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Real Lyrics -> Dated References -> Latest Entries

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, ARTIST

Check out the index or search for other performers.

Stevie Wonder's, "Sir Duke"
The dated Lyrics:
But just because a record has a groove
Don't make it in the groove
Why They're dated:
What's a record?
Submitted by: Robert Ballinger
The Four Preps', "Down By The Station"
The dated Lyrics:
Down by the station early in the morning,
See the little pufferbellies all in a row.
Why They're dated:
"Pufferbellies" is a colloquialism for steam locomotives. Once upon a time, perhaps active passenger train stations had numerous "pufferbellies" in a row to be seen, either early in the morning or at other times of day as well. But passenger train travel has since declined to the point that relatively few cities or towns have highly active stations where a lot of locomotives would be seen in a row. Furthermore, steam locomotives have been nearly all been replaced by diesel locomotives for regular train runs, either passenger or freight. The only places where pufferbellies may still commonly be seen include: (1) inactive ones preserved as monuments to bygone days, such as near old depots or in museums., and (2) Active ones running on historical railroads, preserved for scenic excursions and the like, rather than regular intercity transportation. And even in those cases, seeing several pufferbellies in a row would not be likely.
Submitted by: Tess O. Gosset
Chuck Berry's, "Memphis, Tennessee"
The dated Lyrics:
Her home is on the south side, high upon a ridge,
Just a half a mile from the Mississippi bridge.
Why They're dated:
When this song came out in 1963, "the Mississippi bridge" was an adequate reference to a bridge whose official name is the "Memphis And Arkansas Bridge". It opened in 1949 and from then until 1973 was the only bridge carrying road traffic across the mighty Mississippi anywhere near Memphis, railroad bridges being then the only other bridges to parallel it nearby. The next closer road bridges across the Mississippi were at least 50 miles to the north or south. The Mississippi And Arkansas Bridge still exists today and carries Interstate 55 and a few US highways across the Mississippi River. In 1973, the Hernando de Soto Bridge opened to carry Interstate 40 across the Mississippi, only about a mile and a half north of the Mississippi And Arkansas Bridge. Now with these two bridges carrying road traffic across the river from Memphis to Arkansas, they are referred to in the Memphis area as the "Old Bridge" and the "New Bridge" to distinguish them. So there would not tend to be a now ambiguous reference to "the Mississippi bridge".
Submitted by: Karen Smith
Travis Tritt's, "Here's a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)"
The dated Lyrics:
Here's a quarter, call someone who cares
Why They're dated:
Today, Travis would be singing, "Here's a cell phone, call someone who cares."
Submitted by: Glenn
Steve Miller Band's, "Jet Airliner"
The dated Lyrics:
But my heart keeps calling me backwards
As I get on the 707
Why They're dated:
Today, Steve would probably be boarding a 767 or 777.
Submitted by: Glenn
Steve Miller Band's, "Dance, Dance, Dance"
The dated Lyrics:
My grandpa, he's 95
And he keeps on dancin'
He's still alive
My grandma, she's 92
She loves to dance
And sing some, too
Why They're dated:
Steve Miller himself is approaching 70 years of age; his grandparents must be long dead by now.
Submitted by: David Jones
Roger Miller's, "Kansas City Star"
The dated Lyrics:
I've got credit down at the grocery store and my barber tells me jokes.
And I'm the number one attraction of every super market parking lot.
I'm the king of Kansas City, No thanks, Omaha, thanks a lot.
Why They're dated:
In this song, Roger Miller is singing as if he's a TV personality in Kansas City, making him a local celebrity there. In these lines, he's citing some of the frills that come with his celebrity status, those being among the reasons why he's turning down a new job offer in Omaha. Everything in these lines might still make sense today, except the part about having credit down at the grocery story. Back when the song came out, grocery stores may have generally been cash only business for ordinary citizens, making his credit there a status symbol of his local celebrity status. But today most all grocery stores accept credit cards from whoever has them. So no longer would credit at a grocery store be anything to cite as a status symbol. Today's younger listeners may be mystified as to why the line about credit at the grocery store is in the song, and wonder how it is supposed to contribute to the song's meaning or theme.
Submitted by: Karen Smith
Rage Against The Machine's, "Guerilla Radio"
The dated Lyrics:
More for Gore or the son of a drug lord. None of the above, f*** it, cut the cord!
Why They're dated:
This is referencing the then - upcoming election between Al Gore and George W. Bush. Two more elections have passed since then and one more is coming up. (and of course this comment will be dated eventually but I don't really care)
Submitted by: Thaddeus Gammelthorpe
The Doors', "20th Century Fox"
The dated Lyrics:
She's a 20th century fox. She's a 20th century fox.
Why They're dated:
I can't believe these lyrics aren't already on here! If she's fashionably lean and fashionably late (assuming my take on the meaning of "fashionably late" is the right one) she shouldn't look like she belongs in last century!
Submitted by: Thaddeus Gammelthorpe
KoRn's, "Wicked"
The dated Lyrics:
Don't say nothin' just listen. Got me a plan to break Tyson out of prison.
Why They're dated:
This is a cover of an Ice Cube song. The original version was released in 1992 while Mike Tyson was serving time for rape and assault, though KoRn's version, released in 1996 and featuring Chino Moreno of the Deftones, was dated as Tysone was released in 1994 (I believe) and was at the time a free man.
Submitted by: Thaddeus Gammelthorpe

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