You know, in these troubled times, it can be difficult to keep your sense of humor. What with the economy, the war and the general malaise of our culture; if you think about it too long, you may find yourself at the pharmacist’s counter filling a script for one of the myriad “wonder drugs” that have replaced our natural ability to cope.

And, if you can’t cope now, what are you going to do when you get to be 70 and your friends are dieing, your kids (if you have any) don’t visit and your body is staging a full-scale revolt? If you’re in Northampton, Massachusetts, home of the Young@Heart chorus, you may just decide to throw down that walker and jam.

The chorus, which currently ranges in age from 72-88, has come to international acclaim over the last 26 years by pairing the geriatric set with popular punk, disco, AOR and indie rock tunes that reflect, in a cheeky way, what it means to get old.

Take this stanza from the Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated”:

 

 

<blockquote>Just put me in a wheelchair, get me on a plane

 

Hurry hurry hurry, before I go insane

 

I can't control my fingers, I can't control my brain

 

Oh no oh oh oh oh</blockquote>

 

 

It becomes a lot more meaningful when you really can’t control your fingers and your brain. But, as the Y@H chorus points out in silly videos like this one, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a chuckle over it. Also check out this one for “Staying Alive.” Makes hitting the golden years look like too much fun to wait.

Bob Cilman, who founded the chorus 25 years ago (when he was a food services worker at the Northampton elderly housing project, Walter Salvo House), has since seen his ensemble evolve into an entertainment phenomenon. Over the years, Y@H has partnered with numerous other arts organizations, both in the U.S. and abroad, to produce shows with titles like Louis Lou I – A Revolting Musical, (a re-telling of the French Revolution through the songs of Frank Sinatra), Flaming Saddles (a partnership with Northampton’s Pioneer Valley Gay Men’s Chorus), Road to Nowhere (from the Talking Heads song) and Oh No a Condo.

Fox Searchlight films has just released a documentary on the chorus (also called Young@Heart), about which Boston Globe movie critic Ty Burr writes: “In Young@Heart, the prison is old age, and every song’s a jailbreak.”

Though the overriding message of the film (and the chorus in general) is to stay on the positive tip, there are moments that will thoroughly break your heart. If you can watch this rendition of Coldplay’s “Fix You,” as sung by congestive heart failure survivor Fred Knittle, without getting a sizable lump in your throat, you may want to consider running for congress.

Check out the film when it comes your way. And, remember, it’s never too late to start acting your shoe size.

Wendy Case is the MOLI View's contributing editor for Arts & Entertainment.