Lines That Make Songs Sound Dated.

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Siegmund, Jul 29, 2016.

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  1. czeskleba

    czeskleba Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    Given the explicit lyrics that exist in many songs today, I don't think anyone would think twice about that line if it was written today, if it was sung by a 20-year-old guy as the Beatles' original recording was.
     
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  2. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Yeah, I agree 100% "trumped up towers" alluded to The Donald.

    My point was that Henley couldn't have foreseen the connection between Trump and "golden showers" when he wrote the song...
     
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  3. dbone828

    dbone828 Only Visiting This Planet

    One of my all-time favourite songs, but that line certainly does date it, unfortunately.
     
  4. JoeF.

    JoeF. Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    I hadn't thought of that angle. Yes, McCartney was only 20 at the time. But the line, "...you know what I mean" slyly implies "jail bait."
    At least that's what I hear.
     
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  5. uzn007

    uzn007 Watcher of the Skis

    Location:
    Raleigh, N.C.
    It also sounds extremely dated in 2018 because you'd almost never ask someone if their father was home; you'd just call their father's phone directly.
     
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  6. uzn007

    uzn007 Watcher of the Skis

    Location:
    Raleigh, N.C.
    Nick Lowe's "I Knew The Bride" originally had a line that went "I can see her now with her headphones on..." He re-cut the song in the 80s and changed the line to "I can see her now with her Walkman on..." which, ironically, makes it sound way more dated, thirty years later.
     
  7. crustycurmudgeon

    crustycurmudgeon We've all got our faults, mine's the Calaveras

    Location:
    Hollister, CA
    He should update it again, with "I can see her now with her iPod on". Although now THAT'S a bit dated.
     
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  8. uzn007

    uzn007 Watcher of the Skis

    Location:
    Raleigh, N.C.
    Exactly. "I can see her now with her wireless bluetooth earbuds on..."
     
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  9. Derek Slazenger

    Derek Slazenger Specs, rugs & rock n roll

    Francis Dunnery - Because I Can

    I got an angel face, I got a brand new dog
    I got 40 Megs of RAM and a CD ROM
    I got a hired car and a record deal
    I got an old guitar and a pedal steel
     
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  10. DPK

    DPK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southeastern U.S.
    The pre-DVR days were oh-so-tough, weren't they?

    Smudge- "The Outdoor Type":
    "I can't go away with you on a rock climbing weekend
    What if something's on TV and its never shown again?"
     
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  11. Folknik

    Folknik Forum Resident

    What's dated about that? There are still barbers and friendly people out there. There may be some Beatles songs that contains historical references (like Edgar Allen Poe and Chairman Mao) but I can't think of any that sound dated, lyrically or musically. As for their many love songs, people will always be falling in and out of love. The timeless quality of their songs is one of a number of things that has kept their music in print and still selling throughout the decades.
     
  12. lemonade kid

    lemonade kid Forever Changing

    Ah, but she's still on the run...that unfortunately is timeless... and Neil updates the date when he does it live so it stays current!
     
  13. Folknik

    Folknik Forum Resident

    The first verse of the song won't sound dated until the year 2526. As for the verse about the year 9595, I wonder if the song will still be alive.
     
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  14. lemonade kid

    lemonade kid Forever Changing

    Or the planet...?
     
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  15. lemonade kid

    lemonade kid Forever Changing

    Feeling Groovy....59th Street Bridge Song. The song is great still though.

    But then aren't we all dated with each new generation or sooner??
     
  16. Folknik

    Folknik Forum Resident

    "The 20th Century Is Almost Over" - Steve Goodman
     
  17. tmoore

    tmoore Forum Resident

    Location:
    Olney, MD
    The only Beatles lyric I have a little problem with is from "You Can't Do That" =

    "if I catch you talking to that boy again - I'm going to let you down and leave you flat".

    I can see it's not very specific. One would hope there is nothing physical implied there. He could be simply saying "I'll walk away".
    The other thing is, if the first boy is that insecure about his girl talking to another boy, maybe the girl should bolt.

    If physical violence was indeed intended to be implied, I'd say that was dated. But that's not clear.
     
  18. Folknik

    Folknik Forum Resident

    "I'll put a nickel in the jukebox and play "The Truck Drivin' Man."
    "Operator...You can keep the dime."
     
  19. tmoore

    tmoore Forum Resident

    Location:
    Olney, MD
    20th Century Man - The Kinks
     
  20. uzn007

    uzn007 Watcher of the Skis

    Location:
    Raleigh, N.C.
    I always took this to mean that he was going to leave her if she talked to that boy again.

    Now, "Run for Your Life", on the other hand...
     
  21. Derek Slazenger

    Derek Slazenger Specs, rugs & rock n roll

    I've never heard it that way. I've always thought it was just a bit of word play - if you let a beach ball down it becomes 'flat' :)
     
  22. lemonade kid

    lemonade kid Forever Changing

    Probably the difference in the way we (USA) and those in the UK understand the implied meaning of localized metaphors, idioms, etc....

    Take "He's pissed": We think "mad", Brits think "drunk". Since Lennon was a Brit, you may be right on what it implies. Leave you flat in the USA is just "leaving".

    ...let you down and leave you flat: "flat out leave you behind". No violence intended here as understood in the USA. But the UK....?
     
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  23. KevinP

    KevinP Forum introvert

    Location:
    Daejeon
    I always heard it as one-upping all those sweet 16 songs. Sixteen implies innocence; 17 implies experience.
     
  24. czeskleba

    czeskleba Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    Sixteen was the age of consent in England at the time, and still is. It is in many US states also. So nothing illegal was necessarily implied.
     
  25. anth67

    anth67 Purveyor of Hogwash

    Location:
    PNW USA
    "Now you find yourself in '82" (Asia/ Heat of the Moment)

    Gosh, that line even sounded dated in '82.
     
    phillyal1 likes this.
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