Old Hat

Album: Heartache Medication (2019)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The expression "Old Hat," meaning outworn or passé, is thought to arise from the fact that hats tend to fall out of fashion long before they are worn out. The phrase is generally used in a derogatorily sense, but Pardi is indicating on this song he is a lover of old-school, gentlemanly manners.

    These days they call you crazy
    If you hold the door for a lady
    If you don't call her 'girl' 'stead of 'baby
    You're out of style, obsolete
  • The song was written by Jeff Hyde, Matt Jenkins and Ryan Tyndell. Pardi first heard "Old Hat" on Jeff Hyde's 2018 album Norman Rockwell World. One of the main reasons he decided to record the tune is that his girlfriend Summer loves it. He explained on an Apple Music track by track that it reminds her of how many bad dates she's been on. "The ladies love a gentleman," he said.
  • The song features many old-school country music elements, including a down-home fiddle; the instrumentation maintains the song's theme of keeping traditions alive. Pardi described the track in a video as "not really a honky-tonk song," adding that it has "a lot of soul."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired Men

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired MenSong Writing

Bowie's "activist" days of 1964 led to Ziggy Stardust.

Women Who Rock

Women Who RockSong Writing

Evelyn McDonnell, editor of the book Women Who Rock, on why the Supremes are just as important as Bob Dylan.

Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders

Chrissie Hynde of The PretendersSongwriter Interviews

The rock revolutionist on songwriting, quitting smoking, and what she thinks of Rush Limbaugh using her song.

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul Station

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul StationSongwriter Interviews

Paul Stanley on his soul music project, the Kiss songs with the biggest soul influence, and the non-make-up era of the band.

Song Titles That Inspired Movies

Song Titles That Inspired MoviesSong Writing

Famous songs that lent their titles - and in some cases storylines - to movies.

Jesus In Pop Hits: The Gospel Songs That Went Mainstream

Jesus In Pop Hits: The Gospel Songs That Went MainstreamSong Writing

These overtly religious songs crossed over to the pop charts, despite resistance from fans, and in many cases, churches.