Pour out the wine, little girl
I've got just two friends in this whole wide world
Here's to reckless lovers
We all need somebody
Stashed in the yellow Jag
I've got my life and laundry in a gladstone bag
You should know the program
Just one red rose and a tender goodbye (one last goodbye)

Then I run to the second arrangement
It's only the natural thing
Who steps out with no regrets
A sparkling conscience, a new address
When I run to the second arrangement
The home of a mutual friend
Now's the time to redefine the first arrangement again

It's a sticky situation
A serious affair
I must explain it to you somehow
Right now, I'll just move back one square

Here comes that noise again
Another scrambled message from my last best friend
Something I can dance to
A song with tears in it
Old friends abandon me
It's just the routine politics of jealousy
Someday we'll remember
That one red rose and one last goodbye (one last goodbye)

Then I run to the second arrangement
It's only the natural thing
Who steps out with no regrets
A sparkling conscience, a new address
When I run to the second arrangement
The home of a mutual friend
Now's the time to redefine the first arrangement again


Lyrics submitted by ansermachin

The Second Arrangement Lyrics as written by Donald Fagen Walter Becker

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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The Second Arrangement song meanings
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7 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    This is an excellent song. I'm just listening it to it for the first time. Honest to god, hearing this is like unearthing a treasure buried long ago. With its subzero cold music and lyrics, it would fit perfectly on Gaucho. Absolutely perfect.

    The lyrics are uncharacteristically non-cryptic. (Obviously there's a better way to say that, I just don't know what it is right now.) I especially like the yellow Jag part.

    The music is pure disco. Eighth-note hi-hat on the offbeat. The chord changes just before "Stashed in the yellow Jag" and "Old friends abandon me" totally date this song. But god damn, I love it.

    Starqueston June 03, 2010   Link

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