Urban75 Home About Offline BrixtonBuzz Contact

Songs with dated references

The rolling stones' you can't always get what you want, with I went down to the Chelsea drugstore to get my prescription filled. Which you haven't been able to do for more than 30 years
 
Brings to mind TRBs “wish I had a grey Cortina, whiplash aerial, racing trim”
I feel like people around that time loved singing about Ford Cortinas, see also The Mekons line about "drink, fags, fun at night, dirty books and a Ford Cortina":

That one's probably full of dated references, come to think of it.

Anyway, not really the direction I was planning on this light-hearted thread going in, but I think Pickman's is right about George Formby, if you introduced Formby to, for instance, Kanye, or Odd Future-era Tyler and Sweatshirt*, I'm sure there would be a great deal of mutual incomprehension, but I don't think the newer artists would be saying "your sexism is so unacceptable these days, you can't play inappropriate behaviour towards women for laughs anymore".
On the other hand, I think posting 1959 by the Sisters of Mercy was outside of the spirit of this thread, I don't think there's much about the song 1959 that would instantly tip you off to when the song was written and recorded.

*admittedly, Tyler and Sweatshirt have grown up a bit since then, but I think that's more a change in them as people rather than a change in what's culturally acceptable, although it could be both.
 
I feel like people around that time loved singing about Ford Cortinas, see also The Mekons line about "drink, fags, fun at night, dirty books and a Ford Cortina":

That one's probably full of dated references, come to think of it.

Anyway, not really the direction I was planning on this light-hearted thread going in, but I think Pickman's is right about George Formby, if you introduced Formby to, for instance, Kanye, or Odd Future-era Tyler and Sweatshirt*, I'm sure there would be a great deal of mutual incomprehension, but I don't think the newer artists would be saying "your sexism is so unacceptable these days, you can't play inappropriate behaviour towards women for laughs anymore".
On the other hand, I think posting 1959 by the Sisters of Mercy was outside of the spirit of this thread, I don't think there's much about the song 1959 that would instantly tip you off to when the song was written and recorded.

*admittedly, Tyler and Sweatshirt have grown up a bit since then, but I think that's more a change in them as people rather than a change in what's culturally acceptable, although it could be both.

We'll have to differ, hm
 
I think anything so definitively 'of its time' as eg George Formby was, is bound eventually to sound dated. And in fairness it's more than the stalking and voyeurism in his oeuvre that dates it, there are the army songs, the racist songs and the songs about Blackpool rock. It was another age he was singing about, that's both charming and embarrassing but one way or another most of his songs wouldn't see the light of day now, wouldn't even get written.
 
Friend of my parents was a semi professional left wing singer, protest songs mostly.

About 1992/3 he was doing a song calling for the release of a number of South African political prisoners. After the gig a nice old bloke came up to him, complemented him on the song and said ‘ you can drop the second verse, they let me out and I’m here…’
 
Friend of my parents was a semi professional left wing singer, protest songs mostly.

About 1992/3 he was doing a song calling for the release of a number of South African political prisoners. After the gig a nice old bloke came up to him, complemented him on the song and said ‘ you can drop the second verse, they let me out and I’m here…’

Free Nelson Mandela
 
God Save the Queen.

Both the Pistols and the one done by military bands.
 
The Clash's "Janie Jones" has the line "He's got a Ford Cortina that just won't run without fuel".

Maybe we need a "Songs that feature Ford Cortinas" thread......
A look at wikipedia informs me that John Cooper Clarke was at it as well:

Apparently the Arctic Monkeys covered that one, although they must be as unfamiliar with Ford Cortinas as I am.
 
I am a young executive, no cuffs than mine are cleaner,
I own a slim line briefcase, and I drive the firms Cortina.


John Betjeman.
 
Crass have a song that references Farah Fawcett, maybe a reference to Charlie's Angels, which ran from 1976 to 1980.

You could just as easily look for dated TV references.
 
My old man's a dustman,

Well, for a start he'd be a waste management and recycling interface associate for Serco. Secondly he'd have to wear approved lower body garments that complied with British Standard BS EN 471 for high visibility/conspicuity rather than gor blimey trousers, and finally its unlikely great big hob nail boots would meet the safety footware requirements. The last two items being good things as far as workplace safety are concerned.
 
Last edited:
Crass have a song that references Farah Fawcett, maybe a reference to Charlie's Angels, which ran from 1976 to 1980.

You could just as easily look for dated TV references.
Like the Sweeny are no longer doing 90 cos got they got the word to go, because the Ray Winston / Plan B film was so shit the villains in the shed up at Heathrow would just laugh.
 
The anti-stalking laws might be a little stronger though

At eight o'clock a girl she wakes, at five past eight a bath she takes
At ten past eight my ladder breaks, when I'm cleaning windows
Taking Youngest Q back to Uni sometime last year was listening to some tunez in the car and it played this one :-



Youngest Q: "If you listen to the lyrics, this song is really creepy isn't it? Some guy takes a picture of a woman he doesn't know in the park and spends the next year obsessing over her"
 
Crass have a song that references Farah Fawcett, maybe a reference to Charlie's Angels, which ran from 1976 to 1980.

You could just as easily look for dated TV references.
Mobb Deep mention watching the film Friday, and to be fair people often watch old films, but the fact that they specify watching it on VCR does date it a bit.
My old man's a dustman,

Well, for a start he'd be a waste management and recycling interface associate for Serco. Secondly he'd have to wear approved lower body garments that complied with British Standard BS EN 471 for high visibility/conspicuity rather than gor blimey trousers, and finally its unlikely great big hob nail boots would meet the safety footware requirements. The last two items being good things as far as workplace safety are concerned.
Would a dustman's hat fit contemporary safety regulations? Probably a good chance that said council flat is now in private ownership as well.
 
Mobb Deep mention watching the film Friday, and to be fair people often watch old films, but the fact that they specify watching it on VCR does date it a bit.

Would a dustman's hat fit contemporary safety regulations? Probably a good chance that said council flat is now in private ownership as well.
The hat would probably be ok, unless he had a requirement for working in confined spaces where a bump cap complying with British Standard EN 812:2012 would be required.

Housing association for the flat probably. But he might have purchased it under Thatcher’s Right to Buy scheme.
 
Thinking of semi-mythical 70s brands, are there any songs that mention Watney's? I feel like there must be, but can't think of any.
 
Whilst Billy Brag may indeed have been 21 when he wrote the song ‘a new England’ he’s not 22 now . He’s 66 , the fucking liar.
 
Back
Top Bottom