What does Hey Nineteen mean?

Steely Dan: Hey Nineteen Meaning

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Album cover for Hey Nineteen album cover

Song Released: 1980


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  1. anonymous
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    Dec 21st !⃝

    You need to look below the surface of this one. So in Greek, gamma is (at least looks like) an 'r' and chi is 'x'. rx. prescriptions/drugs.

    He's referring to late 60's drug culture, not some random fraternity. :)

    Enjoy the song!!!

  2. bluebirdlinda
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    Aug 21st 2023 !⃝

    Easy. He is older than she, and the only things they have in common are drugs, alcohol, and sex. They don’t even know the same music. He loves Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul.

  3. anonymous
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    Aug 14th 2023 !⃝

    Cuervo Gold is a tequila José Cuervo.
    Fine colombian is a pure marijuana from this country.
    This song is about the old man and a nineteen girl, but..there are so differences between both...that, just tequila and marijuana could .... "Make tonight a wonderful thing"..


  4. anonymous
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    Mar 27th 2023 !⃝

    Gamma Chi is a LDS Frat. This guy is a loser who started out as a mormon kid, and now is a townie who does drugs with teens he meets at the skating rink.
    -PGttCM

  5. anonymous
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    Oct 31st 2021 !⃝

    Exactly as above: Older man in a December/May relationship with a 19 year old girl who realizes other than sex, they have nothing in common.

    "She thinks I'm crazy, But I'm just growing old"

    Question: "the fine Columbian" - weed? Or blow?

  6. anonymous
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    Jun 20th 2021 !⃝

    How is this a mystery to people!?!? Its steeley dan!!! The subjects are always either drugs, sex, or booze!

  7. anonymous
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    Mar 22nd 2020 !⃝


    This song is about a relationship between an older man and a 19 year old girl. The telling lyrics as to this fact are as follows:

    "Way back when in '67 the singer was "the dandy of Gamma Chi". Thus if he was an upper classman in college (note a freshman couldn't have been a "dandy" at a college fraternity), in 1967, he would have been born around 1946-1948. Given that Fagan was born in 1948, he well may be the male subject in this song. As the song was recorded in 1978, the man would have been 30-32 on the date he's on with a 19 year old girl he describes as "so young and willing".

    The 19 year old girl doesn't remember "Retha Franklin" which is the perfect reference as notwithstanding her tremendously successful career, Aretha had a dry spell after her 1973 #3 hit "Until You Come Back to Me" (her next big hit didn't come 'till 1982 with "Jump To It". Fagan also references the Soul Survivors who would have been at their peak in 1967 with their breakout hit "Expressway to Your Heart". Clearly the girl "thinks he's crazy but he's just growing old".

    The date doesn't go all bad as the "Cuervo Gold" and "Fine Colombian" "make tonight a wonderful thing". Well recall that at the beginning of the song this 19 year old girl was "so young and willing". Thus, while they "had nothing in common" and "can't talk at all" she did "take him along" when she did finally "slide on down".

  8. anonymous
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    Aug 20th 2017 !⃝

    Older man in a December/May relationship with a 19 year old girl who realizes other than sex, they have nothing in common.


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