# Songs that are technically/historically obsolete **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 20, 2008, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626 "2008-06-20T21:39:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/1 "2008-06-20T21:39:17Z")
As I somehow got the song “Operator” by Jim Croce stuck in my head today, it occurred to me that people hardly ever have to speak to an operator to make a call anymore and haven’t for some time. This got me to thinking about other songs that are either techically or historically obsolete. One example is “Back in the U.S.S.R.” by the Beatles. I know there have to be lots of other examples of this. It doesn’t have to necessarily be the title that’s osbsolete, but a lyrical reference. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/2 "2008-06-20T21:47:06Z")
Memphis Tennessee by Johnny Rivers suffers from the same problem as your Croce song. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/3 "2008-06-20T21:56:25Z")
Since Paul McCartney is now aged 66, “When I’m sixty-four” is now over-due for revision. ---
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/4 "2008-06-20T22:00:11Z")
The Beatles line “_I am the Egg Man, They are the Egg Men_” in I am the Walrus could mean anything - but literally the “egg men” that were around in Lennon’s youth are more or less extinct - but certainly obsolete ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/5 "2008-06-20T22:04:49Z")
The Staler Brothers song “Don’t Wait on Me” has the line: “When the lights go on at Wrigley Field I’ll be comin’ home to you.” I think I heard on the radio once an updated version with the line changed to “When they put a dome on Wrigley Field.” ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/6 "2008-06-20T22:06:57Z")
“I Love Rock and Roll.” Specifically, “put another dime in the jukebox, baby.” ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/7 "2008-06-20T22:09:42Z")
[QUOTE=pravnik] “I Love Rock and Roll.” Specifically, “put another dime in the jukebox, baby.” [/QUOTE] Similarly, _Happy Together_: “If I should call you up, invest a dime…” ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/8 "2008-06-20T22:13:25Z")
Anything by “Reagan Youth.” ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/9 "2008-06-20T22:15:54Z")
Blue Oyster Cult’s “Burning for You–” _Time to play b-sides_ ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/10 "2008-06-20T22:26:35Z")
There’s a bunch of songs that reference dates as being in the future or present that are now past: 1984, 1999, 20th-Century Boy… I guess it’s still possible to be “Livin’ in the '80s,” but it means something different than it did then. 57 Channels (And Nothin’ On): Really, Bruce? Only 57? Not too long ago, Morrissey released a song including the lyrics: In America, The land of the free, they said And of opportunity, In a just and a truthful way But where the president, is never black, female or gay And until that day You’ve got nothing to say to me. Not quite obsolete, but hopefully it will be soon. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/11 "2008-06-20T22:41:48Z")
Songs with train references are kind of a gray area, I’d say, because there’s still songs coming out with train references, and trains still exist, but the references tend to be of the anachronistic sort. ---
**Author:** ![Rattlehead02](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rattlehead02/32/3944_2.png) [@Rattlehead02](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rattlehead02)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/12 "2008-06-20T22:42:10Z")
[QUOTE=TWDuke] In America, The land of the free, they said And of opportunity, In a just and a truthful way But where the president, is never black, female or gay And until that day You’ve got nothing to say to me. Not quite obsolete, but\*\* hopefully it will be soon\*\*. [/QUOTE] Oh man, please tell me McCain is a gay female! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/13 "2008-06-20T22:44:27Z")
Western Union by… some guy who… oh, I dunno, may show up to defend himself. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/14 "2008-06-20T22:50:26Z")
[QUOTE=jimmmy] The Beatles line “_I am the Egg Man, They are the Egg Men_” in I am the Walrus could mean anything - but literally the “egg men” that were around in Lennon’s youth are more or less extinct - but certainly obsolete [/QUOTE] Fell like saving me the hassle and explaining this? Wiki is no help. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/15 "2008-06-20T22:52:39Z")
[QUOTE=GildedLily] Oh man, please tell me McCain is a gay female! 😛 [/QUOTE] From what I understand, McCain is a black, lesbian, parapalegic jew. Don’t recall where I heard that so no cite. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/16 "2008-06-20T22:53:55Z")
[QUOTE= jimmmy] The Beatles line “I am the Egg Man, They are the Egg Men” in I am the Walrus could mean anything - but literally the “egg men” that were around in Lennon’s youth are more or less extinct - but certainly obsolete [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Omniscient] Fell like saving me the hassle and explaining this? Wiki is no help. [/QUOTE] I believe the “egg men” were like milkmen except, of course, they delivered eggs door-to-door rather than dairy products. I’m also guessing this was something that was mostly limited to the UK. ---
**Author:** ![MisterThyristor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@MisterThyristor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MisterThyristor)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/17 "2008-06-20T23:07:14Z")
[QUOTE=NDP] I believe the “egg men” were like milkmen except, of course, they delivered eggs door-to-door rather than dairy products. I’m also guessing this was something that was mostly limited to the UK. [/QUOTE] No, we had an egg man in our neighborhood when I was 8 or so (I’m 54 now). And it wasn’t just eggs, a lot of things were sold like this, one guy had produce (veggies and the like) and then there was the Charles Chips man who had a regular route delivering potato chips. We didn’t have it in our neighborhood, but there was a scissors-sharpening guy who went around from door to door sharpening knives and scissors. (And I wasn’t in a particularly urban area, where I think this was even more common, but in a suburb.) ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/18 "2008-06-20T23:08:22Z")
Sting’s “Russians” has got to be a head-scratcher for those too young to remember the Cold War. ---
**Author:** ![Meyer6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@Meyer6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meyer6)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/19 "2008-06-20T23:26:31Z")
In Sam Cooke’s _Wonderful World_, he says: **Don’t know much about geography Don’t know much trigonometry Don’t know much about algebra Don’t know what a slide rule is for** I know a lot of people still remember using them, but you have to admit that not knowing what a slide rule is for is not that much of an example of ignorance anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/20 "2008-06-20T23:35:20Z")
[QUOTE=E-Sabbath] Western Union by… some guy who… oh, I dunno, may show up to defend himself. [/QUOTE] I haven’t seen **aha** around here in ages. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626.md?page=2)