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Steely Dan – The Boston Rag Lyrics 4 years ago
I go with:

* Lonnie is a toddler born to this couple in 1965. He is the literal kingpin...the only thing holding the relationship together.
* Lady Bayside-referring to an apparition of the Virgin Mary-is the girl friend/wife/mother of Lonnie who won't have sex with the narrator because she is postpartum. Thus he points his car down 7th Ave. to find a prostitute.
*The Boston Rag is the woman's menstrual cycle. The narrator wants it to return so the woman will again be sexually interested in him.

Having written this, it's prolly completely off the mark. :) Good ol' Steely Dan!!!

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Steely Dan – Night By Night Lyrics 4 years ago
I've always thought this song is about a small time criminal who lives a transient life.

I love the wide range of interpretations...SD's brilliant and highly literate lyrics are always food for thought. I've given up trying to find THE meaning of SD's lyrics and enjoy people's interpretations.

Musically, it sounds like a 70s TV sound track. The guitar introducing then doubling the horn part is brilliant. An edgy blend of rock, funk and pop, killer guitar solo.

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Steely Dan – Chain Lightning Lyrics 14 years ago
Great call all the Nazi interpretation! It all fits...

Musically speaking I love Rick Derringer's blues solo over what is a modified 12-bar blues full of chord substitutions. Very subtle and nifty...

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Steely Dan – Midnight Cruiser Lyrics 14 years ago
Seems like this is about a criminal cruising NYC streets late at night looking for drugs and hookers, and nostalgic for a time when these endeavors were easier.

Alternate: About a taxi driver who drives a man around looking for drugs and hookers.

Hodder's voice is a bit nasal to my ear with less-than-stellar intonation, but the harmony in the chorus is good. For me, the overall vibe of the tune and the crispy guitar solo outweigh the weakness mentioned above.

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Steely Dan – King of the World Lyrics 14 years ago
I also have to wonder if the New Mexico setting pays homage to the site of the first nuclear test at the northern end of White Sands Missile Range (Trinity Site)

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Deep Purple – Black Night Lyrics 14 years ago
It means Deep Purple drank too much after an uninspired day in the studio and accidentally wrote a hit. They were off their arses...I don't think Gillan or Glover know what the lyrics mean.

Drummer Ian Paice said "What fill wouldn't you play here? I'll play that!" LOL...brilliant!!!

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Steely Dan – The Royal Scam Lyrics 14 years ago
lisalambchop nailed it, methinks, with the San Juan interpretation. I had immigrants in general coming to the "land of opportunity" only to find their dreams broken, living oppressed and without hope in the bad part of town. They cycle repeats itself as they write letters home to put a good face on things.

Dang...these are some edgy lyrics:

"Where they learn to fear
An angry race of fallen kings
Their dark companions"


submissions
Steely Dan – Your Gold Teeth II Lyrics 14 years ago
I'd say 6/8 with a few two-count measures thrown in to keep it interesting. The main tune is all basic chords in that rambling triplet feel.

The intro is jazz...beyond me, bu cool in an avant-garde way.

Great tune.

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Steely Dan – Pearl of the Quarter Lyrics 14 years ago
Nothing like red beans and rice for a quarter.

Fall in love with a hooker and that pedal steel will be playin' the blues fer ya. :)

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Steely Dan – Razor Boy Lyrics 14 years ago
I think this song a lament sung by a man who is involved with a prostitute or a woman turning to prostitution-perhaps as a higher-class escort (Women in cages). Razor Boy refers to the pimp who will come and take all her fancy things, dashing her hopes that she will some how get ahead in life via her chosen trade.

Love the vibes and the Latin feel.

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Steely Dan – Kings Lyrics 14 years ago
I believe it is both. It plays on the parallel of the names Richard and John. It invokes the Robin Hood-era monarchs, but also offers a nostalgic view of the 1960 US presidential election.

I don't think they liked Nixon all that much. :)

submissions
Steely Dan – Haitian Divorce Lyrics 14 years ago
hubofhip is right on. I would add the implication is Bab's father paid for her excursion to Haiti. Also, while Willie may know the baby is not his from birth, the scandal doesn't erupt until it grows a bit, clearly becoming "semi-mojo" (It changed, it grew and everybody know).

A work of art...one of The Dan's greatest tunes. The talkbox guitar solo is credited as modified by Becker. I'd like to know the details of this modification. Perhaps extended into the little fills?

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