A 70-year-old singer’s new song, `Have you ever been old?`

“After working for 30 years, I was forced to quit my job. People say I’m jobless. I go hiking on Monday, a go club on Tuesday, a billiard room on Wednesday, a wedding on weekends, and a funeral at night…” This is the introduction of a song describing the daily life of a middle-aged man who was kicked out of the center of the world.

The title of the song is “Have You Ever Been Old? I’ve Been Young.” It is a new song released by Seo Yoo-seok, a 70-year-old singer, in 25 years. He continues the heart-wrenching lyrics with his husky voice, which can be heard in the songs that are familiar to those who spent their youth in the 70s and 80s, such as “Time That Goes By,” “A Beautiful Person,” and “Arirang Alone.”

“I’ll do it, even if my wife stops me and my children say something about it. I’ll do it. I’ll learn how to use a computer and surf the Internet. I’ll learn Western languages, Chinese and Arabic, and will hit the road to see the big world.” After making the song, Seo sang it with a guitar at churches. It was particularly well received by elderly audiences. He uploaded his music videos on YouTube.

The song, which was created to embrace the elderly generation and help the younger generation to have a different perspective to the world, became a big hit thanks to politicians. Rep. Seol Hoon of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy said to Johnny Yune, an auditor of the Korea Tourism Organization, in a parliamentary audit in October last year, “When one is old, one loses judgment. Age 79 is an age to retire.” After the age-discriminating remark, a video clip created by the elderly in their 60s with the song spread fast to record over 800,000 views.

“At age 90, I don’t wear reading glasses and hearing aids. I can chew raw meet without dentures. Who gave me a cane and act like an old man? The world duped me for 30 years.” The lyrics lampoon Korean society that rashly treats people like old men is catchy with the cheerful melody. With the arrival of the Lunar New Year`s day, we all get one year older. The younger generation as well as the older generation need to pay attention to the refrain. “Have you ever been old? I’ve been old. From now on, I am starting a new beginning.”