After I read Why people over the age of 55 are the new problem generation: Baby-boomers are keeping their bad habits into retirement in The Economist in early January, I was reminded that I had a song I had started working on a few years ago called “Still Crazy at Sixty!” Keep in mind that 55-year-olds are the end of the Baby Boom. People aged 66 and 67 are the peak of the Baby Boom.
“Still Crazy at Sixty!” was inspired by Ron Blood, bass player extraordinaire, who suggested that I should write a song about still being crazy at 60. I wrote the lyrics based on me, Joel, and Ron growing up in New Mexico and our various adventures through our youth and adult lives. I didn’t like how the song came out in 2019 and never published it. I messed with it three years later when we turned 63, but still didn’t like how the song turned out. With the inspiration of being part of the new “Problem Generation”, I pulled out the song again, updated the lyrics, but I was frustrated again, still stuck creating another sorry tune, so I had AI help me with the melody and the music. A fresh perspective from an artificial brain made all the difference.
Cranes @ dusk
Off Center & Not Even 
Woot! Your video just now showed up on my YouTube feed, Tim. I’m delighted to see that you posted it here. (I’m sharing on Bluesky.)
It turned out great — all the images and everything. It’s phenomenal. I enjoyed reading the history of how the song came to be.
The “problem generation” huh? It seems like we weren’t enough of a problem to prevent much worse problems. Hugs.
Thanks, Teagan. Yep, we are the problem Gen. The article mentions how STDs among 65+ folks are way up, while they are way down for younger folks. Arrests for drug-related crimes are way up for 65+ people, while they are down for adults under 65. Our age group is still into sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll.
Great, Tim, my compliments!
Thanks, Martina.
So much wisdom in this R&R song and post. Keep on rocking, my friend! 🤘
Thanks, Herman.
Great. Weren’t we always the problem generation?🤣 Will turn 66 this year myself.
That is true. But I believe we are expected to behave better as we age. Certainly not the case. Thanks, Heidi.
We were!
Thanks, Liz.
You did a great job, Timothy. Your lyrics made me laugh.
I’m happy you got a laugh out of it. We had some silly times. Thanks, Robbie..
Nice – I never was silly – I was always far to serious
That was no fun.
May you still be a prob for the wokists when you are 100 TImothy. xxxx
If I make to 100, I’ll be surprised, but I still won’t behave. Thanks, Shey.
Good.
Problem generation huh?!!! Says who?!!!!
Love the lyrics and song. Great start to a new week!
Not all of us a lovely angels. Thanks, Marina.
Rock On!
Great video!
I am part of the problem generation as well. But what a great life we have lived and continue to do so.
Rock On!
We have had great lives. Thanks, Nancy.
Indeed my friend, indeed!
Wonderful!
Thanks, Couriers.
I’m right there at the peak of the boomers. Our gen has “lived” life. Our son is just now realizing how crazy and daring his parents were/are. Sex, drugs, and rock n roll!
When old friends would come and visit and start telling stories about me, the family would be shocked at all our shinnanigans. Thanks, Ingrid.
Fun song & video Tim. And interesting timing as I just read a book about walking the route 66 trail which is appealing to this crazy 66 year old boomer!
Walking Route 66 @ 66 would be a crazy fun thing to do. If you noticed the dude holding the Route 666 sign in the first and last image in the video, there was a Highway 666 in New Mexico for many years. It was the 6th spur off of Route 66 in the 1920s, thus Highway 666. The number was changed in the 90s. Thanks, Brad.
Yes, crazy fun.
Walking route 66 sounds like a good idea to me… remember age is just a number:)
True!
Born in 1946 I was at the begnning of the boomers…and what a ride it has been:).
It sure has, and you made the best of it.
I love the video……..Wowzer……..
Thanks, Janet.
Great Video Tim! Love that Route 66! You’ll be crazy at 76 too …😂 that’s a good thing. Hmm so AI is helpful, I’m always poo pooing it!
💕
Once a rebel. Always a rebel. Thanks, Cindy.
BTW, AI is useful, especially for programming and solving problems. My young staff uses AI all the time to improve efficiency, and they have forced me to learn to use it. The AI graphics take a lot of patience because they want to make everything look like gaming, fantasy graphics. AI music is way ahead of the AI graphics.
