| Steely Dan – Kid Charlemagne Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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Definitely Steely's Hallmark Tune. All the way around, a number off their last "guitar-based" album, signaling the end of one style on the threshold of something more. Larry Carlton was just superb. As Donald opined in the PBS special, the song was, yeah, loosely based on a character like Owsley, with all the particulars of his story, but was also, as the boys have said earlier in a "Musician" magazine interview from 1979, that their method of penning these vingettes is to, instead of presenting the kernal of the idea, they more or less go for the "husk"--the outer, or whole idea, allowing the others to draw their own conclusion as to what it means to them. That said, Donald further mentioned that as the 60's decade was coming to an ugly end & looking for some closure, this offering also represented the whole general feel of the 60s decade. Namely, a beginning, middle and final chapter, like the fusiform shape of a muscle fiber: "", if you will. Actually, DanFan, there are no KEY changes in Kid Charlemagne. It's all in C major. Yes, the bridge and the turnaround have different chord progressions, they are all within the C Major frame work. The very 1st chord is a C7 #9th chord ( a five note chord ), which is a very well utilized jazz chord going back in rock to The Beatles' "You Can't Do That" as well as way before in the jazz annals. It is that crazy Major 7th interval WITHIN that chord, namely, the E note ( the third of the chord ) and the D#, ( the # 9th ) that gives it its unique and gritty , "I MEAN BUSINESS" sound. The root position of the C 7th #9 is this: C E G B-flat D#...then the verse begins with an A minor, etc. OK. I find LAbeefs comment on the White Men and the cocaigne shift amusing. I still pnder that phrase. Thanks. |
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