# Officially old: song lyrics don't register with young clerk **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 11, 2011, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officially-old-song-lyrics-dont-register-with-young-clerk/577926 "2011-04-11T02:57:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officially-old-song-lyrics-dont-register-with-young-clerk/577926/1 "2011-04-11T02:57:08Z")
Today, I got some gas and some things at the gas station’s convenience store. The total came to $65.21. “Sixty-five, twenty-one,” said the young gentleman manning the station. “‘In sixty-five, I was twenty-one, and called the world my own’,” I said, forking over the cash. “Huh?” “Jackson Browne, ‘Running on Empty’,” I replied. “Huh?” I looked at the clerk. Young guy, maybe early 20s. “Old song. From 1978.” “Oh. No wonder I don’t know it. That’s _old_.” And I guess, now so am I. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officially-old-song-lyrics-dont-register-with-young-clerk/577926/2 "2011-04-11T03:04:31Z")
Sad, innit? When my oldest (now almost 24!!!) was little, I would always listen to the Oldies station, and she’d always ask “Who sings this?” (Following close on the heels of that question was another: “are they dead?”) So, one day there was a classic Beatles song on the radio (I think it was _Strawberry Fields_, but don’t recall exactly) and she said “Who sings this?” “The Beatles” I answered. “_Bugs_?? Bugs are singing this?” “No” (barely suppressing laughter), “not actual bugs” Then I realized “Hey, she watches _Shining Time Station_! There’s a way to get her to relate to The Beatles” So I said “You know, Mr. Conductor from _Shining Time Station_?” “Yeah. . .” “Well, _he_ was one of The Beatles!” She thinks a minute, then asks “Were they all that tiny?” :smack: So hard to explain old music to young folks! (Get off my lawn!) Then there was the day my middle daughter came home from college; I think she was about 18YO. She said “Hey, mom! Do you know who Adam Ant was?” Uh, yeah. My best friend in high school was only going to marry him or something! (We were very much into androgyny at that point). Daughter had just discovered Ant’s music via a friend of hers. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officially-old-song-lyrics-dont-register-with-young-clerk/577926/3 "2011-04-11T03:10:28Z")
Well, that IS thirty-three years ago. Think about 1978, when you first heard the song. If somebody then sang a couple of words from a popular song from 1945, would you have recognized it? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officially-old-song-lyrics-dont-register-with-young-clerk/577926/4 "2011-04-11T03:13:08Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > Daughter had just discovered Ant’s music via a friend of hers. ♫ _In days of old…_ ♫ ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officially-old-song-lyrics-dont-register-with-young-clerk/577926/5 "2011-04-11T03:18:22Z")
He obviously hasn’t been working retail very long. The proper response is “‘In sixty-five, I was twenty-one, and called the world my own’,” I said, forking over the cash. _short pause_ “And here’s your change.” ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officially-old-song-lyrics-dont-register-with-young-clerk/577926/6 "2011-04-11T03:59:36Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Today, I got some gas and some things at the gas station’s convenience store. The total came to $65.21. > > “Sixty-five, twenty-one,” said the young gentleman manning the station. > > “‘In sixty-five, I was twenty-one, and called the world my own’,” I said, forking over the cash. Another symptom of being old: your memory’s failing you. 🙂 Specifically, it’s eliding two verses, the one about “in sixty-five I was seventeen” and the one about “in sixty-nine I was twenty-one.” Plus it’s ‘road,’ not ‘world.’ It’ll only get worse from here. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officially-old-song-lyrics-dont-register-with-young-clerk/577926/7 "2011-04-11T04:06:19Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > It’ll only get worse from here. 😃 :smack: ---
**Author:** ![surrounded\_by\_literalists](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8baadc/32.png) [@surrounded\_by\_literalists](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/surrounded_by_literalists)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officially-old-song-lyrics-dont-register-with-young-clerk/577926/8 "2011-04-11T04:20:01Z")
I got one… The Stones, a symphony orchestra rendition, in an elevator, in a medical complex. Somebody hand me the Depends and the Milk of Magnesia ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officially-old-song-lyrics-dont-register-with-young-clerk/577926/9 "2011-04-11T04:28:33Z")
