# Older songs with outdated references **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 28, 2015, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959 "2015-10-28T13:07:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959/101 "2015-10-31T17:45:07Z")
Another UK one. The group **XTC** had their first big hit in 1979 with **Making Plans For Nigel**. The lyrics included: _**We’re only making plans for Nigel He has his future in a British Steel**_ British Steel were a massive company in the UK but eventually struggled, got taken over by the Dutch and later the Indians. They ceased to exist after 1999. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959/102 "2015-10-31T18:10:17Z")
> [@TCMF-2L](#): > > Pound notes ceased to be issued in 1988 when they were replaced by one pound coins. Nitpick: £1 notes are [**still printed in Scotland**](http://www.rampantscotland.com/SCM/royal.htm). ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959/103 "2015-10-31T20:39:20Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > Nitpick: £1 notes are [**still printed in Scotland**](http://www.rampantscotland.com/SCM/royal.htm). This “Scotland” you speak about - help me out. I’ve been nearly as far as Watford before. Is it somewhere further along? Would the Northern Line get me there? Or would I need to use BR? TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959/104 "2015-10-31T23:01:52Z")
This past week, I explained the “Transylvania Twist” line in the Monster Mash song to a bunch of kids. "Well, y’see, the Monster Mash came out in the sixties, and around that same time, there was a popular dance called the Mashed Potatoes, and Dracula’s griping about the fact that nobody remembers the Twist anymore, and in real life, THAT was a popular dance from the FIFTIES, this guy Chubby Checker made a career out of it… ---
**Author:** ![Grotonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c2a13f/32.png) [@Grotonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grotonian)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959/105 "2015-11-01T02:30:05Z")
Asia - Heat of the Moment “And now you find yourself in '82, those disco hotspots hold no charm for you,” And didn’t End of the Innocence by ? make a reference (to Reagan) of: “This tired old man that we elected king” ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959/106 "2015-11-01T03:47:02Z")
^ ?=Don Henley ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959/107 "2015-11-01T04:04:23Z")
In my high school days, I did the local coffee houses with an acoustic 12. Both “Draft Dodger Rag” and “Talking Vietnam Potluck Blues” are hopelessly out of date now. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959/108 "2015-11-01T04:27:06Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > Pennsylvania Six-Five Thousand. PEnnsylvania6-5000 still gets you the Hotel Pennsylvania, though I don’t think Glenn Miller still does his show from there. Jenny doesn’t seem to be at 867-5309 anymore. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959/109 "2015-11-01T04:54:37Z")
> [@Master\_Wang-Ka](#): > > This past week, I explained the “Transylvania Twist” line in the Monster Mash song to a bunch of kids. "Well, y’see, the Monster Mash came out in the sixties, and around that same time, there was a popular dance called the Mashed Potatoes, and Dracula’s griping about the fact that nobody remembers the Twist anymore, and in real life, THAT was a popular dance from the FIFTIES, this guy Chubby Checker made a career out of it… The Twist was a craze in 1960 and after. I never did get what a “Mash” was supposed to mean in terms of a dance though ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959/110 "2015-11-01T05:20:08Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > I never did get what a “Mash” was supposed to mean in terms of a dance though [The Mashed Potato](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXFO_GBC77w) ---
**Author:** ![Grotonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c2a13f/32.png) [@Grotonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grotonian)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959/111 "2015-11-01T10:31:33Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > ^ ?=Don Henley Yes. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959/112 "2015-11-01T10:49:19Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > “You don’t have to watch Dynasty, to have an attitude” In all fairness, people do still party like it’s 1999. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959/113 "2015-11-01T11:49:32Z")
Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” and Barry McGuire’s “Eve of Destruction” both needed that apocalyptic feeling of the 1960s to make any sense at all. They’ve felt out of place ever since; it amazes me that they still get occasional airplay. Yeah, we used to feel like that once, but it was a long time ago, and besides, no apocalypse yet. > [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > _Rikki don’t lose that number > You don’t want to call nobody else > Send it off in a letter to yourself_ > > What about if I save it in my contacts list and them I-M it myself? I thought about that song the first time I sent an email from my work email address to my home email address, back in the early to mid 1990s sometime. ---
**Author:** ![chaika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chaika/32/405_2.png) [@chaika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaika)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959/114 "2015-11-01T13:43:11Z")
Return to Sender: “no such zone” and “special D.” And even the very notion of writing a letter and sending it by mail. . . ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959/115 "2015-11-01T13:52:51Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Dan Fogelberg, “Same Old Auld Lang Syne” > > _Went to have ourselves a drink or two > But couldn’t find an open bar > We bought a six-pack at the liquor store > And we drank it in her car_ > > Try doing that these days… I’m still trying to figure out what town has bars that close on New Year’s Eve. I was listening to an oldies station yesterday and the song “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” had the line: “Loving you is where it’s at.” Which is a phrase that does not, I think, get a lot of use anymore. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959/116 "2015-11-01T13:56:13Z")
> [@chaika](#): > > Return to Sender: “no such zone” Yeah, nobody 55 or under even _remembers_ City-Zone-State postal addresses. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959/117 "2015-11-01T14:04:57Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > I was listening to an oldies station yesterday and the song “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” had the line: “Loving you is where it’s at.” Which is a phrase that does not, I think, get a lot of use anymore. But it was so groovy when we all talked like that. 😉 Speaking of groovy word usage from the Sixties, has anyone already mentioned “they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar” from “Piano Man”? Other than in that song, I’m sure I haven’t heard ‘bread’ being used as a synonym for ‘money’ since sometime in the 1970s. ---
**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959/118 "2015-11-01T16:46:00Z")
Charlie on the MTA. Charley handed in his dime At the Kendall Square Station And he changed for Jamaica Plain When he got there the conductor told him, “One more nickel.” Charley could not get off that train. On for a dime, off for a nickel? Charley’s wife goes down To the Scollay Square station Every day at quarter past two And through the open window She hands Charley a sandwich As the train comes rumblin’ through. Scollay Square and its station paved under over fifty years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959/119 "2015-11-01T19:08:35Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > I’m still trying to figure out what town has bars that close on New Year’s Eve. First line of the song goes Met my old lover in the grocery store The snow was falling, Christmas Eve. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959/120 "2015-11-01T19:35:35Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > [The Mashed Potato](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXFO_GBC77w) That explains it to you? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-songs-with-outdated-references/735959.md?page=7)