devastated like children who try to look at the sun

Praising our leaders we're getting in tune, the music’s played by the madman We will finally understand what our leaders were trying to teach us, and realize that they were being lead by madmen

Forever Young, I want to be forever young Since there is nothing we can do about it, I will settle for dying young and preserving my youth Do you really want to live forever? Forever and ever It is doubtful that there is a hereafter anyway so let's just pretend that we will be young forever, as we die.

Some are like water some are like the heat, some are a melody and some are the beat Some of us will be the perpetrators of evil and some of us will be the victims,

Sooner or later they all will be gone, why don't they stay young? Eventually we will all die anyway so what's the point?

It's so hard to get old without a cause, I don't want to perish like a fading horse Life is so pointless when there is nothing to show after living till you are old, why prolong the agony?

Youth's like diamond in the sun, And diamonds are forever Let's just freeze our youth in time and since we do not have any concrete proof to the contrary, pretend that we remain in that condition forever like a diamond.

So many adventures given up today, so many songs we forgot to play The way things are going we are going to miss out on doing a lot of fun things

So many dreams swinging out of the blue, oh let it come true I wish we didn't have to give up our dreams

Forever Young, I want to be forever young Since there is nothing we can do about it, I will settle for dying young and preserving my youth Do you really want to live forever? Forever and ever It is doubtful that there is a hereafter anyway so let's just pretend that we will be young forever, as we die.