--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: hold on to 16 as long as you can. changes…" description: "\"“hold on to 16 as long as you can. changes coming round real soon, make us women and men.”\" — John Mellencamp" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/john-mellencamp-5745_change_hold-on-to-16-as-long-as-you-can-changes_2975351.jpg" --- # hold on to 16 as long as you can. changes coming round… ![“hold on to 16 as long as you can. changes coming round real soon, make us women and men.” quote by John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/john-mellencamp-5745_change_hold-on-to-16-as-long-as-you-can-changes_2975351.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/john-mellencamp-5745_change_hold-on-to-16-as-long-as-you-can-changes_2975351.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/john-mellencamp-5745_change_hold-on-to-16-as-long-as-you-can-changes_2975351.jpg) > ““hold on to 16 as long as you can. changes coming round real soon, make us women and men.”” [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advises to cling to youth while it lasts, as change is imminent and will shape identity. **In simple terms:** Hold onto youth before change reshapes us. Key Takeaway Embrace the present before change arrives. Themes youth change identity Mood reflective hopeful Type lyspirational cautionary When to use this quote - adolescence - career transitions - personal development Key Concepts nostalgia growth transformation Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of your youth are you most reluctant to let go? - How can you prepare for inevitable change? A Different Perspective Change may bring loss as well as growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Changes coming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changes-coming/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Hold 16](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hold-16-2177363/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Make Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-women/) [Real Soon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-soon-305873/) [Soon Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soon-make-2463708/) ## Related quotes > [Hold on to 16 as long as you can,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/hold-on-to-16-as-long-as-you-can/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [If I die anytime soon, It will do make a few sad, but I'm sure it will make many more, happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vardhan-25-6/if-i-die-anytime-soon-it-will-do-make-a-few-sad-but-i-m-sure-it-will/) [Vardhan 25-6](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vardhan-25-6/) > [The way I see it, as soon as I make a piece I’ve lost control of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/the-way-i-see-it-as-soon-as-i-make-a-piece-i-ve-lost-control-of-it/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [You want to be doing your best work whatever field of the arts you're in because your life's going to be over all too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-elling/you-want-to-be-doing-your-best-work-whatever-field-of-the-arts-you-re/) [Kurt Elling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-elling/) > [I've been talking to people all over the country, city council members, grassroots leaders, party leaders, members in Congress - and you know what?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/i-ve-been-talking-to-people-all-over-the-country-city-council-members/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [Boy, you better pray that I bleed real soon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/boy-you-better-pray-that-i-bleed-real-soon/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [Yeah man, I was ready to take it to hip-hop ... We could put the sh\*t on wax, man. And that coulda - But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soulja-boy/yeah-man-i-was-ready-to-take-it-to-hip-hop-we-could-put-the-sh-t-on/) [Soulja Boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soulja-boy/) > [In case you're not a computer person, I should probably point out that 'Real Soon Now' is a technical term meaning 'sometime before the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-fahlman/in-case-you-re-not-a-computer-person-i-should-probably-point-out-that/) [Scott Fahlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-fahlman/) > [The real focus needs to be on political action to stop this runaway train, real soon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-calvin/the-real-focus-needs-to-be-on-political-action-to-stop-this-runaway/) [William H. Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-calvin/) > [“You’re going to realize real soon that when I say you’re mine, I mean it. We’ve been dancing around this for way too long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-sloan/you-re-going-to-realize-real-soon-that-when-i-say-you-re-mine-i-mean/) [Harper Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-sloan/) > [I won't be a problem ,as long as you do not press my button ,however I feel you and me are going have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mrcountry/i-won-t-be-a-problem-as-long-as-you-do-not-press-my-button-however-i/) [MrCountry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mrcountry/) > [“Just know that whatever you invest your time doing, you'll become that real soon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terraine-francois/just-know-that-whatever-you-invest-your-time-doing-you-ll-become-that/) [Terraine Francois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terraine-francois/) > [U R feeling down & so am I wid u NOT around. Hope U get back in D swing of things real soon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/butterfly-kisses/u-r-feeling-down-so-am-i-wid-u-not-around-hope-u-get-back-in-d-swing/) [Butterfly\_Kisses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/butterfly-kisses/) > [Changes