In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
I'm not one to look behind I know that times must change
But over there in Barrytown they do things very strange
And though you're not my enemy
I like things like they used to be
And though you'd like some company
I'm standing by myself
Go play with someone else
I can see by what you carry that you come from Barrytown
Don't believe I'm taken in by stories I have heard
I just read the Daily News and swear by every word
And don't think that I'm out of line
For speaking out for what is mine
I'd like to see you do just fine
But look at what you wear
And the way you cut your hair
I can see by what you carry that you come from Barrytown
In the beginning we recall that the word was hurled
Barrytown people got to be from another world
Leave me or I'll be just like the others you will meet
They won't act as kindly if they see you on the street
And don't you scream or make a shout
It's nothing you can do about
It was there where you came out
It's a special lack of grace
I can see it in your face
I can see by what you carry that you come from Barrytown
But over there in Barrytown they do things very strange
And though you're not my enemy
I like things like they used to be
And though you'd like some company
I'm standing by myself
Go play with someone else
I can see by what you carry that you come from Barrytown
Don't believe I'm taken in by stories I have heard
I just read the Daily News and swear by every word
And don't think that I'm out of line
For speaking out for what is mine
I'd like to see you do just fine
But look at what you wear
And the way you cut your hair
I can see by what you carry that you come from Barrytown
In the beginning we recall that the word was hurled
Barrytown people got to be from another world
Leave me or I'll be just like the others you will meet
They won't act as kindly if they see you on the street
And don't you scream or make a shout
It's nothing you can do about
It was there where you came out
It's a special lack of grace
I can see it in your face
I can see by what you carry that you come from Barrytown
Lyrics submitted by AbFab, edited by snowdm2000
Barrytown Lyrics as written by Walter Carl Becker Donald Jay Fagen
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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My father joined the Unification Church at a workshop at the Unification Theology Seminary in Barrytown. Many members lived there and worked there and witnessed and recruited youth at Bard College, where Don Fagen and Walter Becker went to college.
Unificationists were known to be clean cut, wear suits and frequently carried clip boards and pamphlets. Moonies, as they are better known, were infamous and remain infamous and were frequently in the news in the 70s.
This is likely about the Moonies in Barrytown.
@sungis I like this explanation best.
@sungis The song Barry Town was writen 1969 and there was a demo recording of it then. It was on album Pretzel Logig from February 1974.<br /> UTS semenaries had not been open then.<br />
@sungis The song Barry Town was writen 1969 and there was a demo recording of it then. It was on album Pretzel Logig from February 1974.<br /> UTS semenaries had not been open then.<br />
No, no, no, whippersnappers and old timers alike,
The narrator in Barrytown is the one who is conservative: "I'm not one to look behind I know that times must change" and "I like things like they used to be". The narrator doesn't read a high brow newspaper and isn't very critical: "I just read the Daily News and swear by every word". But the narrator also tries to justify himself and stresses that he isn't oppositional: "And don't think that I'm out of line / For speaking out for what is mine". He would be happy to see others do just fine. But look at their clothes! Flairs, flowery? And their hair! Presumably very long and presumably something that scares him. No, the narrator just cannot embrace the others, which I presume to be the youth. I can't see anything about moonies or race in any of the lyrics. "Go play with someone else" makes it sound like a child has intruded on the narrator's space. This theme of being pestered reappears at the end of the song with "Leave me or I'll be just like the others you will meet/ They won't act as kindly if they see you on the street". (Notice again the narrator is conservative but pleading that he's actually good at heart.) It is almost as if hippies have come too close for comfort with their flowers and free love. While you might guess that it is the conservative narrator who is being mocked, he doesn't come out of it too badly. I don't even see the song as being about prejudice, it is more about a cultural attitude that Marge Simpson summed up: "I fear the unknown".
@rosssams What a crock
It's about prejudice. It's an allegorical story that's really about white folks who pretend to be friendly with minorities but in reality they are as prejudiced as other people.
Exactly. Steely Dan is great. Very cryptical though.
Seems to be quite clearly about sociological barriers and prejudices. Doesn't seem particularly cryptic to me.
Ooops....my bad. I forgot to mention the Moonies also. Kudos to Dr. Wu.
@Fireman1 The song was written and recorded first time 1969. then it was recorded again 1973 for the album Pretzel Logicjan 1974. UTSsemenaries did not existed then. But Bard Coolage did there Steely Dan was sudents. and it was a catholic university there, The local Hill Billies in Barry Town disliked the hippies in Bard Collage<br />
OK, I can speak with some authority on this because I went to Bard College, which is the school that Fagen went to. Bard is located in a town near Barrytown. The thing about Barrytown is that there is a high percentage of retarded, Mongoloid and otherwise 'inbred' folk. I never heard anything about moonies, but a lot about the genetic weirdness of Barrytown residents.
@Spiffyone "She's my mother...and my sister!" Yee-haw!
I always thought Barrytown people lacked sophistication and open minds. The lyrics are, as per usual, tongue in cheek.
Barry Town by stealy Dan was written about 1969 and the there is a Demo Recorden from then on CD. Thet were students,at Bard Collage in Barry Town. It was recorded for the album Prezel Logic from February 1975. UTS semenary was established autmn 1975 six months later.. Unification Church bought a cristian Collage to establish a master degree in relegious science. Stealy Dan sung about the locals in Berry Town who disliked the students at Bard College,..
The song is in reference to Barryville, NY where Rev. Moon purchased a large monesterary for his church. This town was not far from Bard College where Becker and Fagan first met. The moonies, as the followers were called, wore white,were clean cut and carried pamphlets about the religion.