Go Gently Through the Years (And You're Alive)

This song about living each day to the fullest and gently accepting your own frailty.

It was written by Diane L Rutledge and was first published in 1971 by Word Music Inc in Sing 'n' Celebrate. It is also referred to in this high school year book from 1974, and it was included on a couple of recordings (eg this one) from the same period.

After that, it has no mentions on the internet again until the early 2010's, when it appears in this American summer camp songbook, in few nostalgic blog-posts, and several recent videos loaded to YouTube - and it was requested by a visitor on this website.

It is set to an unnamed tune, also by Rutledge. This has a C (4/4) time signature. In the key of G, the first few notes of the melody are B B d c cc c_, with accompanying chords G / C.

woman in jacket and hat contemplating the mountain she is climbing

Downloads

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No downloadable versions have been found, of either performances or the sheet music. If you know where to find one, please leave a message in the Comments box near the bottom of the page.

Examples

Singer with piano, acoustic:

Solo performance, piano accompaniment:

Solo singer,self-accompanied on piano:

Lyrics

The lyrics are copyright so cannot be reproduced here. But they are currently available on this website. A rough outline is:

1 Go gently through the years, but go in strength ...
... for they’re a part of you and you’re alive.

Chorus
Climb mountains while you may, and sing your songs,
Start living every day; it won’t be long before you turn around
and wonder where life’s gone.

2 Go firmly through the night, but go in peace ...

3 Walk bravely through each day, and go in pride ...