Age is a song written and recorded by Jim Croce

Jim Croce

James Joseph "Jim" Croce January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973 was an American singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles...

 and his wife Ingrid

Ingrid Croce

Ingrid Croce is an American author, singer-songwriter and restaurateur. She is the widow of singer-songwriter Jim Croce and the mother of singer-songwriter A.J. Croce. Between 1964 and 1971, Ingrid and Jim Croce performed as a duo and wrote together. In 1969, Capitol Records released their album,...

. The song was first recorded in 1969 on their self-titled

Jim & Ingrid Croce

-Personnel:*Jim Croce - guitar, keyboards, vocals, 12 string guitar*Ingrid Croce - vocals*Gary Chester - drums*Harry Katzman - violin*Ann Minogue - triangle*Gene Pistilli - guitar, keyboards*John Stockfish - bass*Eric Weissberg - mandolin...

 album. Jim Croce would record the song again, this time without Ingrid, for his final album I Got a Name

I Got a Name

-Songwriting:Croce's wife Ingrid Croce has an autobiographical cookbook, Thyme In A Bottle, in which she writes interesting anecdotes about Jim. What she wrote about "I'll Have To Say 'I Love You' in a Song" is this....

 in 1973. Jerry Reed

Jerry Reed

Jerry Reed Hubbard , known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films...

 would release the song as a single in 1980 on his tribute album

Jerry Reed Sings Jim Croce

Jerry Reed Sings Jim Croce is an album by American country music singer Jerry Reed, released in 1980. The album is a tribute album for Jim Croce who died in 1973 in a plane crash during the peak of his career. Seven of the ten songs were singles released by Croce. The album peaked at number 56 on...

 to Croce where it peaked at thirty-six on the Billboard country chart.

Content

Age is about a change in the narrator’s disposition after an experience over time where he went from having a lot of success to a little because of bad choices. The speaker regrets losing his ideals, which has caused him to be right back where he started from before his success. After losing everything he is working his way back to the top and is using his experience to better himself the second time around. The narrator will be careful climbing to success because "when you're down nobody gives a damn anyway"

Covers

• The Ventures
  The Ventures
  The Ventures is an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling...
  
   covered Age on their tribute album "The Ventures Play the Jim Croce Songbook"
• Mike Auldridge
  Mike Auldridge
  Mike Auldridge is widely acknowledged as a premier resophonic guitar player. He played with The Seldom Scene for many years, creating a fusion of bluegrass with jazz, folk and rock.Auldridge started playing guitar at the age of 13...
  
   recorded it in 1977 on his album "Old Dog"
• Tony Rice
  Tony Rice
  Tony Rice is an American acoustic guitarist and bluegrass musician. He is considered one of the most influential acoustic guitar players in bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, newgrass and acoustic jazz.Rice spans the range of acoustic music, from traditional bluegrass to jazz-influenced New...
  
  covered the song on his album Bluegrass Album, Vol. 4

Jerry Reed

Chart (1980)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs	36