| Steely Dan – Pretzel Logic Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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In the Steely Dan Biography "Reelin' In The Years", Donald Fagen claims the lyrics of this song are about time travel. In many ways however, I wouldn't be suprised if this song was meant to be somewhat autobiographical. Pretzel Logic was released around '74 or so at time in which the musical landscape was experiencing a transition towards more heavier sounds. Artists such as Grand Funk Railroad and Deep Purple were paving the way for the more edgeier "Classic Rock" Artists that would define the mid to late Seventies. Even by their own self admissions, Steely Dan acknowledged that live audiences were becoming non-receptive towards The Dan's more structured Jazz inspired improvisational performances....a factor which contributed to the abandonment of touring after the Pretzel Logic album. In addition to this, the booking of Steely Dan at this time was ridiculous. There would be shows in which The Dan would be booked with the likes of Black Oak Arkansas...and of course they would get blown off the stage. All of these factors, coupled with the factors of which we do not know, had to raise some self-doubts within Steely Dan. Perhaps there were nights when they would question weather or not they should adbandon their jazz style in favor the more straight forward hard rock style of music occurring at the time |
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| Steely Dan – Razor Boy Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| I agree Ulthar that this song is about drug addiction. I also think it's a conversation between a stripper/dancer "women in cages" and her boyfriend who has a bad coke habit. She is trying to explain to him that his friends aren't really his friends. She also is sleeping with his dealers so he can score coke for free "You'd gamble or give anything/To be in with the better half/But how many friends must I have/To begin with to make you laugh". The girlfriend is trying to keep this guy from losing everything including her. The woman in this song is streetwise and knows how hard it is to live homeless but the rich junkie has no clue and she's trying to warn him. | |
| Steely Dan – Show Biz Kids Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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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. |
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| Steely Dan – Through With Buzz Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| I read somewhere that this song was about a college roomate.... | |
| Steely Dan – Midnight Cruiser Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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The lyrics remind me of an aging hipster trying to relive his past. The whole narration is of him talking to himself He's trying to re-live the 50's Jazz era in the 1970's knowing full well that those days are now over. He mispronounces Thelonious's name because he is drunk. In the chorus he asks "Where are you driving Midnite Cruiser?" to which he answers his own question. The lyrics indicate that another person is present but I believe that the "other person" is in the Narrators own head. Sad song in a way |
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