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Real Lyrics -> Dated References -> Van Halen

I'm not talking about songs that have a dated sound (there's more than I could ever list). I'm referring to songs with a specific date or year in the lyrics, that are mentioned as the present or future. Like Prince's "1999" (which will not be played as much now that it's date has come and gone). These are songs for which the present or future they refer to, has come and gone. 1999 was the future in 1982, 1999 has now passed.

What I am NOT looking for, are songs like Bowling for Soup's "1985" which are written after the date they are talking about. This song is looking back, or written from the point of view of after the date mentioned.

We also accept lyrics that mention prices that are now dated, such as 10 cent pay phone calls. Lyrics that mention a persons age at the time and that person is now past said age, and lyrics that mentioned events that were current at the time of the song but have now passed are also accepted.

Basically anything that definitively dates a song by any means other than the way it "sounds". Words/phrases/singing styles or instruments that were used commonly in a time period but are no longer used that much today are not accepted.

Dated References, Van Halen

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1984 album at Amazon.com
Van Halen's, "Jump"
The dated Lyrics:
'I've got my back against the record machine.'
Why They're dated:
This is to add to the above statement. Some have interpreted this line very differently record machine = record label Some would say this song was written as a stab towards record labels pressuring groups to spit out big hit singles at will. Listen to the song in this context and it takes on a whole new light. Am I right? I don't think we'll ever know.

Ed Note: I was under the impression "record machine" in the song was referring to a jukebox. In any case, the song is dated - most everything is CDs now.
Submitted by: orion350z
Van Halen's, "Jump"
The dated Lyrics:
Can't you see me standing here?
I've got my back against the record machine.
Why They're dated:
We old fogeys who grew up in the 1980s might even still call it the record machine, but these days it plays CDs.
Submitted by: Offender

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