Advice For The Young At Heart by Tears for Fears Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Threads of Innocence and Experience
Lyrics
Soon we will be older
When we gonna make it work?
Too many people living in a secret world
While they play mothers and fathers
We play little boys and girls
When we gonna make it work?
I could be happy
I could be quite naive
It’s only me and my shadows
Happy in our make believe
Soon
And with the hounds at bay
I’ll call your bluff
‘Cause it would be okay
To walk on tiptoes everyday
And when I think of you and all the love that’s due
I’ll make a promise, I’ll make a stand
Cause to these big brown eyes, this comes as no surprise
We’ve got the whole wide world in our hands
Advice for the young at heart
Soon we will be older
When we gonna make it work?
Love is a promise
Love is a souvenir
Once given
Never forgotten, never let it disappear
This could be our last chance
When we gonna make it work?
Working hour is over
And how it makes me weep
‘Cause someone sent my soul to sleep
And when I think of you and all the love that’s due
I’ll make a promise, I’ll make a stand
Cause to these big brown eyes, this comes as no surprise
We’ve got the whole wide world in our hands
We’ve got the whole wide world in our hands
We’ve got the whole wide world in our hands
Advice for the young at heart
Soon we will be older
When we gonna make it work?
Advice for the young at heart
Soon we will be older
When we gonna make it work?
Working hour is over
We can do anything that we want
Anything that we feel like doing
Advice
Amidst the catalog of Tears for Fears, ‘Advice for the Young at Heart’ is a track that often echoes the poignant sound of transformation and fleeting temporality. At first listen, it may seem to embrace the simplicity of youth and love; however, a deeper dive suggests layers of existential questioning and the gentle prodding towards maturation and the embracement of reality.
Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, the masterminds behind the famed English pop rock duo, are no strangers to embedding thoughtful introspection within their melodious craft. This piece subtly weaves a tapestry of reflection, urging its listeners to ponder the intersection where innocence must meet the inevitable trials of age—a gentle guidance for the naiveté that resides within us all.
A Melancholic Overture to Growth
The track, with its soft synth backdrop and melodic hooks, presents an invitation—an advisory, to the young, to confront the inexorable tide of aging. It’s a tender serenade that binds the bittersweet realization that the sun of youthfulness eventually sets, asking, ‘When we gonna make it work?’ A question that implies action, deliberation, and the consequence of time slipping through one’s fingers.
The youth is seen not just in the context of age but as a state of mind, a period of life where the days are colored with idealism and cares are as light as the wind. But Tears for Fears does not let this period go unchallenged, beckoning the listener to push beyond the sheltered harbors of youthful naiveté.
The Dichotomy of Play and Reality
‘While they play mothers and fathers, We play little boys and girls,’ The lyrics echo the stark dichotomy between the childlike games of pretend and the gravity of adult responsibilities. It’s a poignant reminder that there comes a time when the facade must fall away, revealing the structure that needs to stand beneath—real lives need real work to make them function.
The mention of a ‘secret world’ alludes to the private universes we retreat into, away from the public eye—perhaps a place where vulnerability and dreams can intertwine without the fear of judgment or failure. Yet, the nudge given by the song is to leave this safe haven and brave the public domain where mistakes are seen, and lessons are learned.
Deciphering the Hidden Message
It is easy to miss the undercurrent of social consciousness that runs through ‘Advice for the Young at Heart,’ yet it is this thread that ties the song to the fabric of human experience. Its unspoken message rails against complacency and urges the younger generation to seize control, to ‘call your bluff’ against the easing temptation of apathy, highlighting the agency we possess over our destinies.
The repetition of the line ‘When we gonna make it work?’ is not merely rhetorical; it’s a challenge, a call to arms for the listener to rise and confront their reality—shaping it with hands still capable, still full of potential, into something that resembles the ‘make believe’ yet grounded in the practicality of life.
Memorable Lines That Echo Through Time
‘Love is a promise, Love is a souvenir,’ Merely sixteen words, yet they encapsulate a world of meaning. Love here seems to transcend the narrow bounds of romantic inclination and instead becomes emblematic of a larger commitment—a pledge not just to another, but to the integrity of one’s future and the presence one hopes to establish in it.
‘Never forgotten, never let it disappear’ serves as an elegiac reminder that while youth and its follies are ephemeral, the love and intentions we set forth carry the weight of infinity. It cautions against the fragility of such intangible contracts with the self and the significance of nurturing them throughout life’s journey.
The Empowerment in The Last Verse
As the song closes, it gifts a final piece of advice wrapped in empowerment, ‘We can do anything that we want, Anything that we feel like doing.’ It serves as an anchoring realization that despite the pressures, despite the doubt, autonomy still resides within the youthful spirit.
These words serve as a counter-melody to the song’s ongoing inquiry of responsibility and maturity, suggesting that the vigor of youth need not be entirely discarded but rather channeled into the conscious creation of one’s life—artistically crafting the multitude of tomorrows with the wide, unrestricted world at one’s feet.
