this post was submitted on 04 Nov 2023
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How Timeless are the Lyrics to ....

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A community which discusses the timeless of certain songs mostly based on their lyrics.

Imagine you were a timetraveller with incredible musical ability. How many years back could you go and sing a specific song in such a way that it would resonate the same way with the people back then.

How many words or phrases would you have to change to make it fit?

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[HT] Outkast - Hey Ya (lemmy.ml)
submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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One, two, three!
My baby don't mess around
Because she loves me so
This I know fo sho!

But does she really wanna
But can't stand to see me walk out the door
Don't try to fight the feeling
Because the thought alone is killin' me right now
Thank God for Mom and Dad
For sticking to together
Like we don't know how

Hey ya! Hey ya! x 4

You think you've got it
Oh, you think you've got it
But got it just don't get it when there's nothin' at all
We get together
Oh, we get together

But separate's always better when there's feelings involved
Know what they say -its
Nothing lasts forever!
Then what makes it, then what makes it x 2
Then what makes love the exception?
So why, oh, why, oh
Why, oh, why, oh, why, oh
Are we still in denial when we know we're not happy here

Hey ya! (y'all don't want to here me, ya just want to dance) Hey ya!
Don't want to meet your daddy (oh ohh), just want you in my caddy (oh ohh)
Hey ya! (oh, oh!) Hey ya! (oh, oh!)
Don't want to meet your momma, just want to make you cum-a (oh,oh!)
I'm (oh,oh) I'm (oh,oh) I'm just being honest! (oh,oh)
I'm just being honest!
Hey! alright now! alright now, fellas! Yea?
Now, what cooler than being cool? Ice cold!
I can't hear ya! I say what's, what's cooler than being cool? Ice cold!
Alright x 16
Okay, now ladies! Yea?

Now we gonna break this thang down for just a few seconds
Now don't have me break this thang down for nothin'
I want to see you on your badest behavior!
Lend me some sugar, I am your neighbor!
Ah! Here we go now,
Shake it x 9
Shake it like a Polaroid picture! Hey ya!
Shake it x 8, suga!
Shake it like a Polaroid picture!

Now all the Beyonce's, and Lucy Liu's, and baby dolls
Get on tha floor get on tha floor!
Shake it like a Polaroid picture!
Oh, you! oh, you!
Hey ya!(oh, oh) Hey ya!(oh, oh) x 3

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

This song contains references to:

  1. Beyonce and Lucy Liu (1996 and 1990)
    • Beyonce started her music career in 1996
    • Lucy Liu was in the business from 1990
  2. shake it like a Polaroid (Polaroid, 1948)
  3. want you in my caddy (Caddilac, 1902)
  4. baby dolls ("Baby", 1922)
    • Usage of the word 'Baby' from 1922 student slang
  5. Get on tha floor (Dance Floor, 1921)
    • Dance floors come from Sprung floors which were around since 1921.

Quick Assessment

That's a minimum of 1996 for someone to get all references, and 1922 for someone to understand 1/2 the references.

Modifications

  • The Beyonce and Lucy Liu line don't really need to be there for the song to work, and can be swapped out for other famous people at the time of singing.
  • Caddy could be swapped to Waggy (as in "wagon"), though it's bit of a stretch...
  • "baby doll" could be swapped to the time appropriate word for fair maiden, but the next line ("Get on the floor") would need to be changed for it to rhyme. That might actually be good, because then the "floor" could be swapped for the time appropriate word for a common dancing ground.
  • The Polaroid picture serves two purposes that I can think of: being shaken with the hand (giving rise to a particular form of dance), and invoking the sentiment of being in the moment or capturing the moment. Possible replacements could be shaking a handkerchief or simply waving, but the capturing-the-moment sentiment would be missing.

Final Assessment

I think only the Beyonce and Lucy Liu line could be changed without changing the meaning of the song too much. Unless there is a timeless device which can be shaken in a similar manner to how a Polaroid photo is and still capture the sentiment of being in the moment, the song's timeliness is around 1948, otherwise it would have been 1922.