I was in my father’s nursing home this week, and they had a lot of jolly folk music. I kept imagining thirty or forty years from now with them playing the Beatles and Eminem… ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officially-old-song-lyrics-dont-register-with-young-clerk/577926/10 "2011-04-11T04:38:37Z")
Try to explain to the “Mariah Carey” generation who Minnie Riperton was \ ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officially-old-song-lyrics-dont-register-with-young-clerk/577926/11 "2011-04-11T04:47:32Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > Try to explain to the “Mariah Carey” generation who Minnie Riperton was \ I had to look her up. ETA: Oh, and I’m old an’ shite. . ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officially-old-song-lyrics-dont-register-with-young-clerk/577926/12 "2011-04-11T04:54:17Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > Try to explain to the “Mariah Carey” generation who Minnie Riperton was \ Maya Rudolph’s mother. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officially-old-song-lyrics-dont-register-with-young-clerk/577926/13 "2011-04-11T05:03:26Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > Try to explain to the “Mariah Carey” generation who Minnie Riperton was \ Quick! Cover the glassware! ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officially-old-song-lyrics-dont-register-with-young-clerk/577926/14 "2011-04-11T05:05:27Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I had to look her up. **Johnny** , based on past posts, I thought you might have been of a vintage who knows of Minnie Riperton. “Lovin You,” and all that. Now I really do feel old! ---
**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 11, 2011, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officially-old-song-lyrics-dont-register-with-young-clerk/577926/15 "2011-04-11T06:06:55Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > Then I realized “Hey, she watches _Shining Time Station_! There’s a way to get her to relate to The Beatles” So I said “You know, Mr. Conductor from _Shining Time Station_?” > “Yeah. . .” > “Well, _he_ was one of The Beatles!” You know, I actually had to google “Mr. Conductor from Shining Time Station.” That’s how old I am. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officially-old-song-lyrics-dont-register-with-young-clerk/577926/16 "2011-04-11T06:14:37Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > So, one day there was a classic Beatles song on the radio (I think it was _Strawberry Fields_, but don’t recall exactly) and she said “Who sings this?” > “The Beatles” I answered. > “_Bugs_?? Bugs are singing this?” > “No” (barely suppressing laughter), “not actual bugs” > Then I realized “Hey, she watches _Shining Time Station_! There’s a way to get her to relate to The Beatles” So I said “You know, Mr. Conductor from _Shining Time Station_?” > “Yeah. . .” > “Well, _he_ was one of The Beatles!” > She thinks a minute, then asks “Were they all that tiny?” > . I guess I’m too young because I read this and thought, “George Carlin wasn’t in the Beatles!” ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officially-old-song-lyrics-dont-register-with-young-clerk/577926/17 "2011-04-11T06:18:10Z")
Also, I feel old when I meet kids in high school who haven’t heard of bands from the **_nineties_.** And I’m only 23! ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officially-old-song-lyrics-dont-register-with-young-clerk/577926/18 "2011-04-11T06:40:15Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > Try to explain to the “Mariah Carey” generation who Minnie Riperton was \ Mariah Carey? Her first album was in 1990, so those 21 yr olds at the bar were being born when “Someday” came out. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officially-old-song-lyrics-dont-register-with-young-clerk/577926/19 "2011-04-11T07:44:03Z")
Well, you know, my gas station convenience store attendant is E.F. Hutton, and he says… ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officially-old-song-lyrics-dont-register-with-young-clerk/577926/20 "2011-04-11T10:12:45Z")
> [@Darth\_Nader](#): > > Well, you know, my gas station convenience store attendant is E.F. Hutton, and he says.. \ I owned that Jackson Browne album and still wouldn’t have recognized the lyric, especially out of context. It’s not exactly one of the pithiest lines ever written. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/officially-old-song-lyrics-dont-register-with-young-clerk/577926.md?page=2)