is coming...GOD saw your sadness and said hard times are over. Just believe in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innah-delos-angeles/changes-is-coming-god-saw-your-sadness-and-said-hard-times-are-over/) [Innah Delos Angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innah-delos-angeles/) > [If I were in politics, and if you ever get me in the White House, trust me, there's a big change coming. What happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/if-i-were-in-politics-and-if-you-ever-get-me-in-the-white-house-trust/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) ## More by John Mellencamp > [My grandmother made sure that I went to church every Sunday. And she'd come over and pick us boys up, and we would go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/my-grandmother-made-sure-that-i-went-to-church-every-sunday-and-she-d/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [I thought I knew a lot about music. Then you start digging and the deeper you go, the more there is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/i-thought-i-knew-a-lot-about-music-then-you-start-digging-and-the/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [You shouldn't even be in a band if you can't play Buddy Holly's Not Fade Away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/you-shouldn-t-even-be-in-a-band-if-you-can-t-play-buddy-holly-s-not/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [Oh, I think country has changed tremendously. I think country has totally changed. Country music when I was a kid was Hank Williams. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/oh-i-think-country-has-changed-tremendously-i-think-country-has/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [I'm looking for trouble. A lot of people get to be a certain age and they just kind of lose interest or they give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/i-m-looking-for-trouble-a-lot-of-people-get-to-be-a-certain-age-and/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [I know there's a balance/I see it when I swing past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/i-know-there-s-a-balance-i-see-it-when-i-swing-past/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [Growing up leads to growing old and then to dying And dying to me don't sound like all that much fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/growing-up-leads-to-growing-old-and-then-to-dying-and-dying-to-me-don/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [This is not a rock opera. This is not Tommy. I can write songs that emote, and that's it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/this-is-not-a-rock-opera-this-is-not-tommy-i-can-write-songs-that/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [Hold on to 16 as long as you can,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/hold-on-to-16-as-long-as-you-can/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [Country sure has changed in the last 10 years. It was one thing, then it was another. Country has slowly marched toward a rock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/country-sure-has-changed-in-the-last-10-years-it-was-one-thing-then/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [I just think if the song's good, sing it. I don't care who's doing it. I don't care if it's a country act. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/i-just-think-if-the-song-s-good-sing-it-i-don-t-care-who-s-doing-it-i/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [I'm not a nostalgic person. I'm not nostalgic about much of anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/i-m-not-a-nostalgic-person-i-m-not-nostalgic-about-much-of-anything/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [Most people in life, give up too early.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/most-people-in-life-give-up-too-early/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [My voice has gotten better from smoking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/my-voice-has-gotten-better-from-smoking/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [Music actually meant something when I started doing it. Too bad I wasn't mature enough to write anything that meant anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/music-actually-meant-something-when-i-started-doing-it-too-bad-i-wasn/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) [Explore all 100 John Mellencamp quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) [Phil Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hogan/) > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“hold on to 16 as long as you can. changes coming round real soon, make us women and men.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Mellencamp" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/hold-on-to-16-as-long-as-you-can-changes-coming-round-real-soon-make/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/hold-on-to-16-as-long-as-you-can-changes-coming-round-real-soon-make/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/john-mellencamp-5745_change_hold-on-to-16-as-long-as-you-can-changes_2975351.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/john-mellencamp-5745_change_hold-on-to-16-as-long-as-you-can-changes_2975351.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/john-mellencamp-5745_change_hold-on-to-16-as-long-as-you-can-changes_2975351.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“hold on to 16 as long as you can. changes coming round real soon, make us women and men.” — John Mellencamp", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Mellencamp", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“hold on to 16 as long...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/hold-on-to-16-as-long-as-you-can-changes-coming-round-real-soon-make/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/hold-on-to-16-as-long-as-you-can-changes-coming-round-real-soon-make/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```