Mick Jagger is not one to mince words – and in this case, his candid take on ageing is a brutal one. "Nothing good" about getting older, he bluntly states, as if daring anyone to disagree. The 82-year-old Rolling Stones frontman has just given the lie to all those feel-good notions about age bringing wisdom – at least for him, it's been a case of forgetfulness.
Jagger's not sugarcoating anything here: "You don't get wisdom," he shrugs. "You forget everything. Forgot all my wisdom." And then there are the physical limitations that come with advancing years – still able to perform, but with greater caution required. It's a sobering reminder of what's in store for us all.
But it's not just about personal struggle; Jagger also touches on the absurdity of maintaining some semblance of normal life after six decades in the spotlight. "It's not normal," he admits, echoing many fans who feel disconnected from the world outside the limelight. His solution? A simple one: get out there and do ordinary things – walk on your own, without entourage or schedule.
And then there's the Rolling Stones' live show philosophy. Jagger makes it clear: his primary goal is to put on a show that puts the audience in the moment – not lecturing them about politics or life's big issues, but making them forget their worries and mortgage payments for two hours straight. "Your job is to make them go more apeshit," he says with a grin.
With 'Foreign Tongues' recently topping the UK charts (their 15th Number One album, no less), Jagger's still going strong – despite reservations about ageing, he's already started writing new material. Who knows what's next for this rock legend?