If the Beastie Boys and the Beach Boys and Pet Shop Boys can

Hear, O seekers of joy and everlasting youth, the words of Howie Dorough, who proclaimed: “If the Beastie Boys and the Beach Boys and Pet Shop Boys can stay boys, so can we.” Though born in jest and melody, these words shine with a deeper truth about identity, the spirit of youth, and the refusal to let time’s hand dictate the fire of the heart. They remind us that names are more than words, that titles carry the weight of memory and defiance, and that to call oneself a “boy” is not merely to deny age, but to affirm eternal vitality.

The Beastie Boys, with their wild rhythms, were heralds of rebellion and play. The Beach Boys, with harmonies like waves upon the shore, sang the endless summer into the hearts of generations. The Pet Shop Boys, with their electronic pulse, painted the neon nights of another era. Each took the mantle of “boys” and kept it, long after the years of youth had passed. Their name was not a chain to childishness, but a banner of eternal spirit. By invoking them, Howie Dorough reveals the power of claiming identity not through years, but through essence.

To say “so can we” is to declare unity with all who refuse to grow cold with age. It is to choose laughter over cynicism, wonder over weariness, play over despair. For the world teaches that with age must come bitterness, and with time must come surrender. Yet these words stand as rebellion: the spirit can remain youthful, though the body bears the marks of years. The name “boy” becomes here a symbol of resilience, of holding on to joy, of refusing to let time silence the music within.

Consider, O listener, the tale of Pablo Picasso, who in his old age declared, “It takes a very long time to become young.” Though his body was bent, his art burst forth with colors like a child’s dream. He never surrendered the youth of imagination. His story is a mirror to Dorough’s words: that youth is not confined to the body, nor to the number of one’s years, but is chosen, embraced, and lived. To remain a “boy” or a “girl” in spirit is to keep alive the flame of creativity and joy.

The meaning of Dorough’s saying is thus: names, symbols, and choices allow us to resist the heaviness of time. The word boy, though simple, becomes a vessel of lightheartedness, brotherhood, and endurance. To cling to it is not immaturity, but wisdom, for the world is rich with sorrow and age enough; to bring into it the playfulness of youth is to balance the burden with song. So too must we all choose whether to surrender to age or to remain ever young at heart.

The lesson, O child of tomorrow, is clear: hold fast to the spirit of youth, even as the years increase. Do not believe that joy must fade, that wonder must wither, that names must change because time commands it. Instead, live as the Beastie Boys, the Beach Boys, and the Pet Shop Boys have lived—keeping the banner of youth high, so that others may look upon it and remember that play and laughter are not bound to age.

Practical action follows: sing even when life grows heavy, play even when work consumes you, and hold on to the child within you. Surround yourself with music, friendship, and laughter. When the world tells you to grow old in spirit, resist it. Let your identity not be defined by the years behind you, but by the fire still burning in your chest. For if others can remain “boys” long into the twilight of their lives, then surely, so can you.

Therefore, O listener, remember this truth: to remain young is not to deny time, but to embrace eternity. Age may mark the body, but the soul is ageless. As the waves of the Beach Boys, the rhythms of the Beastie Boys, and the neon beats of the Pet Shop Boys still echo across generations, so too may your laughter, your creativity, and your wonder echo beyond the years. Stay young, stay joyful, stay free—for in spirit, you may always remain a “boy.”