About The Song
In early October 1952, Lefty Frizzell entered Jim Beck’s studio in Dallas, Texas, for another in his series of highly productive recording sessions. On October 2 he cut “I’m an Old, Old Man (Tryin’ to Live While I Can),” a song he wrote entirely on his own. Columbia Records released it on October 20 as a single (catalog 21034) with “You’re Just Mine (Only In My Dreams)” on the B-side. At the time, Frizzell was still riding high from his explosive early success, though 1952 brought some personal and professional challenges including a split with his manager and original band.
The title carries a playful irony. When he recorded the track, Frizzell was only twenty-four years old. Yet he sings from the perspective of a worldly man determined to squeeze every drop of life and love out of whatever time remains. The song reflects the carpe diem spirit common in honky-tonk music, delivered with Frizzell’s characteristic wit and charm rather than any sense of actual old age.
Musically, the track is a lively, up-tempo honky-tonk number. Frizzell’s voice glides through the verses with his signature smooth slides and relaxed phrasing. The band lays down a bouncy rhythm perfect for dancing, with prominent steel guitar and barrelhouse piano adding sparkle. The chorus drives home the central message: live fully while you still can, because you don’t live but once.
The single performed well on the charts. It reached number three on Billboard’s country and western best sellers chart in December 1952 and spent nine weeks on the national survey. It added to Frizzell’s impressive string of hits throughout 1952 that also included “Forever (And Always),” “Don’t Stay Away (Till Love Grows Cold),” and others, keeping him among the top names in country music even as the industry began to shift toward newer sounds.
The song later appeared on various compilations drawn from his early Columbia years. In 1974, Merle Haggard, a longtime admirer of Frizzell, recorded his own version for the album *If We Make It Through December*, paying direct tribute to one of his biggest influences and helping introduce the track to a new generation of listeners.
More than seventy years after its release, “I’m an Old, Old Man (Tryin’ to Live While I Can)” remains a delightful example of Lefty Frizzell’s lighter, more playful side. The humorous contrast between his young age and the song’s world-weary title has helped it endure as a fan favorite, showcasing both his songwriting skill and his ability to bring humor and heart to classic honky-tonk themes.
Video
Lyric
Said an old man to a good-looking girl
Well I’ve been around this big wide world
That home on the hill well honey that’s mine
I got the money and got lots of timeI’m not too old to cut the mustard anymore
I can still get around like I did before
So come along with me my sweet sweet hon’
I’m an old old man searching for funWhat I can do now most young men can’t
There’s not a town that this old boy can’t paint
I can make all the clubs just any old night
I may feel little older but I’m doing alrightDon’t take me wrong I just wanna have fun
Have someone along to help me spend my mon’
‘Cause you don’t live but once so please understand
That I’m an old old man trying to live while I can