And I was thinking about this yesterday when Luther Wright’s cover of Pink Floyd’s “Nobody Home” shuffled by on the computer – “There’s 13 channels of shit on the TV to choose from.” That must strike your average 20-year-old as a very low number for channels of shit. There are other references on The Wall that set it in a specific time (the Hendrix perm, the Bomb, etc) but not that many.
Are there parts of the country where you can still call 867-5309 without adding the area code?
“Long distance information, give me Memphis, Tennessee…”
For that matter, pretty much any song involving a telephone that uses the word “dial.”
“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”: I’m watching my TV/and a man comes on and tells me/how white my shirts can be/but he can’t be a man 'cause he doesn’t smoke/ the same cigarettes as me" harkens to a time when cigarettes were advertised on TV.
Probably, but I doubt anyone gives out their number as “BEechwood 4-5789” anymore.
It still exists, but through a typically convoluted (for .com culture) process of mergers and acquisitions, it’s owned by Yahoo! now. The only reason I ever went to it at all since around 1999 was for Babel Fish, which is now Yahoo! Babel Fish and I just Google it and follow that link on the rare occasions that I want to use it.
Placebo did a passable cover of The Smiths’ Bigmouth Strikes Again. The funny thing is they “updated” the lyrics replacing “Walkman” with “Discman” and “Hearing Aid” with “Megadrive”, so that the updated cover version is actually more dated than the original.
The entire 1956 Broadway musical and 1960 movie “Bells are Ringing.” The plot (and title song) revolves around a telephone answering service. (When someone called you and you weren’t home, he got connected to a live operator who would take a message.)
He makes reference to N64s on at least one of the tracks on that album too. I think even at time it was released this was a bit outdated.
When’s the last time someone wrote “Return to Sender” on a letter?
Or how about the Adam Again song “Your line is busy”?
I don’t think it ever mattered which side you passed the Dutch cooking pot. (The term and original song was “pass the koutchie” but the record execs made Musical Youth remove all drug references from their cover of The Mighty Diamonds’ version. Ex: “How does it feel when you’ve got no [del]herb[/del] food.” Of course, since their version got popular, dutchie became an acceptable slang term).
Bob Dylan’s “Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat.” They were very fashionable in the 60s (due to Jackie Kennedy), but rare today – especially if it’s real leopard skin.
The Boomtown Rats’ She’s So Modern:
She’s so 20th century
She’s so 1970’s
She knows the right things to say
She’s got the right clothes to wear
Cos she’s a modern girl, oh yeah…
Bruce Springsteen “57 Channels (And Nothin’ On)”
Only 57?
Paul Simon’s “Kodachrome.” Kodak phased out production of Kodachrome film in 2009, although it hadn’t seen much pop culture attention for quite awhile before that…TRM
Last week. I did it. Got a letter addressed to someone I do not know, at my address. Wrote “Return to Sender. Addressee Unknown” on the envelope. Hummed the tune while walking back from the mailbox.
As my nominee for the thread, I submit American Pie by Don McLean.
After the Gold Rush by Neil Young
“We got Mother Nature on the run
In the 1970’s.”
Ready for the '80s by the Village People
Russians by Sting
Jukebox (Don’t Put Another Dime) by The Flirts
Pac-Man Fever by Buckner & Garcia
Centerfold by J. Geils Band
Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles
What about Western Union, by the Five Americans?* You can still mail a letter, but you can’t send a telegram anymore, at least in the United States.
*Doper aha was one of the members of this band. I haven’t seen him around in ages, though.
Convoy by C. W. McCall … 'nuff said.
And while we’re at it … Disco Duck by Rick Dees.
How did you keep from also writing “No such person. No such Zone?”
The Dictators’ debut album, Go Girl Crazy!, was a perfect encapsulation (and shredding) of 70’s “jock” culture. Songs such as “Master Race Rock” and “Two Tub Man” included lines like:
“Gasoline shortage won’t stop me now”
“I think Lou Reed is a creep”
“I got Jackie Onassis in my pants”
“I think color TV is a gas, I think Joe Franklin’s real flash”
“I’m never gonna watch Channel 13, edjamacation ain’t for me”
Not to mention Handsome Dick Manitoba’s immortal spoken intro to one of the songs (“Two Tub Man”, I think) which is an homage to the glory days of professional wrestling. It goes something like this. (Pro wrestling devotees will note that some of the names were intentionally garbled.)
“WHHOOOOO HAHHHH!! I JUST GOT BACK FROM MINNEE… EEE… APPOLIS!! WHERE I BEAT VERN CANYON AND DICK THE BRUISER, DADDY!!! YOU CAN BRING ON… HAYSTACK BALLOOOOONN… ERIC BLOOM… I DON’T CARE WHO YOU BRING HERE, DADDY! RAINBOW STRONGBOW… THEY ALL GOIN’ UNDER THE THUNDER… OF MANITOBA!!!”