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Steely Dan — Hey Nineteen
Album: Gaucho
Avg rating:
7.5

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1166









Released: 1980
Length: 4:53
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Way back when, in '67
I was the dandy of Gamma Chi
Sweet things from Boston
So young and willing
Moved down to Scarsdale
Where the hell am I?

Hey Nineteen
No, we can't dance together
No, we can't talk at all
Please take me along when you slide on down

Hey Nineteen
That's 'Retha Franklin
She don't remember the Queen of Soul
It's hard times befallen
The sole survivors
She thinks I'm crazy
But I'm just growing old

Hey Nineteen
No, we got nothin' in common
No, we can't talk at all
Please take me along when you slide on down

The Cuervo Gold
The fine Colombian
Make tonight a wonderful thing

The Cuervo Gold
The fine Colombian
Make tonight a wonderful thing

The Cuervo Gold
The fine Colombian
Make tonight a wonderful thing

No, we can't dance together
No, we can't talk at all
Comments (26)add comment
 roadie wrote:


He IS talking about weed. Tequila and blow is a terrible combination.  

Source: lived hard and stupid in the  80's. 



🤣🤣🤣!
Hard not to enjoy life when listening to these guys.
Way back when, in '67
 
In 2024 that would be like singing about events that took place in 2010.. sigh.
Flawless sounds from an iconic band that evokes such blissful memories of a more innocent time in my life. One of my 'Desert Island Picks'.
Steely Dan’s song  are so uplifting and put you in positive mood and capture images of summer cruising on an open road.
That’s enough imagination for one day
 LeftShoe wrote:

I love how I can see the roller-rink when this is on.

AND

This gives me a hankering for Tequila and  Cocain, even though I'm not even into that kind of thing.



It's spelled cocaine.
But he was definitely talking about weed.
Columbian weed was considered the best for many years,
First of all....nice song.
But....I would really like to hear other Steely Dan songs.  There are songs too numerous to mention that would fit in on the "Mellow" mix.
 jasonf wrote:


All these years I thought he was talking about weed when he mentions the fine Colombian ^
Talk about a shift in thought. What a maroon I've been.


He IS talking about weed. Tequila and blow is a terrible combination.  

Source: lived hard and stupid in the  80's. 
 LeftShoe wrote:

I love how I can see the roller-rink when this is on.

AND

This gives me a hankering for Tequila and  Cocaine, even though I'm not even into that kind of thing.



All these years I thought he was talking about weed when he mentions the fine Colombian ^
Talk about a shift in thought. What a maroon I've been.
 LeftShoe wrote:

I love how I can see the roller-rink when this is on.

AND

This gives me a hankering for Tequila and  Cocain, even though I'm not even into that kind of thing.



Yeah, can spare the rink; but the Cuervo Gold is still a great Tequila brand! And - for the "fine Colombian" - it does not refer to cocaine in that song's context, that was for the nice, mellow, and potent Colombian Cannabis strain in vogue at the time (high Sativa strain - grew up with it since teenage years...)  
I feel like Fagen is talking to himself in this song, which is like an autobiographical mirror. He was born in 1948 and in 1967 he was nineteen.
 pixel-pusher wrote:

Too bad what Fagen doesn't realize is that the magic of younger women is stop being a stick-in-the-mud, *forget 'Retha Franklin* and learn today's new stuff. Some of it isn't bad!

And you'd be surprised how many twenty-somethings adore the Stones, the Beatles, Aretha Franklin, etc. Not a majority, but they do exist!



My sister explained this song to me, long before I could appreciate it.  Her take (and now mine) is he is pointing out the gap between them - not judging.  The tone is more about waking up and realizing you're way beyond your own teen years.
 LeftShoe wrote:

I love how I can see the roller-rink when this is on.

AND

This gives me a hankering for Tequila and  Cocain, even though I'm not even into that kind of thing.



Skate a little slower now....  
 pixel-pusher wrote:
Too bad what Fagen doesn't realize is that the magic of younger women is stop being a stick-in-the-mud, *forget 'Retha Franklin* and learn today's new stuff. Some of it isn't bad!
 
What you have to remember with Becker and Fagan is that they told stories.  The views expressed in this song are not necessarily those of the lyricist.
 LeftShoe wrote:
I love how I can see the roller-rink when this is on.

AND

This gives me a hankering for Tequila and  Cocain, even though I'm not even into that kind of thing.
 
No roller rinks for me, but ...

... yes to the latter.  There was once a time for these other things.  A long, long time ago ...

Monte Alban Mezcal con gusano ... yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
I know that the band doing the recording is just Becker and Fagen, filled out with studio musicians, but man, these songs are tight. Such gorgeous, clean, but soulful playing. Such a joy to hear.
If you listen to the heart felt lyrics (so sad, remorseful) integrated with that complex jazz pop sound...you realize how great these guys were in doing this with every freaking song. 
 dianed wrote:
seems like the RP mello mix is a bunch of easy listening 70s and 80s music that my parents liked to listen to on road trips.  great trips - didn't like the music.
 
First time hearing this gem on the Main mix. I love jazz and I love rock so jazz-rock suits my tastes perfectly and I rate it at 9
LLRP!!

This year's theme song.
 pixel-pusher wrote:
Too bad what Fagen doesn't realize is that the magic of younger women is stop being a stick-in-the-mud, *forget 'Retha Franklin* and learn today's new stuff. Some of it isn't bad!

And you'd be surprised how many twenty-somethings adore the Stones, the Beatles, Aretha Franklin, etc. Not a majority, but they do exist!
 

(It was 1980)
Funky dudes 🎶
Too bad what Fagen doesn't realize is that the magic of younger women is stop being a stick-in-the-mud, *forget 'Retha Franklin* and learn today's new stuff. Some of it isn't bad!

And you'd be surprised how many twenty-somethings adore the Stones, the Beatles, Aretha Franklin, etc. Not a majority, but they do exist!
 dianed wrote:
seems like the RP mello mix is a bunch of easy listening 70s and 80s music that my parents liked to listen to on road trips.  great trips - didn't like the music.
 
Way, way more diverse playlist that what you indicate.  I've had all decades represented in the last hour, all the way back to 1930s and Glen Miller.  
From Ed Sheeran to this; from the ridiculous to the sublime.
I love how I can see the roller-rink when this is on.

AND

This gives me a hankering for Tequila and  Cocain, even though I'm not even into that kind of thing.
seems like the RP mello mix is a bunch of easy listening 70s and 80s music that my parents liked to listen to on road trips.  great trips - didn't like the music.