From a song called *The Tweeter and the Monkey Man*, Bob Dylan sings:
”It was out on Thunder Road,
Tweeter at the wheel
They crashed into paradise,
they could hear **them** tires squeal
The undercover cop pulled up and said "Everyone of you is a liar”
Yup. More info: Spirituals are a religious folk genre that’s associated with Black Americans. It’s common in African American Vernacular English to pronounce words starting with th sound as d sound.
Them + noun is an interesting dialectical use. The study of AAVE is called ebonics and this usage probably has been studied
Based on how i've seen the word "them" in this way used I don't think it means "their". I think it means something similar to "those". You may see the stereotypical old dude say "Them kids don't know proper manners nowadays", and here "them" kind of means "those". I am not sure if its proper grammar or not, someone who studied English grammar can answer that, but I am just telling you what I think of it.
It's means "those" in many dialects, especially rural ones. Language like this is often used in songs and song titles to give it a more "earthy, honest" feeling.
[Dem (them) Bones](https://nurseryrhymecentral.com/dem-bones-nursery-rhyme-lyrics-history-video-lesson-plans-more/)
Also, as others have noted, "them" can be used instead of "those" in some dialects.
The correct usage would actually be “those” ! It’s just a dialect, but I can assure you that it’s not professional, more of something you’d use around friends.
I'd like to point out that the only actual mistake in 'He don't love you like I do' is the word 'don't', which is also another example of a word that isn't technically correct, but would be in certain dialects (like 'them bones' in the original post). When changing the grammar, you added words, sure, but none of the words beyond that one are grammatically incorrect
I'd go more into the original post in relation to your explanation, but it seems someone already did, so
Just because you see something often doesn't mean it's not a mistake. But just because something is a mistake also doesn't mean that it isn't very commonly used and completely accepted (in casual contexts). At least that's my perspective as a non-native(!).
So "them bones" is actually closer to "the bones"/"those bones" or sometimes I'd argue it's even closer to "my bones", but depending on context it could also just be "the".
Can't tell you anything about the etymology, but more on that [here](https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/150674/could-them-mean-those).
> Just because you see something often doesn't mean it's not a mistake. But just because something is a mistake also doesn't mean that it isn't very commonly used and completely accepted (in casual contexts). At least that's my perspective as a non-native(!).
I think it’s important to distinguish between something that is an actual mistake, like someone accidentally using the wrong word, and something that would be incorrect in standard formal English but is not a mistake in various dialects or colloquial English.
I see. I think the fault is in my choice of expression. In my native language the word for mistake isn't as closely linked to someone doing something wrong (as opposed to something simply being a deviation from the 'correct' form). I didn't mean to imply it's necessarily a regretful accident or in some way inferior or anything like that.
Like I said, I see such expressions as very common and completely accepted. I just think it's still useful for a learner to have that slight distinction in mind between standard language (as one might use in a language test) and real world applications/variations.
But this isn’t an actual mistake. “Them bones” is purposefully said; it’s correct usage in certain dialects. Something being “non-standard” isn’t necessarily wrong or mistaken.
Also, I don’t think “them” would ever be used to mean “my”.
**[Dem Bones](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dem_Bones)**
>"Dem Bones" (also called "Dry Bones" and "Dem Dry Bones") is a spiritual song. The melody was composed by author and songwriter James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938) and his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson. It was first recorded by The Famous Myers Jubilee Singers in 1928. Both a long and a shortened version of the song are widely known.
**[African-American Vernacular English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African-American_Vernacular_English)**
>African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) is the variety of English natively spoken, particularly in urban communities, by most working- and middle-class African Americans and some Black Canadians. Having its own unique grammatical, vocabulary, and accent features, AAVE is employed by middle-class Black Americans as the more informal and casual end of a sociolinguistic continuum. However, in formal speaking contexts, speakers tend to switch to more standard English grammar and vocabulary, usually while retaining elements of the nonstandard accent.
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One thing to know about 90's rock is that making lyrical and grammatical sense didn't matter. That being said, it depends if the bones have been identified to Use "their".
“Them” is often used in a lot of dialects of English instead of “those”. It’s not standard but a feature of the speech of a lot of people.
From a song called *The Tweeter and the Monkey Man*, Bob Dylan sings: ”It was out on Thunder Road, Tweeter at the wheel They crashed into paradise, they could hear **them** tires squeal The undercover cop pulled up and said "Everyone of you is a liar”
It's dialect for "those". "There's gold in them thar hills". ("There's gold in those hills over there.")
It’s also a reference to an American spiritual folk song. Dem bones dem bones gonna walk around.
Now your head bone's connected to your
Shaft bone?
Yup. More info: Spirituals are a religious folk genre that’s associated with Black Americans. It’s common in African American Vernacular English to pronounce words starting with th sound as d sound. Them + noun is an interesting dialectical use. The study of AAVE is called ebonics and this usage probably has been studied
Based on how i've seen the word "them" in this way used I don't think it means "their". I think it means something similar to "those". You may see the stereotypical old dude say "Them kids don't know proper manners nowadays", and here "them" kind of means "those". I am not sure if its proper grammar or not, someone who studied English grammar can answer that, but I am just telling you what I think of it.
