On this lyric video we find Josh Kaufman, Eric D. Johnson, and Anaïs Mitchell – collectively Bonny Light Horseman – doing that which they do so well, to wit making the finest music of our times. Ah, would that we had time to tell of all the greatness of this band – that steeped in tradition sound that can be turned to the making of new songs, such as this very one, that Laurel Canyon vibe, that moment when the voices of Johnson and Mitchell come together and make a sound redolent of the majestic music of the likes of Crosby Stills and Nash at the peak of their powers, but with the added frisson that Bonny Light Horseman are themselves a band at the height of their powers and with no need to go a-doffin’ a cap to anyone. Succinctly then, for we are past the chimes of midnight, let us just say – we like this band. Oh we do, we do that.
And when they speak of ‘When I Was Younger‘ they tell the tale of the live recording and all that shaped the song: “There’s a whole genre of trad’ songs with this ‘domestic frustration’ sentiment, like ‘Single Girl Married Girl,’ ‘Wish I Was A Single Girl Again,’ etc. This song is inspired by those, but we wanted to write it as a duet, to tell two sides of a story. We recorded it live, so you can hear coughing, cars, and the whole audience did that wordless wail with us in the middle. It felt like a primal collective shake-off. Next morning we were collecting our things from the pub and the owner Joe was out front in flip-flops sweeping up the cigs from the street singing, “When I was younger, I used to dress fancy…” “
But wait – for surely, sharp eyed reader, you will have taken right good note of that symbol upon the top left hand corner of the video. Yes, it’s true, Bonny Light Horseman have signed to have signed to Jagjaguwar and this is their debut single for the label, recorded as was already hinted live at Levis Corner House in Ballydehob, County Cork.
