Old Age in America Represented in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Popular Sheet Music

Abstract

This paper examines American popular sheet music published between 1830 and 1980 as a source for understanding popular perceptions and feelings about aging and old age. From a private collection of over 300 pieces of sheet music related to aging, two forms of representation of popular sentiments are reviewed: cover art and lyrics. A substantial majority present negative rather than positive views of aging and old age.