"There's that thing about the '80s, the '40s and the '60s, and the '30s, the '50s and the '70s. Something about those odd decades in this century that weren't too pleasant"

This quote by Paul Kantner is referring to the troubled times of the 20th century. The '80s, '40s, '60s, '30s, '50s, and '70s were years that were marked by war, economic challenge, and social unrest. The '80s saw the Cold War and the rise of the Reagan administration, the '40s saw World War II, the '60s saw the Vietnam War and the civil liberties movement, the '30s saw the Great Depression, the '50s saw the Korean War, and the '70s saw the Watergate scandal. These decades were not enjoyable for lots of people, and the quote is a reminder of the battles that people dealt with during these times. It is a tip of the significance of learning from the past and striving for a much better future.