1963. “He said, ‘In winter 1963 / It felt like the world would freeze / With John F. Kennedy and the Beatles’” - “Life in a Northern Town” by Dream Academy.
1969. “I got my first real six-string / Bought it at the five-and-dime / Played it 'til my fingers bled / It was the summer of '69” - “Summer of '69” by Bryan Adams.
1989. “It was 1989, my thoughts were short, my hair was long / Caught somewhere between a boy and man” - “All Summer Long” by Kid Rock.
I would’ve thought Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” would mention a year or two, but I didn’t see any in the lyrics.
1981. “I wish I was back in 1981. Just to see your face, instead of this place…” - The Way Life’s Meant to Be by Electric Light Orchestra (on the album Time.)
1853: “It was on the old Calcutta in 1853” - Old Admirals by Al Stewart 1921: “Watching the sun come up in the morning of 1921” - Warren Harding by Al Stewart 1934: “On the last day of June, 1934” – The Last Day of June 1934 by Al Stewart. 1934: “I got a '34 wagon and they call it a woody” - Surf City, Jan & Dean 1939: “And she’s laughing, laughing into 1939” Al Stewart, Between the Wars. 1949: “She had a picture of a cowboy tattooed on her spine, saying Phoenix Arizona 1949” – Little Egypt by The Coasters. 1954: “The worst thing in 1954 was the bikini” – I Found That Essence Rare by Gang of Four. 1956: “I said I’ve been this way since 1956” – Love Potion #9 by The Clovers. 1959: “1959 was a very strange time” - Post-World War Two Blues by Al Stewart 1963: “Oh, what a night, late December back in ‘63” – December, 1963 (Oh What a Night) by The Four Seasons 1965: "In '65 I was 17. . .” Running On Empty, Jackson Browne 1965: “I bought you a brand new Mustang, a 1965 (huh!)”, “Mustang Sally” by Wilson Pickett. 1967: “Way back when, in '67, I was the dandy of Gamma Chi…”, “Hey Nineteen” by Steely Dan. 1967: “1967, it seems so long ago” – 1967 by Tom Robinson. 1968: “The time had come in '68, to elect a president…” Snoopy for President, Royal Guardsmen 1969: "In '69 I was 21. . .” Running On Empty, Jackson Browne 1969: “It was the summer of '69”, “The Summer of '69”, by Bryan Adams. 1969: “We haven’t had that spirit here since 1969” - Hotel California, Eagles 1974: “Well there’s a real square cat, he looks like 1974” – Rock This Town by Stray Cats. 1983: “1983 is calling I’ve been on my knees and crawling back to you…”, “1983” by Neon Trees. 1985. “She’s still preoccupied with nineteen, nineteen, nineteen eight five.” - 1985 by Bowling for Soup 1989: “1989 - a number, another summer”, “Fight The Power”, by Public Enemy. 1996: “She slit her wrists for attention in 1996” - Metal Now by Say Anything 4545: “In the year 4545 you ain’t gonna need your teeth” – In The Year 2525, Zager and Evans.
1865: It was the winter of '65. We were hungry, just barely alive. The Night they Drove Old Dixie Down, the Band
2000: You know you’re a 2000 man, and your kids don’t understand you at all. 2000 Man, Rolling Stones
1486: “In the year 1486 the Malleus first appeared” White Hammer by Van der Graaf Generator 1983: “Left the earth in 1983, fingers groping for the galaxies.” Pioneers Over c by Van der Graaf Generator (released 1970, so it was very optimistic!)
Unless I missed them (I did check the thread) 1962 “Kept some letters by his bed, dated 1962…” He Stopped Loving Her Today George Jones 1982 “Operator, please connect me, with 1982…” 1982 Randy Travis
There’s a song by Elvis Costello, 45, in which he uses the two digit abbreviation to refer to two different centuries. (amongst many other things):
1945 Bells are chiming for victory, There’s a page back in history, 45 - 45 by Elvis Costello.
… and then in a different verse …
Corporations turn revolutions
45
The first is obviously a refernce to 1945. The second could either be just a reference to a 45 rpm record, or a double meaning which also refers to the '45.
In fact, it is so questionable that I didn’t format it, but if you want to count it as 1745 then be my guest.
1315: “In the spring of 1315, there began an era of unpredictable weather” 1816, The Year Without a Summer by Rasputina 1851: “It did not lift until 1851” 1816: “You remember 1816 as the year without a summer” 1816, The Year Without a Summer by Rasputina
1519: “I know this happened in 1519, yet / this is the image we can’t seem to forget”, “Higher Level”, KRS One
This may be a bit of a stretch, but:
1975: “You know some time you’re bound to leave her / but for now you’re going to stay / In the year of the cat”, “The Year of the Cat” by Al Stewart. (The song was written in 1975, which was the Year of the Rabbit, which is called the Year of the Cat in Vietnam, which pretty much well places the events of the lyrics in both time and space.)
