# 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:** 2
**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, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/21 "2008-06-20T23:42:47Z")
[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, my wife remembers the egg man coming every Saturday in the Los Feliz district of Los Angeles when she was a child in the 1950s. Milkmen also used to bring eggs; to the best of my recollection they disappeared sometime in the early 1970s. I know this because we got a dog in 1969, and he used to bark whenever he heard the milk bottles rattle in the metal carrier. The dog was fully grown by that time, so it had to have been at least a year or two into the 1970s. ---
**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, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/22 "2008-06-20T23:48:11Z")
[QUOTE=Spectre of Pithecanthropus] I haven’t seen **aha** around here in ages. [/QUOTE] I was out shopping yesterday, and “Western Union” was playing…and I thought “what ever happened to **aha**?” Anybody know? [Sorry about the hijack] ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/23 "2008-06-20T23:52:13Z")
“Holidays In the Sun,” a song in which Johnny Rotten is waiting outside the Berlin Wall, has been obsolete since 1989. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveroptic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiveroptic/32/8257_2.png) [@Fiveroptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveroptic)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/24 "2008-06-20T23:58:45Z")
[“Telephone Man”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO18k215gpk) by Meri Wilson. Sure, you can still get a guy from AT&T to come out to your house and you can probably even (maybe) talk him into boffing you in the kitchen, the bedroom, the hall and the wall, but he’s not going to install your phone. These days you have to plug them in yourself. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/25 "2008-06-21T00:07:12Z")
The Four Seasons’ **December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)** is now 'way out of date. Unless you view it as a reminiscence by someone even older than me! [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/liyiT_DGREA/hqdefault.jpg "The Four Seasons - December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liyiT_DGREA) [http://www.midnightangel308.com/oh\_what\_a\_night.htm](http://www.midnightangel308.com/oh_what_a_night.htm) [http://www.superseventies.com/sl\_december1963.html](http://www.superseventies.com/sl_december1963.html) ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/26 "2008-06-21T00:12:42Z")
“Lawyers in Love” by Jackson Browne: _I hear the USSR will be open soon As vacationland for lawyers in love_ “Rock this Town” by Stray Cats: _I had a whiskey on the rocks and change of a dollar for the jukebox_ “Misunderstanding” by Genesis: _Since then I’ve been running around trying to find you I went to the places that we always go I rang your HOUSE but got no answer Jumped in my car, I went round there_ Dude, try her on her cell. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/27 "2008-06-21T00:21:34Z")
[QUOTE=pravnik] “I Love Rock and Roll.” Specifically, “put another dime in the jukebox, baby.” [/QUOTE] And from “Roll Over, Beethoven,” Long as she’s got a dime the music will never stop You can call “Back in the USSR” obsolete also - but I don’t know for how long. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/28 "2008-06-21T00:23:57Z")
Dunno about dime ones but [nickel jukeboxes still exist](http://www.johnnyrockets.com/aboutus/index.php). ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/29 "2008-06-21T00:24:30Z")
“Telephone Line” - ELO ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/30 "2008-06-21T00:42:38Z")
[QUOTE=Spectre of Pithecanthropus] I haven’t seen **aha** around here in ages. [/QUOTE] As last I recall, he had cancer in or of his tongue, and a female friend of his on the board whose name I don’t recall was evasive about his situation. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/31 "2008-06-21T00:51:30Z")
Nitpick: when “Operator” came out, direct-dial was already the rule. IIRC, the person singing the song is calling directory assistance, because “the number on the matchbook is old and faded”. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/32 "2008-06-21T01:44:53Z")
The theme song/title song “UHF” by Weird Al. “Hey Ya” by Outkast-- its mention of “shake it like a Polaroid picture” was almost quaint-sounding when it came out (though IIRC there was a brief spike in Polaroid sales after its success), but it’ll be obsolete fairly soon now. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/33 "2008-06-21T01:52:35Z")
[Free Nelson Mandela](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3NJwyzFlTE), by the Special AKA. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/34 "2008-06-21T02:56:15Z")
[QUOTE=Student Driver] The theme song/title song “UHF” by Weird Al. “Hey Ya” by Outkast-- its mention of “shake it like a Polaroid picture” was almost quaint-sounding when it came out (though IIRC there was a brief spike in Polaroid sales after its success), but it’ll be obsolete fairly soon now. [/QUOTE] Hell, technically it was dated when it was released, because a Polaroid picture stopped being needed to be shaken in the 90’s, and doing so might actually ruin the photo. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/35 "2008-06-21T03:32:48Z")
I don’t know about you guys, but I’m gonna party like its 1999. ---
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/36 "2008-06-21T03:40:02Z")
How about “We Are The World”, “Do They Know It’s Christmas”, and “Tears Are Not Enough”? ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/37 "2008-06-21T03:54:08Z")
[QUOTE=MisterThyristor] 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.) [/QUOTE] Anyone remember the “Sheeny Man”? The guy who would come around and take your worthwhile junk. That guy lived and died by ‘One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.’ I still see them. My Mom threatened that she’d give me away to the Sheeny Man. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/38 "2008-06-21T03:59:03Z")
[QUOTE=devilsknew] My Mom threatened that she’d give me away to the Sheeny Man. [/QUOTE] Whoa. It makes one wonder where “The Great Black Swamp” is. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/39 "2008-06-21T04:25:08Z")
Eh, not so bad. It was in the same playful sentiment that “I’m going to give you away to the Indians” enthralled, after she called us “Wild Indians”. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/40 "2008-06-21T04:33:35Z")
[QUOTE=Fiveroptic] [“Telephone Man”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO18k215gpk) by Meri Wilson. Sure, you can still get a guy from AT&T to come out to your house and you can probably even (maybe) talk him into boffing you in the kitchen, the bedroom, the hall and the wall, but he’s not going to install your phone. These days you have to plug them in yourself. [/QUOTE] Oh my god, are you me? I’ve never met anyone else on the planet who knows that song. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626.md?page=3)