Many of us remember that magical time when we were seven years old. We reminisce about being young again and the time being full of promise and innocence.
Many musicians shared our sentiment and added this iconic age to their lyrics.
Here are the best songs about being seven years old that we’d like to share with you.
“Seven Years” by Lukas Graham
Year: 2015
Lukas and his band members wrote a song to reminisce about their childhood, growing into adulthood, and coping with losing a loved one.
The lyrics start when they are seven years old, with their mother telling them to start making friends less they become lonely. Danish soul-pop band Lukas Graham didn’t please their critics with this poignant song. Their fans, however, propelled them to the top, and their music video has more than 1 billion views.
“False False Fly” by Jane Siberry
Year: 2000
Leave it to legendary indie singer Siberry to remake the old Brit ballad about a boy and a false knight and turn it into a poetic tune about the devil’s temptation.
Siberry uses the context of the ballad and a seven-year-old girl to demonstrate that youth can overcome temptation with their innocence and purity because they view the world from a less clouded perspective. Siberry strays a little from the original text, but the meaning isn’t lost. Life’s journey is about overcoming temptation and staying on the right course.
This Canadian also had a hit about a dog.
“Where I’ve Been” by Mary J. Blige
Year: 2002
Blige didn’t just write the lyrics for “Where I’ve Been,” she lived them. The song reiterates that her life before stardom wasn’t a piece of cake. The lyrics talk to younger generations and try to inspire them to get beyond hardships. Blige knows where they’re coming from.
When you read between the lines, it becomes evident that the reference to when she was seven years old is about sexual abuse. Blige, however, also brings hope and reminds us that we all have the inner strength to lean on. It’s also about breaking the cycle of abuse and physical violence.
“Week Without You” by Miley Cyrus
Year: 2017
Cyrus reverts to her country roots and draws on Elvis Presley as her inspiration. The melodramatic song is about her heartbreaking relationship and on-and-off romance with Australian heartthrob Liam Hemsworth.
It’s good to know that even celebrities get their hearts broken, and Miley feels that Hemsworth is her soulmate, feeling like he’s someone she has known since she was seven years old. The phrase “A Week Without You” makes a good point for those who know what love and heartbreak feel like.
“Copenhagen” by Lucinda Williams
Year: 2011
This raw Williams song is about the untimely death of her former manager while she was away on tour in Europe. Williams is proud of the poetic moments in this song and how the gentle snowfall in Copenhagen gave meaning to the life-changing news. She points out that it doesn’t matter whether you’re 57 or seven years old; the sudden loss of a loved one doesn’t make sense at any age.
The song speaks to those of us who’ve experienced the loss of a loved one and how we try to keep them trapped in a timeless memory.
“It All Comes Back Someday” by John Hiatt
Year: 2012
Master songwriter Hiatt kicks you in the guts with the lyrics of this one. Hiatt’s iconic voice reminds us that we all bury our childhood memories, and eventually, our past catches up in the middle of the night like rattling skeletons. Hiatt sets the tone by mentioning something rather dark that a seven-year-old might have done that comes back to haunt him. Overpowering a girl might speak to something more sinister, even at that young age. A feeling no one can escape.
“Hey Mama” by Kanye West
Year: 2005
West wrote this song as a tribute to how much his mother sacrificed for him as a child. The lyrics indicate West’s strong affection for his mother and all she gave him. West thinks back to a significant moment when he was only seven years old and found his mother crying. It was that pivotal moment he promised to take care of her. It was a real awakening for West, and he kept his promise.
West might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but his devotion to his mother is exemplary.
The moving ballad includes vocals by John Legend, and West performed it during the 50th Grammy Awards. The song was streamed over 700,000 times in 24 hours on the tenth anniversary of her death.
“Old Times Good Times” by Stephen Stills
Year: 1970
“Old Times Good Times’ is a trek down memory lane for Stills, who wrote this song when he was only 25 years old and in the music business for a decade. The simple tale shares his experience as a working musician, but his awakening of being lost and in the wrong place began when he was only seven years old.
Stills makes no secret of this drug use and says this journey has been a good experience.
If you listen closely, that’s the legendary Jimi Hendrix on the guitar and their only collaboration ever released. Hendrix died six months after the recording.
“Why are Fire Engines Red” by Johnny Cash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tkpaZAKT_c
Year: 1975
Johnny Cash made up this little ditty about Kevin Jones, who came across a bear in the woods. This little song is on Johnny Cash’s Children’s Album, the 49th album in his portfolio.
The song is about telling lies and knowing when to trust someone who is telling the truth. It reminds Cash that a seven year old sometimes gets lost in the world of make-believe and truth. It also means that we need an adult to guide us toward the truth when we’re that young.
In his traditional style, Cash captures the innocence of a boy who might have been up to some mischief.
“Souls of the Departed” by Bruce Springsteen
Year: 1992
Springsteen sure knows how to tell a story. This song came to Springsteen as he watched the carnage of the Persian Gulf War (#1) and the L.A. riots in the 90s. This sad tune is a commentary about social and racial injustice and Springsteen’s criticism of American politics.
The seven-year-old in this song dies at the hands of injustice and gang violence. Thinking of the turmoil reminds Springsteen how lucky his family is. Although the lyrics are fictional, listeners can feel the overwhelming sadness.
“Deep” by Robin Thicke, Featuring NAS
Year: 2016
“Deep” is an unusual song about a relationship’s complexities and how trivial arguments are. Thicke took it a step further and asked NAS to add his rap-style opinion on the state of affairs in America, particularly the violence black people face daily, as a comparison.
NAS delivered such a powerful verse that the producer recorded it without any backup instruments to pay homage to the lyrics. NAS paints a stark reality, saying he can’t let his son play with a water gun because the police see it as their right to shoot a seven-year-old black kid holding a toy weapon.
Top Songs About Being 7 Years Old, Final Thoughts
The theme of being seven years old shows up in many popular hits as a reminder of how sheltered some of us were during that innocent time of our lives. Being seven years old is like a milestone on the journey of discovery, and we hope that the songs listed here introduce you to not only music legends but also obscure musicians and take you back.