# Dates in popular songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 18, 2007, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253 "2007-07-18T13:00:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253/21 "2007-07-18T14:28:48Z")
American Pie: The day the music died When the Tigers Broke Free: “One miserable morning in Black '44…” A real day, when Eric Waters (Roger’s Pa) died) ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253/22 "2007-07-18T14:33:57Z")
[QUOTE=Kid\_A] U2’s [Pride (In the Name of Love)](http://www.u2wanderer.org/disco/lyrics.php?id=43) mentions April 4. [/QUOTE] U2 also sings about ‘New Year’s Day’ In the Sublime song 'April 29th 1992, they sing about ‘April 26th 1992’. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253/23 "2007-07-18T14:34:20Z")
Dan Fogelberg saw his old girlfriend in the store on Christmas Eve in Same Old Lang Syne. And “Christmas Wrapping” is on Christmas Eve in 1981. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253/24 "2007-07-18T14:51:18Z")
Tom Waits, “Town with No Cheer”: “Now it’s boilin’ in a miserable March 21st.” Fairport Convention, “Tam Lin”: “But tonight is Halloween, and the fairy folk ride.” ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253/25 "2007-07-18T15:05:10Z")
“Saturday In the park I think it was the fourth of July” ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253/26 "2007-07-18T15:08:58Z")
_ **July 13th, 1985** _ by John Wesley Harding. Yes, it’s about Live Aid, but it’s not exactly a glowing tribute. _St. Bob made me feel like shit so I got out an envelope, opened it. Put in a very crisp, 10-pound note; it was the same one I used earlier to snort my coke. And that made me feel good inside. (Sending the money, not snorting the coke.)_ [Full lyrics](http://www.lyricsdepot.com/john-wesley-harding/july-13th-1985-the-live-aid-song.html). ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253/27 "2007-07-18T15:15:49Z")
4th of July (Asbury Park) - **Bruce Springsteen** ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253/28 "2007-07-18T17:48:03Z")
[ul] [li]“Night Moves” by Bob Seger has the line, “I started humming a song from 1962…”[/li][li]The prelude to “White Christmas” has the line, “but, it’s December the 24th, and I’m longing to be up north…”[/li][li]Prince’s “1999” mentions, well, 1999. Same for Smashing Pumpkins “1979” and Bryan Adam’s “Summer of '69”.[/li][li]“In the year 2525” mentions a lot of futuristic years.[/li][li]Jackson Browne’s “Running on Empty” has “'65 I was 17…” and “'69 I was 21.”[/li][li]“Calendar Girl” mentions ALL the months! :)[/li][/ul] ETA: On preview I see **Kid A** beat me to the punch on “Calendar Girl”. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253/29 "2007-07-18T18:00:07Z")
Johnny Cash: “Well, it was Gatlinburg in mid-July” - _A Boy Named Sue_ ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253/30 "2007-07-18T18:07:41Z")
**Bowling for Soup** – “19, 19, _1985_” **C. W. McCall** – “It was the dark of the moon, on the 6th of June” (_Convoy_ ) **Pat Boone** – _April Love_ ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253/31 "2007-07-18T18:19:28Z")
Wow, June is an eventful month. 3 - Billie Joe offs himself, Neil bangs that chick 4 - Neil wishes the chick had been more than a one-night stand 6 - Convoy! ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253/32 "2007-07-18T18:21:10Z")
U2 also indirectly sings about [Sunday, Novemebr 21, 1920](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_%281920%29) and [Sunday, January 30, 1972](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_%281972%29) . Both, [Sunday Bloody Sunday](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday_Bloody_Sunday_(song)) ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253/33 "2007-07-18T18:26:15Z")
[QUOTE=Kid\_A] U2’s [Pride (In the Name of Love)](http://www.u2wanderer.org/disco/lyrics.php?id=43) mentions April 4. [/QUOTE] even more specific than that, April 4, 1968. Bono needs a watch though, because 6:01 p.m. is hardly “early morning.” ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253/34 "2007-07-18T18:29:25Z")
The Incredible Moses Leroy did a song called “1983” on the album _Electric Pocket Radio_. It’s about 1983. Great song; [here](http://www.amazon.com/Electric-Pocket-Radio-Incredible-Moses/dp/B00005B5AJ) is a sample. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253/35 "2007-07-18T18:36:11Z")
“September Morn” - Neil Diamond In [Incommunicado](http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Incommunicado-lyrics-Jimmy-Buffett/D9606C04C1034E74482569A10014AF1A), Jimmy Buffet is singing about the day John Wayne died, though he never mentions the date (June 11, 1979): _Now on the day that John Wayne died I found myself on the continental divide Tell me where do I go from here Think I’ll ride into Leadville and have a few beers I think of “Red River” or “Liberty Valance” Can’t believe the old man’s gone_ And if we’re going to include calendar years, [1982](http://www.lyricsfreak.com/r/randy+travis/1982_20114201.html) - Randy Travis And “Zombie” by The Cranberries mentions 1916. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253/36 "2007-07-18T18:37:33Z")
\*\*Barenaked Ladies \*\* - “I Live with it Every Day” _On **August 1st, 1981** … I cycled to Scott’s house with a BB gun._ \*\*They Might Be Giants \*\* have numerous examples, but the one I can think of off the top of my head is “James K. Polk”: In **1844** , the Democrats were split… ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253/37 "2007-07-18T19:22:04Z")
Wake Me Up When September Ends Green day ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253/38 "2007-07-18T20:07:27Z")
[QUOTE=whole bean] U2 also indirectly sings about [Sunday, Novemebr 21, 1920](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_%281920%29) and [Sunday, January 30, 1972](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_%281972%29) . Both, [Sunday Bloody Sunday](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday_Bloody_Sunday_(song)) [/QUOTE] If we allow indirect date mentioning, then Saxon - Dallas 1PM describes the JFK assassination. Whole years? I suppose The Smashing Pumpkins mention a date in 1979, even if it’s a whole year. Battle of New Orleans (1814 in the song, 1814/1815 altogether) ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253/39 "2007-07-18T20:16:24Z")
Rush, “Lakeside Park”: “Everyone would gather on the 24th of May Sitting in the sand to watch the fireworks display” ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253/40 "2007-07-18T20:23:16Z")
Neil Diamond again: the hot August night when he went to Bro. Love’s traveling salvation show. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-in-popular-songs/412253.md?page=3)