| Donald Fagen – The Goodbye Look Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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Like Mumajor, I first thought this was a guy realizing he's getting the kiss-off from a beautiful woman. Actually, he's realizing he's getting the kiss-off from a Banana Republic (any one of them in or around the Carribbean, it seems to me). I don't see arrested in the equation, however. Somehow, this guy was oblivious enough to get left behind after all the other Colonialists left. Now, after dark, locals are rounding up anyone who might be connected with the oppressors and taking care of them behind the big casino on the beach (which is probably pretty empty now). Could be a flaming tire around the neck or any other local execution rite, but chances are it's not pretty. He's just realized that he's one of the last ones left (he "got" the Goodbye Look). He's sick, there's no embassy to help, and the only chance he sees is some sleaze with a small boat. |
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| Donald Fagen – I.G.Y. (International Geophysical Year) Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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I just "discovered" this song in the past few months, and when I listened to the lyrics I laughed myself silly. IMHO everyone here has pretty much the right idea, but I have a personal experience that colors my reading, and may be on track. I had a High School Bio teacher in the mid-70s who would have been a late teen geek during IGY. (He was also a wannabe priest who liked special time with the boys, but back then school policy was to not to get caught alone with him.) He was hugely nostalgic about IGY, had us study life science related papers from the period, and claimed it was time for another IGY. The key concept to him was that the Earth science communities of both East and West were supposed to focus on seemingly impossible, peace-based tasks, but working together (or at least sharing their results) they would change society in ways that would lead to global cooperation. From a U.S. perspective, once the Western Hemisphere was connected by rail to Europe, and we all wore climate-controlling fabrics and jetpacks, watered the deserts from the seas and sun, and fed the World's poor with superfarms of grain and krill (can you say "Soylent?"), how could the Commies resist joining our side? Of course the Soviets didn't play fair, the Scandinavians played ball with them, and the secrets to Nirvana were never revealed. And for one, by '76 he thought it would work this time! Many Dan songs remind me of characters I've met, some uncomfortably so. This one I feel I actually knew. |
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