Hey Nineteen

"Hey Nineteen" is a song by the band Steely Dan from their album Gaucho (1980).

"Hey Nineteen"
Single by Steely Dan
from the album Gaucho
B-side	"Bodhisattva" (live)
Released	21 November 1980[1]
Recorded	1978
Genre	Jazz fusion, soft rock
Length	5:06 (Album version) 4:44 (7" version)
Label	MCA
Songwriter(s)	Walter Becker Donald Fagen
Producer(s)	Gary Katz
Steely Dan singles chronology
"Josie" (1978) "Hey Nineteen" (1980) "Time Out of Mind" (1981)
Official Audio
"Hey Nineteen" on YouTube

Background

According to one reviewer's interpretation, the song "was about a middle-aged man's disappointment with a young lover".^[2]

The lyrics are about a man in his early 30s contemplating a romantic encounter with a 19-year-old with whom he has nothing in common. For example, she does not recognize a song by "'Retha Franklin".^[3] The song closes with the ambiguous line, "The Cuervo Gold, the fine Colombian, make tonight a wonderful thing," again emphasizing their age difference — when this song was written tequila was less popular among college-aged drinkers, and Colombian cannabis which in his college days was prized for its aroma and flavor was being replaced by Sinsemilla varieties valued primarily for their potency — and the listener is left to decide whether the narrator is drinking and smoking with her, or if he is in fact alone and thinking of days gone by.^[3][4]

The B-side is a previously unreleased 1974 live version of the song "Bodhisattva", recorded at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, with an introduction by one of the band's drivers, Jerome Aniton, who is clearly inebriated.^[5][6]

Charts

"Hey Nineteen" peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 1981,^[7] number 11 on the Adult Contemporary chart,^[8] and number 68 on the R&B Singles chart.^[9] With a chart run of 19 weeks, "Hey Nineteen" is tied with "Peg" and "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" for being their longest-running chart hit.

Personnel

• Donald Fagen – lead vocals, electric piano, synthesizer
• Rick Marotta – drums
• Walter Becker – bass guitar, guitar
• Hugh McCracken – guitar
• Victor Feldman, Steve Gadd – percussion
• Frank Floyd, Zack Sanders – backing vocals

Chart history

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "Hey Nineteen" Chart (1980–1981) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report) 48 Canada RPM Top Singles[10] 3 New Zealand (RIANZ)[11] 20 US Billboard Hot 100[12] 10 US Billboard Adult Contemporary[8] 11 US Billboard R&B[9] 68 US Cash Box Top 100[13] 10

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for "Hey Nineteen" Chart (1981) Rank Canada[14] 25 US Billboard Hot 100[15] 72 US Cash Box[16] 80