It's one of the centerpieces of "This Is Hardcore", seemingly a concept album about reaching thirty and beyond and suddenly realizing you're not young anymore, that what you did maybe didn't lead you to what you expected, and its consecuences... if not one, the closest thing to a middle-age crisis.
In "Help The Aged", Jarvis pretty much materializes his fears and uncertainties typical of this crisis ("the sound of someone losing the plot", as stated on "The Fear") through a feeling of sympathy for "the aged", old people. He urges (seemingly, to the youth) for them to be cared, to be given comfort... " 'cause one time they were just like you"... Of course, he realizes he's becoming one of those "aged" ones, that's what generates his sorrowful sympathy towards them. "Funny how it all falls away", he sighs in an ironic resignation, contemplating his own aging. He's just discovered, much against his own will, that "nothing lasts forever", not even youth. He himself has seen in the eyes of the aged his own future, "where he's headed", and he warns the youngsters the bad omen: "and it's such a lonely place".
As for the verse naming "an older lover", he's simply recommending to some girl to pick up an older lover, since he can offer "experience", despite "looking rough". Probably it's a pick-up speech he tries to use on a girl to woo her. Since he's not considered young anymore and knows it, he looks at the aged and tries to emphasize whatever virtues he sees on them.
It's one of the centerpieces of "This Is Hardcore", seemingly a concept album about reaching thirty and beyond and suddenly realizing you're not young anymore, that what you did maybe didn't lead you to what you expected, and its consecuences... if not one, the closest thing to a middle-age crisis. In "Help The Aged", Jarvis pretty much materializes his fears and uncertainties typical of this crisis ("the sound of someone losing the plot", as stated on "The Fear") through a feeling of sympathy for "the aged", old people. He urges (seemingly, to the youth) for them to be cared, to be given comfort... " 'cause one time they were just like you"... Of course, he realizes he's becoming one of those "aged" ones, that's what generates his sorrowful sympathy towards them. "Funny how it all falls away", he sighs in an ironic resignation, contemplating his own aging. He's just discovered, much against his own will, that "nothing lasts forever", not even youth. He himself has seen in the eyes of the aged his own future, "where he's headed", and he warns the youngsters the bad omen: "and it's such a lonely place". As for the verse naming "an older lover", he's simply recommending to some girl to pick up an older lover, since he can offer "experience", despite "looking rough". Probably it's a pick-up speech he tries to use on a girl to woo her. Since he's not considered young anymore and knows it, he looks at the aged and tries to emphasize whatever virtues he sees on them.