The story of Jack & Diane, two American kids growing up in the heartland, resonated with more than just the folks in the middle of the country. If it didn’t, there’s no way it would’ve become as huge as it did. Nearly thirty years later, it remains John Mellencamp’s magnum opus.
While to a 6-year old, it’s just a song that’s easy to sing along with and clap along to, lines like “oh yeah, life goes on…long after the thrill of living is gone” and “Hold on to 16 as long as you can, changes come around real soon make us women and men: hit extremely hard when you’re looking at 33. Much like it’s cousin “The Boys of Summer”, it’s equal parts romantic and wistful.
