Any Major Dude Will Tell You

This song is simply about how, even when everything seems to be falling apart, things always come together again. When he says "major dude", I can see it as him referring to a very important person who has his stuff together.

In addition, he says something else with these two lyrics:

I can tell you all I know: the where to go, the what to do. You can try to run but you can't hide from what's inside of you.

What he simply means is that anyone can tell you how to do things, but all the real answers are already within you. It's the idea of finding direction in yourself before looking outside outwards for help.

As to the form it is very clever:

Any MAJOR dude With HALF a heart

Any MINOR world

Etc. Just real clever, and that sort of helps you take it seriously when it can be clever without being droll. And that also makes one relax, as these are sort of like jokes or puns, and wit can soften things as he gives the needed medicine.

It's also "cool" and "hip", becuase he lays it out with street lingo, dude, any major player, my man, with just half a heart, he'd TELL you...

Yet he's kind of saying it in a logical, formulaic way at the same time:

Now, listen up class. Any dude such that he is major and has no less than half of a heart would tell anyone, including you, that, any world such that it is minor and having fallen apart, will in all cases fall together again. Or, to put it another way, any DEMON such that it is a)at your door and b) is there at night will for a certainty not be present in the morning.

I don't know, but it's like big brotherly advice that has the substance of a deep lecture on metaphysics and the meaning of life while simultaneously being cool and hip, close to the street. It tells you that you are strong without patronizing you, and even chiding you a little bit (come on, have you ever seen a squonk's tears buddy? Well, look at mine over here...)

It says "shape up, be strong", but it says "don't worry about it, we've all been there" and yet "so were the Masters of Life. How do you think they got to be where THEY are, DUDE?"

:P

What are SQUONK'S TEARS???

Legendary in Pennsylvania, the Squonk is small, shy beast, with loose skin that has many warts and moles on it. Squonks are very unhappy and cry all the time.

Hunters can follow the trail of tears, and find the Squonk under hemlock trees. If cornered, the Squonk's tears might dissolve it (hence the pseudo-Latin name Lachrimacorpus dissolvens.) Supposedly, one person caught a Squonk in a sack one time, but when the sack was opened later, there were only tears and bubbles in it.

Described by William T. Cox, in his book "Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods, with a Few Desert and Mountain Beasts. "

eaudrey.com/myth/squonk.htm

Easily as melodic and singalong as anything the Beatles did. They got me through my difficult exam period and this song really lifted my gloom. "The people on the street have all seen better times" and "When the demon is at your door in the morning it won't be there no more" have to be some of the the most uplifting lyrics ever. Love the musicality so much. Hail the Skunk!

i have been learning this song recently... great chords, lyrics and catchy guitar riff. i believe a major dude is a friend (any friend would tell you that you won't always feel so bad) practice impermanence... in the morning things will be different (because things are impermanent, attachment to them is futile, and leads to suffering)

Have you ever seen a squonks tears? Well, look at mine. (i’m sad sometimes too) The people on the street have all seen better times. (there is suffering everywhere)

I can tell you all I know: there where to go, the what to do. (my words are meaningless if you don’t put them into practice) You can try to run but you can't hide from what's inside of you. (the nature of your being is goodness and joy)

I believe this song is about one friend's attempt to comfort another friend after a bad drug trip. The lines "When the demon ( "jones" ) is at your door, in the morning it won't be there no more, ( just try to sleep through it or somehow get through it so you can kick this thing)", and "I can tell you all I know: the where to go, (where to attend a meeting), the what to do, (seek outside assistance, go to rehab). You can try to run but you can't hide from what's inside of you,( you're an addict)" all give away the meaning - in my opinion. Not to mention, the conversational lyric of the title, referring to the fact that any good friend would tell you the truth about what you keep doing to yourself. After all, Steely Dan songs are littered with various drug references.

A squonk is a legendary creature, which lives in Pennsylvania.The scientific name name of the squonk, Lacrimacorpus dissolvens, comes from Latin words meaning "tear", "body", and "dissolve".

That's what squonk's tears are.

It is one of the most uplifting tunes of the era. Simple and perfect.

I think its about erectile dysfunction.

I feel like it's about someone who has broken up before (broken heart, only half left) and gotten his life "together again" giving relationship advice to someone who has just gotten his heart broken for the first time and is looking for purpose in life.