Young@ Heart — “Fix You”

The Young@ Heart chorus began as a lark in 1982 when a group of seniors from Northampton, Ma., living at the Walter Salvo House, an elderly housing project, decided to have a little singing fun.  Bob Cilman, the choir’s director recognized artistic opportunity in the group of singers and has remained the group’s director throughout the years.

None of the original Young@ Heart performers remain with the current group, whose ages now range from 71 to 93.  Some of the newest members have prior music or professional theatre backgrounds, while some have never been before a live audience.   Travelling to Europe, Australia, and Canada and now working on a new video to be released in August, the Young@ Heart are able to express through song and mild theatrical stageplay the thought-provoking and sometimes even controversial lyrics of some of today’s and yesterday’s musical greats.

The YouTube piece below is performed by Fred Knittle, 83, singing solo with the rest of the Young@ Heart group backing him up.  Unable to continue travelling because of health issues, Fred still occasionally joins in with the others.  The song “Fix You,” which I’d never heard, is a piece by a newer band called Coldplay. 

It’s always amazed me at the wisdom contained in some of the lyrics these young musicians put together, and “Fix You” is one of those  pieces that can reach deep and tickle the roots of one’s imagination.   It did mine.  What each of us value as art may be subjective; but those really good pieces are those that pull us in and with each interpretive pondering offer new possibilities.  

Lyrics to ColdPlay’s Fix You …
When you try your best but you don’t succeed     
When you get what you want but not what you need           
When you feel so tired but you can’t sleep            
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face   
When you lose something you can’t replace                        
When you love someone but it goes to waste       
Could it be worse

Lights will guide you home          
And ignite your bones         
And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below       
When you’re too in love to let it go                                                              
But if you never try you’ll never know      
Just what you’re worth

Lights will guide you home   
And ignite your bones        
And I will try to fix you                                              

Tears stream down your face          
when you lose something you cannot replace                                               
Tears stream down your face                 
And I …                                                                                                          

Tears stream down your face         
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes                                             
Tears stream down your face                 
And I …

Lights will guide you home      
And ignite your bones     
And I will try to fix you.