LatinosUSA

May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

“Forever Young” is the most popular song on Dylan’s 1974 album: Planet Waves, a song covered by several artists. such as Joan Baez (1976), Diana Ross (1984) and remixed in 2009 for a popular Pepsi commercial

Dylan wrote it for his children ( a step-daughter and three sons and a daughter of his own).
It is a warm wish, or blessing, for his children, a wish any parent can identify with and that endures across the ages and across the life course. Therefore its message is  timeless,  as meaningful in later life as at its beginning.

Bob Dylan is telling us to stay forever young., which doesn’t  necessarily mean that we need to remain young forever, but rather, that we must live life as if we were young and full of dreams and opportunities.

Consequently, besides being a song about protecting our children from the world and reality, it is a reminder that at any age we can build our ladder to the stars, and work for our dreams, cultivating virtues and attitudes that never grow old: charity to others, acceptance of kindness, hope, righteousness, courage, fortitude, industriousness, and joy.