| Steely Dan – Almost Gothic Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I think the "black girl" interpretation is off-base. Much of "Two Against Nature" thematically deals with being a man at middle-ish age, growing older but still feeling like a boy in many ways (emotionally), and wanting to relive youth. This is heard in songs like "Janie Runaway", "Cousin Dupree", "Negative Girl" and "Almost Gothic". So you have an older man attracted to a 20-something girl - an attraction he knows is silly and can not last, but she makes him feel like a young man again. The references like "I'm working on gospel time" & "a dark place...thrilling & new" are about him and where he's at emotionally. She is young and exciting and makes him feel alive. The "gothic" references are literal - the object of his attraction seems to be a goth girl who is hip, intriguing and fascinating, at the same time young, naive and really just a sweet kid deep own. This is why her "schtick" is sometimes hip and sometimes naive/quaint - she is a nice, wholesome girl trying to find herself and experimenting at being goth. He knows this b/c he's older and has "been there". But she is still a mysterious puzzle for him to figure out, a sexy bundle of contradictions that's intriquing to him (older women are more together/predictable and probably less exciting for him). The "amen corner" I think is just his rapturous joy at having found this pretty young girl. "House of desire...4square" I think is him trying to convince himself that his attraction is not just lust, but is built on something real. Great, bitter-sweet song. |
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