Do You Remember These

"Do You Remember These" is a song written by Don Reid, Harold Reid and Larry Lee, and recorded by American country music group The Statler Brothers. It was released in March 1972 as the first single from the album Innerview. The song reached no. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.^[1] "Do You Remember These" was also The Statler Brothers sole entry on the Easy Listening chart, where it peaked at no. 18.

Background

The song was a landmark-of-sorts for the Statlers, as they began recording songs appealing to nostalgia. While part of that repertoire included covers of oldies and standards, several of their other biggest hits had lyrics that recalled good times of years past.

In the case of "Do You Remember These", the Statlers recall pre-1950 and 1960s popular culture and good times. Pop culture references include Saturday morning serials, big-screen cowboy heroes including Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, flat top haircuts, Studebakers, radio programs including The Shadow and Your Hit Parade, aviator and coonskin caps, penny loafers, Howdy Doody, early rock and roll music (including "Tutti Fruitti" and "Blue Suede Shoes"), sock hops and the Sadie Hawkins dance, "Veronica and Betty," James Dean and so forth. Other references are of carefree life in general, such as lemonade stands, root beer floats and knock knock jokes.

The song caused some unpleasantness for the group in Britain, due to the reference to "knickers to your knees," meaning short pants or Knickerbockers. In the UK, the phrase is taken to refer to women's underpants.

The nostalgia theme would continue in several other Statler Brothers songs, including "The Movies" (1977) and "Child of the Fifties" (1983).

Chart performance

References