Music

Bob Dylan Reflects on Turning 80 in New Op-Ed: “You’re Harder to Program”

In a rare op-ed, Bob Dylan, 85, shares his thoughts on aging, stating, "When you’re young you think that time moves forward. At 80 you know that it doesn’t, it stands still. We’re the ones that move."

Rolling Stone·Jun 14, 2026·via Rolling Stone

Bob Dylan Reflects on Turning 80 in New Op-Ed: “You’re Harder to Program”

Words of Wisdom

Bob Dylan Shares Pros and Cons of Turning 80 in Rare Op-Ed: ‘You’re Harder to Program’

"When you’re young you think that time moves forward. At 80 you know that it doesn’t, it stands still. We’re the ones that move," 85-year-old singer writes in op-ed tied to Trump's birthday

By Daniel Kreps

Daniel Kreps

Contact Daniel Kreps on X

Contact Daniel Kreps by Email

- See Olivia Rodrigo Surprise No Doubt at Band’s Final Sphere Show - Donald Trump’s Name Has Been Removed From the Kennedy Center, Court Docs Say - Tyra Banks Sues Netflix Over ‘Defamatory’ ‘America’s Next Top Model’ Docuseries

View all posts by Daniel Kreps

June 14, 2026

Bob Dylan shared the pros and cons of aging in a rare op-ed tied to Donald Trump’s 80th birthday.

With the president turning 80 ( and celebrating with a UFC bash ) on Sunday, the New York Times asked several prominent octogenarians — like Liza Minnelli, Robert De Niro, Art Garfunkel, and the 85-year-old Dylan — about the best and worst things about the milestone birthday.

“The best thing about being 80 is that you outlive the clocks that have been chasing you. It’s freedom from that lie that anything was ever under control,” Dylan said about turning 80. “You don’t chase the parade anymore. You’re an old king from some vanished country. You’re harder to program.”

On the downside, however, “The old fire in your heart still tells you to do this and that, but your body says we already did it. Also, nothing surprises you. It sounds like a luxury but it’s not, and also you’ve run out of illusions,” Dylan wrote.

However, “The really worst part about being 80 is that you find, at last, you’ve got an understanding of something that might have altered everything in the past, had it come at a time when something could still be altered. When you’re young you think that time moves forward. At 80 you know that it doesn’t, it stands still. We’re the ones that move.”