# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/81 "2008-06-23T02:55:53Z")
[QUOTE=dwc1970] 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. [/QUOTE] Yeah, and don’t forget the line > [@](#): > > you can keep the dime ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/82 "2008-06-23T03:10:04Z")
_Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy_ – no more draft _He was the top man at his craft But then his number came up and he was gone with the draft He’s in the army now, a-blowin’ reveille He’s the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B_ ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Eyed\_Stranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/919ad9/32.png) [@Green\_Eyed\_Stranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Eyed_Stranger)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/83 "2008-06-23T03:15:10Z")
Since Pluto got demoted, [Interplanet Janet](http://www.school-house-rock.com/Inte.html). Seems like other school house rock songs should fit, but I can’t remember them all off hand. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/84 "2008-06-25T22:20:43Z")
[QUOTE=Lute Skywatcher] Dunno about dime ones but [nickel jukeboxes still exist](http://www.johnnyrockets.com/aboutus/index.php). [/QUOTE] Pretty close to what I was thinking. No burgers, but [Teresa Brewer](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyzlITYYANk) is pretty tasty! ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/85 "2008-06-25T22:37:46Z")
[QUOTE=Beware of Doug] [Any Ice Today, Lady?](http://www.heptune.com/lyrics/anyiceto.html), a novelty hit of 1926, is all about the days of block ice delivery by horse and wagon (“giddyup Napoleon”). Ignore the line about “enriched uranium” - it’s a mondegreen for “no ma’am, not in your geraniums.” Ice men were prone to trample clumsily on one’s property, as they carried 50 lb blocks of the cold stuff on large tongs. They were not, however, known to traffic in radioactive materials. [/QUOTE] I have that CD. I thought it was “lotta red uranium”, which didn’t seem to make much sense, but then the whole song’s kind of silly. The singer of the second verse sounds for all the world like Popeye’s voice in the B&W cartoons. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/86 "2008-06-25T22:46:36Z")
“Divide And Conquer” by Hüsker Dü from 1985: _We’ll invent some new computers Link up the global village We’ll get AP, UPI and Reuters And tell everybody the news_ It’s all _old_ news at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/87 "2008-06-25T23:10:53Z")
[QUOTE=Clothahump] Yeah, and don’t forget the line [/QUOTE] > [@](#): > > you can keep the dime “Here’s my number and a dime, Call me anytime.” I think that was Donna Summers ---
**Author:** ![Qwisp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qwisp/32/397_2.png) [@Qwisp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwisp)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/88 "2008-06-25T23:32:12Z")
[QUOTE=The Punkyova] Actually, I always thought it was about sitting out in the sun wearing sunblock SPF 45. (I hear it as “my 45 on”.) I could be wrong. [/QUOTE] Nope you’re right, the line is about Sunblock ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/89 "2008-06-25T23:52:40Z")
Once back in the 90s, when Beck’s “Where It’s At” was a new song on the radio, I took my (then very young) niece to a flea market in Seattle. I pointed to some old electronics and said “Look! Two turntables and a microphone!” Her nose went straight up in the air: “Nowadays, people only use CD players.” Never try to out-hip a Seattle pre-teen girl. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/90 "2008-06-26T00:25:27Z")
On a related note, I’ve often thought it weird that more modern technology gets so few mentions in songs. Back in the 50s and 60s songs were full of drive-in movies, telephones, records etc etc, but how many songs today reference emails, instant messenger, text messages, MP3s, iPods…? Surprisingly few IMHO, considering how pervasive this stuff is in teen culture. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/91 "2008-06-26T01:54:04Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] On a related note, I’ve often thought it weird that more modern technology gets so few mentions in songs. Back in the 50s and 60s songs were full of drive-in movies, telephones, records etc etc, but how many songs today reference emails, instant messenger, text messages, MP3s, iPods…? Surprisingly few IMHO, considering how pervasive this stuff is in teen culture. [/QUOTE] There’s [Hello](http://www.lyricsfreak.com/p/poe/hello_20109705.html) by Poe, as one example. ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/92 "2008-06-26T02:28:23Z")
[QUOTE=Qwisp] Nope you’re right, the line is about Sunblock [/QUOTE] I can accept that. The line being about sunblock makes more sense there, really. I’ve just never heard sunblock referred to only as “45”. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/93 "2008-06-26T05:26:37Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] I was going to mention that one. While payphones still cost a quarter (AFAIK) finding one nowadays can be a bit difficult. [/QUOTE] As someone without a cell who occasionally finds himself attempting to track down a working payphone, it’s been ages since I’ve seen one that was less than fifty cents. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/94 "2008-06-26T05:48:08Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] On a related note, I’ve often thought it weird that more modern technology gets so few mentions in songs. Back in the 50s and 60s songs were full of drive-in movies, telephones, records etc etc, but how many songs today reference emails, instant messenger, text messages, MP3s, iPods…? Surprisingly few IMHO, considering how pervasive this stuff is in teen culture. [/QUOTE] There’s “Not Tonight” by the _New Cars_, for one. > [@](#): > > So put me in your Blackberry > And I’ll take your e-mail > And we’ll meet when the time is right > But not tonight ---
**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 26, 2008, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/95 "2008-06-26T05:58:11Z")
[QUOTE=Green Eyed Stranger] Since Pluto got demoted, [Interplanet Janet](http://www.school-house-rock.com/Inte.html). Seems like other school house rock songs should fit, but I can’t remember them all off hand. [/QUOTE] I find it comforting that [Interjections](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP4N27kbMdk) will always show excitement or emotion. They’re generally set apart from a sentence by an exclamation point (or by a comma when the feeling’s not as strong.) Geraldine may or may not still be playing hard to get, though. So it’s possible that this post is not entirely irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/96 "2008-06-26T06:04:29Z")
Can anyone identify the _other_ prominently obsolete reference in “Back in the USSR”? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/97 "2008-06-26T06:11:29Z")
[QUOTE=Koxinga] Can anyone identify the _other_ prominently obsolete reference in “Back in the USSR”? [/QUOTE] The British Overseas Airways Corporation (“Oh, flew in from Miami Beach B.O.A.C.”) has been British Airways since 1974. ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Ryle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8dc957/32.png) [@Mark\_Ryle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Ryle)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/98 "2008-06-26T19:10:17Z")
“Come and keep your comrade warm.” Beechwood 4-5789 You can call me up and have a date any old time. ---
**Author:** ![Richey84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Richey84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richey84)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/99 "2008-06-26T21:10:36Z")
The Pogues - “Streets Of Sorrow/Birmingham Six” It’s a political one but it mentions the Birmingham Six and Guildford Four still being in prison and all of them have since been freed. Also, Stars - “Tonight,” although that one was anachronistic when it was written (2001). “Telephones and old typewriters, words of love along the wire.” ---
**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626/100 "2008-06-26T22:32:50Z")
[QUOTE=cochrane] There’s “Not Tonight” by the _New Cars_, for one. [/QUOTE] There’s also International Player’s Anthem by UGK feat. Outkast, which begins > [@](#): > > So I typed a text to this girl I used to see > Sayin’ that I chose this cutie pie with whom I wanna be > And I apologize if this message gets you down > Then I CC’ed every girl that I’d see-see 'round town [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-technically-historically-obsolete/453626.md?page=4)