The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
CHORUS:
While the poor people sleepin'
With the shade on the light
While the poor people sleepin'
All the stars come out at night
After closing time
At the Guernsey Fair
I detect the El Supremo
From the room at the top of the stairs
Well I've been around the world
And I've been in the Washington Zoo
And in all my travels
As the facts unravel
I've found this to be true
CHORUS
They got the house on the corner
With the rug inside
They got the booze they need
All that money can buy
They got the shapely bods
They got the Steely Dan T-shirt
And for the coup-de-gras
They're outrageous
CHORUS
Show biz kids making movies
Of themselves you know they
Don't give a fuck about anybody else
CHORUS
While the poor people sleepin'
With the shade on the light
While the poor people sleepin'
All the stars come out at night
After closing time
At the Guernsey Fair
I detect the El Supremo
From the room at the top of the stairs
Well I've been around the world
And I've been in the Washington Zoo
And in all my travels
As the facts unravel
I've found this to be true
CHORUS
They got the house on the corner
With the rug inside
They got the booze they need
All that money can buy
They got the shapely bods
They got the Steely Dan T-shirt
And for the coup-de-gras
They're outrageous
CHORUS
Show biz kids making movies
Of themselves you know they
Don't give a fuck about anybody else
CHORUS
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The Super Furry Animals sampled the line "you know they don't give a fuck about anybody else" about 80 times in their song The Man Don't Give a Fuck, which (when they play it live) ends up as mental techno. When you listen to this song you can kind of hear the hypnotic rhythm in the chorus that they got the idea from. Steely Dan invented techno!
The fact that they reference a random fair in Ohio and then mention Vegas, Steely Dan seems to be contrasting the lives of the "Haves" and the "Have-Nots" in America in a sarcastic kind of way. "The poor people" as described to us by Hollywood elitists and showbiz types, are actually everyday hometown folks who work for living to support families. Once again SD is ahead of their time with this song. To this day we still hear Hollywood actors and actresses speak out on issues they know nothing about...while revealing a shallow naievety about how the rest of the country actually operates. The Dan even poke a little fun at themselves by indicating that the cool people will all be wearing Steely Dan T-Shirts. I'm not sure about the 'Washington Zoo' reference. I'm thinking it was a way to describe Washington Politics in general.
Yea, stupid Hollywood types that can't keep their mouth shut about issues they know nothing about; you mean like that B grade actor, General Electric corporate shill and FBI informant Ronald Reagan right?
@Udice Washington Zoo is also what they called the old prison in Washington, DC (where G Gordon Liddy served part of his term). It was called “The Washington DC Jail and Asylum”. This would coincide with the recurring theme of derelicts in their songs. The place was a really old, nasty pit of a prison. Just a thought from another fan. I hope you are doing well.
This song has only one chord which I find very unorthodox for a Steely Dan song. This song just grooves effortlessly despite no progression and there seems to be so much going on. Anyone catch the Reelin in the Years riff at the "They got the Steely Dan t-shirt"? I know you all did!
@Danfan But the song is modal, so the bass line gives it that modality. Add the fact that Derringer's solo is one half note sharper than the key, yet it all fits, shows you how genius these guys can be
I realize I am probably stating the obvious here, but "Lost Wages" is a nickname for "Las Vegas."
I could never figure out in this song if they are referring to actual self-centered egotistical celebrities or to people shooting porn movies in the Valley.
shooting porn movies
in an interview donald fagen does say that lost wages....is las vegas
He was making fun of fans asking this question when he said that. He was pulling your leg. They are singing "You blow your life's wages." Always have, always will be. There are several 2000's era performances on Youtube where you can watch the backup singers clearly sing "You blow your life's wages."
I'm pretty shure steely dan invented the wheel and fire too.
love the song, a bit Frank Zappaesque; reminds me a bit of "trouble every day", just a bit more smooth (like each and every steely dan song)
dannyca1 is partially right - in 'my old school', william and mary refers to the college of the same name in VA. But annandale actually refers to annandale-on-hudson new york, where Fagen's alma matter, Bard College, is located
I think this song is about the drug laden culture people are exposed to when they have money, especially when they are stars.
(I will use the word "he" to refer to "The Dan"...El Supremo also refers to some very good marijuana. Now it was detected "from the room at the top of the stairs" in "Countdown to Ecstasy" which was the same album where he "was smokin' with the boys upstairs". It is obvious that he was heavy into his usage of controlled substances by that time. The el supremo was something he pursued, perhaps while on tour in Washington, Ohio.
This one is definitely about the LA shallow movie-star culture.