“Hey Nineteen” was the first single from Steely Dan’s 1980 release, Gaucho. The album was two years in the making and required 42 studio musicians to complete as Donald Fagen and Walter Becker dealt with creative, personal and professional issues. This is the story of an older man who takes up with a much younger woman and the things he has to endure as a result, among them her not knowing who Aretha Franklin is. It was released concurrently with the album in November and reached #10 in the US and #3 in Canada, tying with “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” and “Peg” for the number of weeks it spent on the chart.
18 thoughts on “Song of the Day: Steely Dan, “Hey Nineteen””
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An aging dude puts the moves on a 19-year-old, bragging about his frat exploits and he tries to set the mood with some Aretha, only to find that this girl “don’t remember the Queen of Soul”.
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But the Cuervo Gold and the fine Colombian make tonight a wonderful thing…
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Love the back stories you share on these songs. Had no idea. Happy Saturday.
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They don’t call it The Blogger’s Best Friend for nothing…🤪
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As with most of their songs…well crafted pop song. I always connect this with Lennon because it was around the same time…on the radio afterward you would hear John or the current hits of the day…and this was one of them. Very good song.
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It was released about a month after Lennon was killed, so I can see why…
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Love this song and the group!
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They’re definitely unique with their sound and songwriting.
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Great song!
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Glad you enjoyed it!
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I’ve always liked that song.
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The whole album is like that. They’re incredible.
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i always loved them and their distinct sound
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Listening to them is like taking a course in jazz harmony, and their lyrics are unique.
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Another great group such a distinctive sound .😁
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Definitely a distinctive sound, and their lyrics are interesting, to say the least.
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Brilliant 💜
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