# Most dated song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 20, 2013, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181 "2013-04-20T01:42:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181/21 "2013-04-21T21:52:39Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > Karl Denver Trio – Wimoweh (1964) > > Thanks for that one. I don’t remember that I have ever heard it before. That’s actually kind of an impressive performance. The song seems to owe a debt to the background riff of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by The Tokens. The song was originally written and recorded by South African singer Solomon Linda as “Mbube” in 1939. Denver’s recording is actually a cover of the version recorded by the Weavers in 1952. The Tokens’ recording of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” was also heavily influenced by the Weavers’ version of “Wimoweh.” [Wikipedia - The Lion Sleeps Tonight](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_Sleeps_Tonight#History) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181/22 "2013-04-21T22:29:36Z")
[And the colored girls go/‘Doot, doo doot, doo doot, doo doot doo doot/Doot, doo doot, doo doot, doo doot doo doot.’"](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwIj0AtUa1Q) ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181/23 "2013-04-21T23:16:11Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > [Pennsylvania 6-5000.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PEnnsylvania_6-5000) [The Let’s All Call Up AT&T and Protest to the President March](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHTazxaQ9bs) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181/24 "2013-04-21T23:36:58Z")
I believe that honor belongs to Shanghai prostitute Song Ling Mae. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181/25 "2013-04-22T00:17:08Z")
Oh. Dated, not _out_dated. [When Johnny Comes Marching Home](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_Johnny_Comes_Marching_Home) was written during the Civil War, about when the solders would be returning. Then again, soldiers don’t march home from wars any more, so it’s also outdated. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181/26 "2013-04-22T01:37:47Z")
Maybe it’s not the “most” dated, but Bloodhound Gang’s song “Bad Touch” - _“You and me, baby, we ain’t nothing but mammals, So let’s do it like they do on the Discovery Channel”_ - sounds dated, what with the types of shows that are on the Discovery Channel now. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181/27 "2013-04-22T02:38:05Z")
Probably the ultimate “dated” song: The Mamas and the Papas: [Creeque Alley](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5eo31F93wo). ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181/28 "2013-04-22T02:47:54Z")
Bloodhound Gang’s The Ballad of Chasey Lain may have a timeless theme but the inclusion of Chasey Lain as a major star marks it being part of the latter 90s. The Beatles’ Taxman makes a reference to Harold Wildon, Edward Heath and 95% marginal tax dates is rather precisely if you have knowledge of British political history. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181/29 "2013-04-22T03:14:44Z")
My first thought was Meco’s [disco version of the “Star Wars” theme](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWRWYYt47RI). ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181/30 "2013-04-22T04:08:26Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I believe that honor belongs to Shanghai prostitute Song Ling Mae. 😛 Along the lines of\*\* Abraham, Martin and John\*\*: **Ohio**. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181/31 "2013-04-22T11:54:35Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Seeing as their first album was in 1964 and their last was in 1970, how exactly were you wrong? 1964 is way different from 1969. ---
**Author:** ![Hookit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/71e660/32.png) [@Hookit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hookit)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181/32 "2013-04-22T15:22:54Z")
95% of the Beach Boys songs from the 60’s. Actually, most of the music deemed as being “timeless” would fall into the dated category. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181/33 "2013-04-22T15:32:30Z")
Two songs about apartheid. [Free Nelson Mandela](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCZKZILvE70) [Sun City](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aopKk56jM-I) ---
**Author:** ![liquorinthefront](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/22d042/32.png) [@liquorinthefront](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liquorinthefront)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181/34 "2013-04-22T22:47:42Z")
[Tom’s Diner](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom%27s_Diner) ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181/35 "2013-04-22T22:58:53Z")
The Playmates, [Beep Beep](http://youtu.be/nRDyUIdqnc0) ---
**Author:** ![Ferd\_Burfel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@Ferd\_Burfel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferd_Burfel)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181/36 "2013-04-23T13:57:56Z")
[The Battle Hymn of Lt. Calley](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_Hymn_of_Lt._Calley) ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181/37 "2013-04-23T14:44:06Z")
An early ‘dated’ song would be the pop standard “Meet Me in St. Louis, Louie” which is specifically about the 1905 St. Louis World’s Fair. [A short discography of Mbube/Wimoweh/The Lion Sleeps Tonight](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12405426&postcount=162) (see also a few posts further on in that thread for a link to the historical background\_ ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181/38 "2013-04-23T15:19:28Z")
Neil Young’s OHIO was recorded by CSNY May 21, 1970, 17 days after Kent State and was released in June. The rawness and immediacy was part of what mad the song such a hit. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181/39 "2013-04-23T17:54:37Z")
This thread keeps making me think of Miss Congeniality and “Please describe your idea of a perfect date?” “That’s a tough one. I’d have to say April 25th. Because it’s not too hot, not too cold, all you need is a light jacket.” So I will go with **Desiree** by Neil Diamond It was the third of June On that summer’s day … Then came the fourth of June On that sleepless night because it has the most dates 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181/40 "2013-04-23T18:23:23Z")
Well, not the MOST dated, but Tom Petty & the HeartBreakers “Jammin’ Me” has some rather dated references - “The Apple in young Steve’s eye”, “Iranian Torture”, “Take Back Vanessa Redgrave, Take Back Eddie Murphy, Take Back Joe Piscopo”. That said, I still think it’s a rather rocking song. And dated references like the previously mentioned (by Drain Bead) “We Care A Lot”, with it’s references to Live Aid, Garbage Pail Kids, Killer Bees, the NASA Shuttle explodion, and Rock Hudson’s AIDS, certainly didn’t hurt the song’s use as the “Dirty Jobs” theme > [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](#): > > Neil Young’s OHIO was recorded by CSNY May 21, 1970, 17 days after Kent State and was released in June. Joel: ““Super Freak-Out!” by Four Dead In Ohio Arts” Crow: “Tin Soldiers and Nixon’s Coming sold separately” _(Perhaps I have been watching old MST3k too much lately)_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-dated-song/656181.md?page=3)