# Songs about THAT **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [January 24, 2025, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341 "2025-01-24T16:49:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341/21 "2025-01-24T17:48:29Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Does “dat” work for “that”? If it does, we may have a winner with the Pipkins **Gimme Dat Ding** where, not only do we not know what dat ding (that thing) is, but there’s nothing in the lyrics that ties any object or quality that can be given or possessed to what the singer is singing about. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341/22 "2025-01-24T18:07:58Z")
“I Want That Thing” / Pete Townshend ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341/23 "2025-01-24T18:21:40Z")
Thanks everyone. At least my first one counted. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341/24 "2025-01-24T18:42:08Z")
“I Can Do That” (from _A Chorus Line_) “What Up with That?” (from _Saturday Night Live_) ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341/25 "2025-01-24T22:54:56Z")
“That’s the Way God Planned It” - Billy Preston ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341/26 "2025-01-24T22:56:49Z")
> [@Cardigan](#): > > Hall & Oates had a hit in the 80’s called [I Can’t Go For That](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Can%27t_Go_for_That_(No_Can_Do)). It was an utterly bland song, and because of this I never really cared enough to listen to the lyrics. To this day, I have NO idea what THAT was, but clearly he couldn’t go for it. 50% of the lyrics were an abbreviated list of things he couldn’t go for, if you care to get into it that far. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341/27 "2025-01-25T01:49:33Z")
“Can You Picture That?” Electric Mayhem Band ---
**Author:** ![schnebs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/35a633/32.png) [@schnebs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/schnebs)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341/28 "2025-01-25T03:21:26Z")
“I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)” - Meat Loaf ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341/29 "2025-01-25T03:37:07Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > If it does, we may have a winner with the Pipkins **Gimme Dat Ding** where, not only do we not know what dat ding (that thing) is, but there’s nothing in the lyrics that ties any object or quality that can be given or possessed to what the singer is singing about. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-1tKZ3flZZY/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGGUgZShlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLBYYhPvh3DLAbdm01E6VnciClHxPw "Phil Harris - The Thing 1950") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1tKZ3flZZY) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/6WHSVOVLmNY/maxresdefault.jpg "Tom Lehrer | “I Got It From Agnes”") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WHSVOVLmNY) ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341/30 "2025-01-25T07:43:46Z")
That’s My Weakness Now: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/jOBbTDa8zpg/hqdefault.jpg "1928 HITS ARCHIVE: That’s My Weakness Now - Helen Kane") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOBbTDa8zpg) That’s What Friends Are For: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/tgNBusag3qA/maxresdefault.jpg "That's What Friends Are For") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgNBusag3qA) ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341/31 "2025-01-25T12:21:19Z")
You Can’t Change That - Ray Parker Jr. That was Yesterday - Foreigner ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341/32 "2025-01-25T19:50:52Z")
It’s Like That (And That’s the Way It Is) - Run DMC ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341/33 "2025-01-25T20:54:15Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > “That’s The Way” / Led Zeppelin So that was Robert Plant singing _“That’s The Way (Uh-Huh, Uh-Huh)”…_ didn’t know Zep had done some disco. But seriously, “Doo Wop (That Thing)” Lauryn Hill _Guys, you know you’d better watch out_ _Some girls, some girls are only about_ _That thing, that thing, that thi-ih-ih-ing…_ _That thing, that thing, that thing_ ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341/34 "2025-01-25T21:05:23Z")
Today I heard this on my streamer for the very first time. It uses the term “milkshake” instead of “that”. Which term was new to me, and is not quite inbounds for this thread. But what the heck; y’all might enjoy it anyhow, “that” or no … It leaves little to the imagination about what her milkshake really is and what it really does. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/pGL2rytTraA/maxresdefault.jpg "Kelis - Milkshake (Official HD Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGL2rytTraA) ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341/35 "2025-01-25T23:03:15Z")
“That’s Life” / Sinatra ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341/36 "2025-01-26T01:33:05Z")
Argh, ninja’d by Robot\_Arm (I did search fpr Shania) Okay, late entry (I searched for the title, snoop and dogg) **That’s that shit** - Snoop Dogg & R. Kelly ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341/37 "2025-01-26T02:12:34Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > That’s that s\*\*\*\* Filthy! And I mostly mean R. Kelly besides that title! So off to “South Pacific” with Rodgers & Hammerstein “I’m gonna wash that man right outta my hair” – too easy and the OP invited songs that didn’t necessarily have “that” in the title… How about Emile de Becque’s soliloquy? > One girl for my dream > One partner in paradise > This promise of paradise > This nearly was mine > Close to my heart she came > Only to fly away > Only to fly as day flies from moonlight > Now, now I’m alone > Still dreamin’ of paradise > Still sayin’ that paradise > Once nearly was mine > I’ll keep rememberin’ kisses > From lips I’ve never owned > And all that lovely adventures > That we have never known - “This nearly was mine”, R & H Yes, there is a “that” in the lyrics, yet I reckon the “_this_” in the title is the “_that_” we’re on about here. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341/38 "2025-01-27T21:16:26Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Does “dat” work for “that”? Well if it does, I respectfully submit **Dat** by **Pluto Shervington** as your winner. > [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I’m thinking songs that (heh) if you didn’t listen to the lyrics in full and digest them, you probably don’t know what “that” is referring to. You’re going to have to work at it. I realize this song may not be well known in the US. Let’s try to put that right. God alone knows what the lyrics actually are. My best guess at a relevant section below; someone else’s best guess in the vid. > (You want goat?) No I might-a kill I queen > (Try de beef nuh?) I no check fi no grass weh green > (Wha’ bout fowl?) What’cha know is time fi a change > (Mere fish ?) Got children out a dat range > (How 'bout de steak?) What’cha know, me no sight me rate > (Try de tripe boss?) Bu’n me belly when I pull me pipe > (What about de pork then?) > Hush your mouth man, me brethren hear > Sell I a pound of dat t’ing there **TLDR** Rasta Ozzy is musing on his grocery bill, wondering if he can make savings “fi buy likkel weed”. In an encounter with the butcher boy, he opts for pork (which he will not say out loud as it is forbidden for rastas, hence his referring to it as Dat.) After this pruchase, Ozzy is shocked to run into Rasta Jeremiah, who asks him what is in the package. But as it happens, Jeremiah quite fancies a pork dinner too, so all ends well. There is always a place in the world for the perfect pop song. Enjoy: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YWCnNrTVoWU/maxresdefault.jpg "DAT by Pluto Shervington") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWCnNrTVoWU) j j ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341/39 "2025-01-27T21:24:03Z")
Ha! Thanks, good one! ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341/40 "2025-01-27T23:40:38Z")
Black Sheep - “The Choice Is Yours” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/K9F5xcpjDMU/maxresdefault.jpg "Black Sheep - The Choice Is Yours (Official Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9F5xcpjDMU) > You can get with this, or you can get with that > You can get with this, or you can get with that > You can get with this, or you can get with that > I think you’ll get with this, for this is where it’s at [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-that/1013341.md?page=3)