Steely Dan – Show Biz Kids

"Show Biz Kids" as written by Walter Carl Becker and Donald Jay Fagen....
CHORUS:
While the poor people sleepin'
With the shade on the light
While the poor people sleepin'
All the stars come out at night
After closing time
At the Guernsey Fair
I detect the El Supremo
From the room at the top of the stairs
Well I've been around the world
And I've been in the Washington Zoo
And in all my travels
As the facts unravel
I've found this to be true

CHORUS

They got the house on the corner
With the rug inside
They got the booze they need
All that money can buy
They got the shapely bods
They got the Steely Dan T-shirt
And for the coup-de-gras
They're outrageous

CHORUS

Show biz kids making movies
Of themselves you know they
Don't give a fuck about anybody else

CHORUS


Lyrics submitted by AbFab

"Show Biz Kids" as written by Walter Carl Becker Donald Jay Fagen

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Show Biz Kids song meanings
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26 Comments

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  • +8
    General CommentThe Super Furry Animals sampled the line "you know they don't give a fuck about anybody else" about 80 times in their song The Man Don't Give a Fuck, which (when they play it live) ends up as mental techno. When you listen to this song you can kind of hear the hypnotic rhythm in the chorus that they got the idea from. Steely Dan invented techno!
    Random Boyon January 25, 2006   Link
  • +7
    General CommentThis song has only one chord which I find very unorthodox for a Steely Dan song. This song just grooves effortlessly despite no progression and there seems to be so much going on. Anyone catch the Reelin in the Years riff at the "They got the Steely Dan t-shirt"? I know you all did!
    Danfanon February 19, 2008   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • +7
    General CommentThe 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.
    Udiceon September 21, 2008   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • +4
    General CommentI realize I am probably stating the obvious here, but "Lost Wages" is a nickname for "Las Vegas."

    I could never figure out in this song if they are referring to actual self-centered egotistical celebrities or to people shooting porn movies in the Valley.
    GaslitAbbieon October 07, 2007   Link
  • +4
    General Commentin an interview donald fagen does say that lost wages....is las vegas
    lpmusicman2808on November 28, 2009   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • +2
    General Commentdannyca1 is partially right - in 'my old school', william and mary refers to the college of the same name in VA. But annandale actually refers to annandale-on-hudson new york, where Fagen's alma matter, Bard College, is located
    joedirthoboon March 01, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General CommentI think this song is about the drug laden culture people are exposed to when they have money, especially when they are stars.
    grenparptaron February 24, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General CommentI'm pretty shure steely dan invented the wheel and fire too.

    love the song, a bit Frank Zappaesque; reminds me a bit of "trouble every day", just a bit more smooth (like each and every steely dan song)
    mik91on September 16, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General CommentThis one is definitely about the LA shallow movie-star culture.
    foolwhoknows1on July 28, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General CommentThe Guernsey Fair is a county fair that has been held in Old Washington, OH for 158 years (1847 - 2005). I only know this from a google search. I find it interesting that they wouold mention a tiny little county fair in the middle of nowhere...But it also makes me wonder about the "Washington Zoo" line, as the fair is held in Old Washington, OH...

    Other than that, who the hell knows...
    hubofhipon July 11, 2005   Link

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