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Dayton, Ohio - 1903 Lyrics

Sing a song of long ago
When things were green and movin' slow
And people'd stop to say hello
Or they'd say "hi" to you
"Would you like to come over for tea
With the missus and me?"
It's a real nice way
To spend the day
In Dayton, Ohio
On a lazy Sunday afternoon in 1903

Sing a song of long ago
When things could grow
And days flowed quietly
The air was clean and you could see
And folks were nice to you
"Would you like to come over for tea
With the missus and me?"
It's a real nice way
To spend the day
In Dayton, Ohio
On a lazy Sunday afternoon in 1903
4 Meanings
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cf. Guided by Voices, "Dayton, Ohio, 19 Something and 5" which clearly alludes to the Newman tune.

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One of my favorite songs. Just singing about how the good ol' days were. Was used perfectly in an episode of "Rescue Me".

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Just a thought - in 1903 the Wright Brothers (from Dayton, OH) - ushered in a new world. Perhaps Newman is using 1903 as a watershed for the before and after...

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Another idea: The Dayton Strangler (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dayton_Strangler) was active during this period. The singer is trying to convince this person to "come over for tea," but this could be a ploy to get the person to come over for more nefarious purposes.

@greatscott123 That\'s the best interpretation I\'ve read. Newman isn\'t about the good old days and simpler times, nor would he pick a place and date out of thin air. Kudos!

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