In an attempt to sound bad-ass Bryan Adams says it’s about the sexual position, but it really isn’t.
I looked it up because I didn’t know the Doors also had a song called that. Anyway, it’s a case of two songs with the same name but different otherwise.
Doors
“Twentieth Century Fox” (Morrison, Krieger, Manzarek, Densmore) 1967
38 Special
“Twentieth Century Fox” (Barnes, Carlisi, Van Zant, Steele) 1984
I thought that Ryan Adams recorded “Summer of '69.”
Y’know, if he didn’t make such a stink about it people wouldn’t troll him about it, though I wonder how many tickets he sold to hecklers. I know I was tempted.
Well, the song can’t exactly be autobiographical either. Dude was ten years old in ‘69. He probably wasn’t rockin’ out with his guitar until his fingers bled that early.
But of course “it was the summer / the summer / the summer of seventy-nine” would fuck up the metre.
The End of the Innocence, by Don Henley. Very Reagan-specific lyrics.
There’s been threads on it before, but yeah, it’s not autobiographical.
I’m not very good at subtleties and undertones in music, books, movies, etc…
What’s Reaganesque about the song?
The references to Iran-Contra and the “tired old man we’ve elected King” line.
Two last things, then I’ll shut up. 
First, it’s funny mentioning Reagan since it came out in 1989 after Bush the elder was elected. Second…
O’ beautiful, for spacious skies
But now those skies are threatening
They’re beating plowshares into swords
For this tired old man that we elected king
Armchair warriors often fail
And we’ve been poisoned by these fairy tales
The lawyers clean up all details
Since daddy had to lie
Actually refers to Iran Contra?
That’s how I’ve always understood it.
Also, while the song came out in 1989, Henley wrote it when Reagan was still in office and Iran Contra was a fresh memory.
I never knew that. Thanks.
Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin—“Soixante-neuf, année érotique”
Henley wrote the lyrics. Bruce Hornsby wrote the music.
Guess that’s why it’s piano heavy.
They asked this question in Blender magazine (RIP) a few years ago. Adams claimed it was a reference to the sex position. Jim Vallance, his older cowriter, claims it was about Vallance’s teenage memories and that Adams never even mentioned the sexual angle. Believe who you want.
The secondary meaning is about skates.
Neil Young-“After the Gold Rush”
Look at Mother Nature on the run in the 1970’s.
Nervous Norvus’ “Dig” (about hep cats) is heavily tied to the 1950s, not to mention sounding as though it was brought to earth by a UFO.
*Norvus is best known for the even more bizarre “Transfusion”.
I’m not the biggest Chuck Mosley-era Faith No More fan, but I do like that song. Patton has done his take on it and he does good with it, so it’s cheesy fun.