It’s hard enough to write lyrics about either of society’s hot button a-words: Ageism and abortion. Tackling both topics with one chorus is even trickier. But what could have been an unwieldy vent session instead unfurls as an unapologetic declaration in Magen Tracy & The Missed Connections’ new song “At My Age,” a first-person account about how abortions can be necessary at all stages of life.
The song, which arrived last month, uses the Boston artist’s lived experience to buck the narrative that abortions disproportionately benefit younger folks. For today’s Bandcamp Friday (November 3), all proceeds from song purchases will be donated to the New England-based organization Reproductive Equity Now.
“I was 42 when I had my abortion,” Tracy shares. “Already the mother of a 15-month-old who took years of planning, effort, and finally IVF to conceive, I was just starting to get myself back physically,
emotionally, and musically. The choice wasn’t an easy one, and my reasons were varied, personal, and, frankly, irrelevant. I made the best choice for myself and my family, and it was my absolute right to make it.”
Or, at least it was at the time. Tracey says the driving emotion behind “At My Age” shifted quickly, as the vulnerable topic turned heated once Roe V. Wade was overturned. “Now I’ve got one less right than I did that day / Because they take what they can / ‘Til they can’t take anymore,” she sings on the second verse, deep-seated frustration emboldening her tune.
“It started out as a piano ballad about how much I wished I could hear my late mother’s advice during a difficult time — and her comfort and reassurance that prioritizing my own well-being isn’t a selfish act,” Tracey says. “Then, in June of 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade. I got angry, and so did the song. I reached for my guitar this time, and it fell together – quickly, easily, and urgently. The sad ballad became an angry anthem… and a letter of love and hope to my own daughter about the kind of future I want for her.”
Because rights shouldn’t expire — not due to someone’s age, another person’s bigotry, or otherwise.
Tune in below.