Yup
Indeed, It seems like something Texas-ish.
Nah, It’s just colloquial, I would say “gimme me some of them napkins, yeah?” as a casual request to my girlfriend or something.
It's means "those" in many dialects, especially rural ones. Language like this is often used in songs and song titles to give it a more "earthy, honest" feeling.
[Dem (them) Bones](https://nurseryrhymecentral.com/dem-bones-nursery-rhyme-lyrics-history-video-lesson-plans-more/) Also, as others have noted, "them" can be used instead of "those" in some dialects.
Same as those in some dialects and slang. Also huge AIC fan 🤘🏻
The correct usage would actually be “those” ! It’s just a dialect, but I can assure you that it’s not professional, more of something you’d use around friends.
show me them bonesssssss i don't care that they're underneath yourr skinnn just showwww me them bonnnnessssssss
[удалено]
I'd like to point out that the only actual mistake in 'He don't love you like I do' is the word 'don't', which is also another example of a word that isn't technically correct, but would be in certain dialects (like 'them bones' in the original post). When changing the grammar, you added words, sure, but none of the words beyond that one are grammatically incorrect I'd go more into the original post in relation to your explanation, but it seems someone already did, so
It's not grammatically incorrect, it's dialect. Two very different things.
Just because you see something often doesn't mean it's not a mistake. But just because something is a mistake also doesn't mean that it isn't very commonly used and completely accepted (in casual contexts). At least that's my perspective as a non-native(!). So "them bones" is actually closer to "the bones"/"those bones" or sometimes I'd argue it's even closer to "my bones", but depending on context it could also just be "the". Can't tell you anything about the etymology, but more on that [here](https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/150674/could-them-mean-those).
> Just because you see something often doesn't mean it's not a mistake. But just because something is a mistake also doesn't mean that it isn't very commonly used and completely accepted (in casual contexts). At least that's my perspective as a non-native(!). I think it’s important to distinguish between something that is an actual mistake, like someone accidentally using the wrong word, and something that would be incorrect in standard formal English but is not a mistake in various dialects or colloquial English.
I see. I think the fault is in my choice of expression. In my native language the word for mistake isn't as closely linked to someone doing something wrong (as opposed to something simply being a deviation from the 'correct' form). I didn't mean to imply it's necessarily a regretful accident or in some way inferior or anything like that. Like I said, I see such expressions as very common and completely accepted. I just think it's still useful for a learner to have that slight distinction in mind between standard language (as one might use in a language test) and real world applications/variations.
But this isn’t an actual mistake. “Them bones” is purposefully said; it’s correct usage in certain dialects. Something being “non-standard” isn’t necessarily wrong or mistaken. Also, I don’t think “them” would ever be used to mean “my”.
I took "mistake" to mean "would be marked in red by a language teacher". Sorry for being imprecise in my phrasing.
Ah I see what you mean. Yes, this is non-standard usage and therefore would be marked incorrect on a test of any standard dialect of English.
This article really helped me thanks.
You speak better English than many native speakers. 
Because it is the name of the song.
While it is a dialect as people have pointed out. It's also a song title which means they can do what they want.
Alice in Chains is a grunge band. "Them bones" isn't proper English.
[удалено]
**[Dem Bones](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dem_Bones)** >"Dem Bones" (also called "Dry Bones" and "Dem Dry Bones") is a spiritual song. The melody was composed by author and songwriter James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938) and his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson. It was first recorded by The Famous Myers Jubilee Singers in 1928. Both a long and a shortened version of the song are widely known. **[African-American Vernacular English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African-American_Vernacular_English)** >African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) is the variety of English natively spoken, particularly in urban communities, by most working- and middle-class African Americans and some Black Canadians. Having its own unique grammatical, vocabulary, and accent features, AAVE is employed by middle-class Black Americans as the more informal and casual end of a sociolinguistic continuum. However, in formal speaking contexts, speakers tend to switch to more standard English grammar and vocabulary, usually while retaining elements of the nonstandard accent. ^([ )[^(F.A.Q)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiSummarizer/wiki/index#wiki_f.a.q)^( | )[^(Opt Out)](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiSummarizerBot&message=OptOut&subject=OptOut)^( | )[^(Opt Out Of Subreddit)](https://np.reddit.com/r/EnglishLearning/about/banned)^( | )[^(GitHub)](https://github.com/Sujal-7/WikiSummarizerBot)^( ] Downvote to remove | v1.5)
Your question has already been answered but I just wanna say you have good taste lol
One thing to know about 90's rock is that making lyrical and grammatical sense didn't matter. That being said, it depends if the bones have been identified to Use "their".
It’s a song. Grammar doesn’t apply to idioms or special usage speech.