| Steely Dan – Only A Fool Would Say That Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Isn't Bob Dylan known for wearing Stetson hats? A derisive look at idealist, hippie folk singers and how, with their naive ideas about living in harmony, blah blah blah, they actually know little to nothing about the average working man, busting his butt to earn a living. He comes home from a long day of work, only to be treated to the idealistic musings of a Bob Dylan/John Lennon type? Just taking a stab at it. |
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| Steely Dan – Show Biz Kids Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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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. |
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| Steely Dan – Babylon Sisters Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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^^^ Whoops! I had a serious "duh" moment after I posted the above. He's not taking them to San Fran--he's taking them to his home in Malibu ("Drive west on Sunset to the sea"). Sunset Boulevard takes you right to Malibu. An aging celebrity, perhaps? He promises them the opportunity to "jog with show folks," who are in no short supply in Malibu, of course. Perhaps the warning from his friends in the final stanza of the song is because they fear that he might ruin his reputation if he is caught with prostitutes? If I am not mistaken, the Santa Ana winds are fabled to make people a little crazy when they come blowing through. He describes the winds as being "bad news," as though he is prone to doing crazy things when the winds come. "Babylon" could refer to the Whore of Babylon, suggesting again that they are hookers. |
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| Steely Dan – Babylon Sisters Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Here's my take: He has hired a couple of hookers from LA, and he is taking them to San Francisco for a night (or weekend) of fun. But he wants to kid himself into thinking they aren't being paid to be there, but that they actually like him ("this is no one night stand, it's a real occasion," and "tell me I'm the only one"). He is perhaps an older man seeking to feel younger by having sex with two women, but all it does is make him feel older. He's "not what he used to be" and he's "playing with fire." He wants to make more out of this outing than there really is, but in the end, he knows it's just like a cheap day trip to Tijuana to find a hooker there. There is no real attachment to these women--it's just sex ("just a spasm"). Yet he repeats the chorus, urging these "fine young" girls to "shake it" for him and assure him that "he's the only one." |
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| Steely Dan – Everyone's Gone to the Movies Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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The line is "cheaters" (i.e. glasses) not "chinos." I'm not sure of the significance, other than it would be strange to ask someone to remove their glasses if they were actually planning on having them watch a movie--someone who wore glasses would need them to see. Mr. LaPage obviously has other things in mind. I want to know who Mr. LaPage's accomplice is who is actively encouraging these youths to join him in the den. I love the creepy "Come on...come on..." refrain. |
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| Steely Dan – Time Out of Mind Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| The "silver will turn to gold" line could also refer to what happens to aluminum foil when it is heated with a lighter for the purpose of smoking heroin from it. | |
| Steely Dan – Gaslighting Abbie Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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They aren't roommates. The narrator is singing to his mistress, with whom he has been "bopping" all summer. The two of them are having so much fun together that he figures it might be a good idea to get his wife out of the way. As previous posters mentioned, the "Gaslight" reference is to a classic film in which a husband tries to convince his wife that she is going crazy, and the narrator is suggesting that they do the same thing to his wife. (And to add insult to injury, he is pawing his mistress while she wears clothing that she stole from his wife!) He proposes that they set their plan in motion for the upcoming 4th of July weekend, something having to do with setting up lights throughout the house that they can dim, flicker, or otherwise manipulate in some way to mess with her head (as in the movie "Gaslight"). He clearly feels that this will be a wonderfully entertaining event, telling the mistress to pick out some appropriate music, and when the deed is done, they can just hang out and watch the 4th of July fireworks. |
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| Steely Dan – Josie Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Josie's homecoming takes on a far more sinister meaning in the second verse. While the first verse describes the revelry of someone's homecoming (from school, from jail??), and carefree activities such as having sex on the beach, very different and violent activities are proposed in the second verse. More like street thugs going out to look for trouble, or more specifically, for some heads to bash in. The "battle apple" refers to a mace, and their plans to "shake 'em all down," "mix in the street," and "dance on the bones" indicate their intent to seek out people to attack. Rival gangs or just innocent people who walk by at the wrong time--who knows? In any case, Josie sounds like she is anything but the "pride of the neighborhood." |
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