These 3 Folk Songs From the 1970s Are the Only Life Advice You’ll Ever Need

These three folk songs are the only life advice you’ll ever need. They deliver timeless truths that resonate with people of all generations. Revisit these songs to help guide you through life’s questions.

[RELATED: How Joni Mitchell Wrote One of the Most Defining Songs of the 1960s About an Event She Didn’t Even Attend]

“Fish And Whistle” — John Prine

John Prine’s Americana classic “Fish And Whistle” reminds us not to worry so much about life’s semantics. Things will pan out as they will. Some could interpret this folk song as a pessimistic view (or perhaps a sarcastic one) of the mundane. But if you really listen to Prine’s position, it’s really a comforting dose of realism.

“Father, forgive us for what we must do / You forgive us we’ll forgive you / We’ll forgive each other till we both turn blue / Then we’ll whistle and go fishing in heaven,” the lyrics read. Prine acknowledges life’s downsides. But he also concedes that, in the end, we will likely go round and round, but we will end up where we belong.

“Big Yellow Taxi” — Joni Mitchell

Whether you take this folk song for its specific environmental-conservation message or apply it more broadly, this hit has massive appeal. All in all, Mitchell reminds us that if we don’t protect whatever we love, we will take it for granted and ultimately lose it. That idea is universal and can stand in for many of life’s biggest questions.

“Don’t it always seem to go / That you don’t know what you’ve got til its gone,” is one of Mitchell’s most beloved lines for a reason. It speaks to all of us in different ways, reminding us that we can’t afford to forget our priorities.

“Teach Your Children” — Crosby, Stills & Nash

“You, who are on the road / Must have a code that you can live by / And so, become yourself / Because the past, is just a goodbye,” the opening lines to Crosby, Stills & Nash’s “Teach Your Children” read. This song is about treating younger generations with patience and kindness and passing on what we’ve learned.

To share the wealth of knowledge is a real gift, and this song reminds us of that. Though generational gaps can often be wide and hard to cross, these lyrics act as a bridge. “Don’t you ever ask them why / If they told you, you would cry / So just look at them and sigh / And know they love you,” the lyrics read.

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