My Rival

This song is about a father's newborn son. The son is the father's "Rival" for the wife/mother's affections.

"Milk truck" is the mother's breast. The baby "screamed." The father goes out to drink and whine.

The "detective on his case" -- with the scar and hearing aid -- is a grandfather with a video camera taking movies of the new baby.

The "tiny hand" is the baby's hand. The father loves him, but has now become jealous.

The baby boy's "crime" is his taking the mother's attention away from the father, so the father will "match him whim for whim," which means the father will act pretty much like a baby.

So there it is.

Since Steely Dan themselves don't know what their lyrics mean - they've admitted as much in interviews - I'm going to go out on a limb here and take an "Occam's Razor" approach and say they mean just what they appear to mean.

It's a film noir styled movie-song about a guy using detectives to track down the guy who is stealing his girl, plain and simple. I know that a lot of people like to attribute drugs and child abuse and everything including the kitchen sink, but isn't that overthinking it just a bit?

They also say that they purposely put in lyrics that they have no idea what they mean just to confuse and obfuscate, such as "Battle Apple" in the song "Josie." They are on record as saying that they don't know WHAT a "Battle Apple" is, just thought it sounded good.

So interpret away, at your own risk. I just take 'em on face value and it seems right to me.

I think My Rival is about having a child (probly a boy).

one clue... "I still recall when I first held Your tiny hand in mine"

but the other clue, "Sure he's a jolly roger Until he answers for his crime"

i think this part means that he stole his father's heart (the singer)

This song also could mean how having a child takes attention away from the father and is now put on the child and this is what the singer is singing about.

Re: "I say it is as simple as a guy has lost his love to an older ganster type ala Edward G. Robinson...And yes this is SOOOO cool, a perfect film noir..." --underbanyantrees

Yeah, I took the "hearing aid" item (along with the "scar") to mean a tough old guy who got into a lot of fights and probably had a big old cauliflower ear (and some hearing damage) from blows to the head.

A man out for revenge (my rival; fool in love; stomping time) against the man who stole his lover without a care in the world (Jolly Roger). I'm slightly in denial re the paedophile theory due to its morbidity, though it is persuasive in parts. "Tiny hands" could just be decribing the fond memory of his ex-lover's delicate touch, however.

I think it's about a man who's wife is cheating..I've got detectives on his case. Yes he's the jolly roger..a thief..till he answers for his crime of cheating..yes I'll match him whim for whim..guy can't see what she see's in him, his affair is a whim? I struck a match on the door of Anthony's Bar..watching them eat...he goes in after they left..the whining stranger,a fool in love, with time to kill..following them..I'VE GOT DETECTIVES ON HIS CASE, He wears a hearing aid...I could be totally wrong on all of this,it's just the way I play the movie in my mind about the song. This happens to be my favorite album by them. Such a great vibe the whole album has.

One of my favorite Dan songs. Puts forth such a perfect Film Noir vibe. Amazing horns. Lyrics possibly about finding the man who stole his lover, but that seems a bit oversimplified. Not sure what the hearing aid bit is getting at...

The pedophilia interpretation is totally bogus. The detectives are the private investigators the singer has hired to spy on his woman as she engages in an inappropriate relationship with another man. Steely Dan's lyrics are often very dark, but sorry, no child molestation in this one.

Almost all their songs are like M.C. Escher paintings. They can be seen in so many different ways and from so many different angles.

... As with most things, the simplest explanation most-probably explains Walter & Donald's intention ... With this song, I agree with underbanyantrees ...

1. The wind was driving in my face / The smell of prickly pear / The mild truck eased into my space / Somebody screamed somewhere: The narrator was probably driving a convertible: smelling pricky pear because that is common in southern California: followed the (undercover-spy) milk truck to his home; and, from some arbitrary distance, he watched it pull into his usual parking space; 'someone screaming somewhere' is just a random fact: if you're out in the open air, many times you will hear a random sounds: children screaming perhaps.

2. I struck a match against the door / Of Anthony's Bar and Grill / I was the whining stranger / A fool in love / With time to kill: This may be the biggest giveaway of the lyrical intention; if "match" is read as synonymous with "rival" (as in 'you've met your match'), the narrator may be explaining in this stanza how he happened upon hie lovers cheat-partner: they were both at Anthony's and the rival is near the door: the narrator describes himself as "whining", possibly alluding to one reason his rival is seen as desirable: he has a deeper voice ?

3. The third stanza is pretty straightforward: the narrator ends it by mentioning 2 undesirable features of the man: the narrator probably sees himself as more physically attractive than his rival.

... The chorus is also pretty straightforward ...

4. I still recall when I first held / Your tiny hand in mine / I loved you more than I can tell / But now it's stomping time: pretty straightforward: the narrator remembers the first time he held his lover's hand, he regards the memory sweetly, but now it's time to stomp his rival into the ground, haha.

... I think this may be the most straightforward song in the album ... Any thoughts are appreciated !!