What A Shame About Me

Franny is his old girlfriend. She's successful. He's a mess. They talk for a while. He realizes he has nothing left in common with her (you're talking to a ghost.)

She offers him a pity f--k.

Maybe because of self loathing. Maybe to exhert some control over his life even if doing so spites himeself. Maybe (I prefer this one cause I'm pulling for the guy) because he knew it would never go anywhere and even in his bad situation he has more respect for himself ... he tells her to get lost.

"And make believe we're back at our old school"

Is this a reference to My Old School from Countdown to Ecstasy?

It's a very straightforward song, and it's a commonly occurring theme.

As with a lot of Fagen's lyrics , there's a lot of New York references.

The narrator is a failed novelist, during the day he works at The Strand , a famous bookstore in NYC, doing boring work - "I was grinding through my day gig , stacking cutouts at The Strand".

In walks Franny , she and the narrator used to be an item when they were at NYU. She is a famous Hollywood star, the group they used to hang out with have all been successful in various professions - Bobby , Alan and Barry. She asks if he ever sees any of them and said she heard in the early eighties he was going to the The Next Big Thing - ie he showed early promise (as a novelist) and everyone predicted he would really take off.

Well he didn't. He's still working on that novel but he's an addict - drugs or booze , and is slowly coming out of rehab.

He remembers how they used to be, one particular morning - maybe the first time they slept together and she was the 'goddess on the fire escape' .

The conversation trails off - he was about to say 'have a nice life' - a very poor line for someone who was going to be a great novelist , when she thinks maybe for old times sake they could go back to her hotel and pretend it was like it was before.

However , he gives her a reality check - she's gorgeous , he's a wreck - he's a ghost , 'what a shame about me' ...

I really like:

"Three weeks out of the rehab Living one day at a time"

Recovering addicts are told to "live on day at a time" as a strategy for staying sober. Apparently this might not be going so well for the narrator. I'm not saying they're definitely using again, but they're definitely not living one day at a time if they're counting the weeks like this.

This song is basically a story about a guy meeting an old friend or lover (Franny) from college. They do some catching up and talk about some people from their group and how they have done well for themselves. The song switches speakers a lot. Both of them sing the lines "What a shame about me". I think the "What a shame about me" is more directed to the narrator than Franny. Franny has done well with her life ("We talked about her films and shows and CDs") Also, I think it's quite obvious that Franny is interested in getting back together with this guy.

Clever use of "... And make believe we're back at our old school," referring pretty openly to the old Steely Dan song, "My Old School."

Great song...first heard it driving around Kauai in a rental car..the music the feeling in the air all matched well..can't agree with Wheelydan though..this guy has no self respect, no confidence...he's a ghost cuz there is almost nothing left of him...he went to battle and lost, a self professsed loser - at this point...I agree he might get himself back together...pity he can't take her up on her offer, but that is how far he has sunk...

Yes - quite seemingly obvious that the narrator is in recovery from drug abuse, but his reference to "...Lower Broadway, and you're talking to a ghost... Take a good look - it's easy to see..." I believe refers to his prior failure as a performer in the Theatrical "Mecca" of Manhattan, perhaps lending to his addictions and (perhaps) thusly being in advanced stages of HIV or even AIDS precipitating from his former lifestyle. Thus, he can't even indulge in a tryst with his old flame - he's proclaiming himself "as good as dead" and is protecting her from a similar fate.

Yes - what a shame about he... : (

it has a common vibe of someone whose getting older (moving from 30s to 40s-50s) and meeting up with someone they were pretty close to during college. Their lives diverged so much that they don't have anything in common anymore.He so embarrassed about his life not being as successful as hers that he just sends her away so as not to cause any further embarrassment and laments "what a shame about me".

I'm a little surprised that nobody has caught on to the fact that the second chorus is sung by Franny. It's Franny that is saying it was just a rumor about her being the next big thing and that she just got out of rehab. The narrator sings the first chorus and Franny sings the second. The song is cleverly summed up by the final two lines which is "it's a shame about me" repeated twice, inferring that it's a shame about BOTH of them. The "ghost" reference by the narrator is merely a reference that he is all but a semblance of what he once was, just as she is as well. The song is a story about two lives that took very different paths but in the end resulted in being equally unhappy. - Jim Cuccarro