At 60 (almost 61), can I be part of your problem generation? I love it! And don’t you stop being crazy, it’s what keeps us young! Great tune!
You are definitely part of the problem generation. Keep up the good work. Thanks, Dale.
Yeah! And you know it. I shall definitely do my part 🙂
Oh Tim – what a life we have had as baby boomers. You have captured a lot of the angst of our generation in your brilliant lyrics and music arrangement. What AI did you use on the music?
Thanks, Rebecca. I’m using aimusic.so. I’m inputting lyrics and parameters like key, style, mood, and instruments for the music. The AI vocals are nice but sound AI, but they give me new and challenging melodies to work with.
Thank you time for the app, which will be fun to explore. AI is a complex issue that has many caveats. What I’m interested in is finding ways to understand how AI will influence our creative output! A wonderful past, as usual, Tim.
AI is much more advanced in music and photo editing than graphics from the apps I have access to. I use AI to process photos daily. On music, Spotify makes use of AI to influence playlists to boost music that they make more money from so they can pay artists less. In that way, AI is not being used well. My young staff members make very good use of AI to streamline processes and to be more efficient. Once you learn how to ask the right questions, AI can do a lot of marvelous things.
We live in very interesting times, Tim!! Thank you so much for adding to my understanding. I continue to learn and learn and learn….
It’s good we keep learning and challenging ourselves. So many people get to the point they don’t learn anything new or want to challenge their brains at all. My younger staff are keeping me on my toes, challenging me to keep up with them. It’s great!
Funny thing is that the boomers were the first generation to dive in a culture that glorifies youth and downgrades grown-ups. It seems reasonable therefore that it is them as gown-ups who refuse to grow. But I bet “keeping their bad habits” is not the only problem for the people of the Economist. The bigger one is that the boomers retain critical thinking and an appetite for resistance to certain “developments” (that’s what keeps them truly young). An appetite that seems diminishing with younger generations.
Fantastic song, perfect performance and over-all production!
Many boomers refuse to grow up. There are also many boomers who are holding onto or wasting their wealth that they should be passing on to the kids and grandkids. Thanks, Socrates.
This is a good one Tim! You Boomers were always my inspiration, glad to know you are still rockin and causing trouble at 66! 😉
I’m hangin in there the best I can. Thanks, Tiffany.
I love it! We Boomers will not go quiety!!
They sure won’t!
Trying again!
WP has been really anoying lately.
YES!!
Oh well, Norm can be annoying at times. lol
Hey, Misha meowed today. Not a hiss, snarl or growl, but a meow. xx
I think we all can be annoying at times. But WordPress excels in being annoying.
True!
Oh that is major progress on Misha. She is warming up to you.
Slooooowwwwwlllllyyyyy!
Okay WP is being weird. Could not comment on your first post. I tried several times.
Good song. Thanks Tim! xx
Thanks, Resa. I’m happy you like it.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! XO
I’m at the end of the boomers, but I rarely admit it – have the sensibilities of the older generation, but (as you know) still hanging on to the activities of the younger gen, Like the beat on this one Tim, I think it is the perfect marrying with your lyrics!
You are a young boomer with one foot in the problem generation and one foot boring gen. Maybe you’re in the bi-generation. Ha! As you like to say. Thanks, Brian.
That is a great video, Tim! Glad to see you are still crazy and enjoying life. 🙂
Thanks, Lavinia.
How funny! There are a lot of these “problem children” in my area, and they are crusty, independent, and self-reliant.
Exactly. Thanks, Dawn.
Awesome, fun song! Not being 66, I am perhaps the wrong target audience. But I loved the instrumentals, the video, your voice and the fun lyrics.
You have many years to practice becoming the problem generation, again. ProbGen recidivism. Thanks, DJV.
Great song & video 😎👍
At 67 I’m just grateful to still be
here, since all my bad habits are
now considered lethal 🤔🕶️
Thanks, David. I’m happy you enjoyed the song and video. I’m amazed I lived long enough for all my bad habits and questionable behavior to catch up with me.
Go the boomers! Fun video!
Thanks, Julie.