I haven't seen much of Steely Dan's music that isn't tongue in cheek, sarcastic double meanings. It is part of why I LOVE their music! That and their musicianship is amazing...
In this song, I think they're poking fun of idealistic, in some ways sugar coated, American Pride in the 1950's about the Space Program and it's accomplishments would mean.
"You'll be a witness to that game of chance in the sky
You know we've got to win" ... Refers to USA vs USSR race to get into space and claim territory.
"Here at home we'll play in the city
Powered by the sun
Perfect weather for a streamlined world
There'll be spandex jackets one for everyone..."
Pokes fun of the outrageous promises made and the sugar coating on the whole project. Everything will be ,in 50's venacular, "A-OK" there'll even be jackets made of the modern miracle fabric, spandex, for everyone.
(Third verse lyrics missing from the lyrics above)
On that train all graphite and glitter
Undersea by rail
Ninety minutes from New York to Paris
Well by seventy-six we'll be A.O.K
Just machines that make big decisions
programmed by fellas with compassion and vision.
We'll be clean when their work is done,
We'll be totally free, yes, and totally young...
Once again, sarcastically saying machines will do everything for us and the guys that program them are only interested in pure, good things, even making us all free and young!
Their words invoke a feeling of the naivete of then 1950's and the feeling that all things are possible and everything is "peachy keen".
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
I just "discovered" this song in the past few months, and when I listened to the lyrics I laughed myself silly. IMHO everyone here has pretty much the right idea, but I have a personal experience that colors my reading, and may be on track.
I just "discovered" this song in the past few months, and when I listened to the lyrics I laughed myself silly. IMHO everyone here has pretty much the right idea, but I have a personal experience that colors my reading, and may be on track.
I had a High School Bio teacher in the mid-70s who would have been a late teen geek during IGY. (He was also a wannabe priest who liked special time with the boys, but back then school policy was to not to get caught alone with him.) He was hugely nostalgic...
I had a High School Bio teacher in the mid-70s who would have been a late teen geek during IGY. (He was also a wannabe priest who liked special time with the boys, but back then school policy was to not to get caught alone with him.) He was hugely nostalgic about IGY, had us study life science related papers from the period, and claimed it was time for another IGY.
The key concept to him was that the Earth science communities of both East and West were supposed to focus on seemingly impossible, peace-based tasks, but working together (or at least sharing their results) they would change society in ways that would lead to global cooperation. From a U.S. perspective, once the Western Hemisphere was connected by rail to Europe, and we all wore climate-controlling fabrics and jetpacks, watered the deserts from the seas and sun, and fed the World's poor with superfarms of grain and krill (can you say "Soylent?"), how could the Commies resist joining our side? Of course the Soviets didn't play fair, the Scandinavians played ball with them, and the secrets to Nirvana were never revealed.
And for one, by '76 he thought it would work this time!
Many Dan songs remind me of characters I've met, some uncomfortably so. This one I feel I actually knew.
@marink it’s def 3rd person someone (or people) in the 50’s thinking the techno generation is going to be such a great life. Even the very last two lines he almost seems to purposely sound more nasally as if to invoke the most possible sarcasm and borderline contempt for that line of thinking
@marink it’s def 3rd person someone (or people) in the 50’s thinking the techno generation is going to be such a great life. Even the very last two lines he almost seems to purposely sound more nasally as if to invoke the most possible sarcasm and borderline contempt for that line of thinking
I haven't seen much of Steely Dan's music that isn't tongue in cheek, sarcastic double meanings. It is part of why I LOVE their music! That and their musicianship is amazing...
In this song, I think they're poking fun of idealistic, in some ways sugar coated, American Pride in the 1950's about the Space Program and it's accomplishments would mean.
"You'll be a witness to that game of chance in the sky You know we've got to win" ... Refers to USA vs USSR race to get into space and claim territory.
"Here at home we'll play in the city Powered by the sun Perfect weather for a streamlined world There'll be spandex jackets one for everyone..."
Pokes fun of the outrageous promises made and the sugar coating on the whole project. Everything will be ,in 50's venacular, "A-OK" there'll even be jackets made of the modern miracle fabric, spandex, for everyone.
(Third verse lyrics missing from the lyrics above)
On that train all graphite and glitter Undersea by rail Ninety minutes from New York to Paris Well by seventy-six we'll be A.O.K Just machines that make big decisions programmed by fellas with compassion and vision. We'll be clean when their work is done, We'll be totally free, yes, and totally young...
Once again, sarcastically saying machines will do everything for us and the guys that program them are only interested in pure, good things, even making us all free and young!
Their words invoke a feeling of the naivete of then 1950's and the feeling that all things are possible and everything is "peachy keen".
What a beautiful world this will be What a glorious time to be free
Great song, though. One of my favorites.
I just "discovered" this song in the past few months, and when I listened to the lyrics I laughed myself silly. IMHO everyone here has pretty much the right idea, but I have a personal experience that colors my reading, and may be on track.
I just "discovered" this song in the past few months, and when I listened to the lyrics I laughed myself silly. IMHO everyone here has pretty much the right idea, but I have a personal experience that colors my reading, and may be on track.
I had a High School Bio teacher in the mid-70s who would have been a late teen geek during IGY. (He was also a wannabe priest who liked special time with the boys, but back then school policy was to not to get caught alone with him.) He was hugely nostalgic...
I had a High School Bio teacher in the mid-70s who would have been a late teen geek during IGY. (He was also a wannabe priest who liked special time with the boys, but back then school policy was to not to get caught alone with him.) He was hugely nostalgic about IGY, had us study life science related papers from the period, and claimed it was time for another IGY.
The key concept to him was that the Earth science communities of both East and West were supposed to focus on seemingly impossible, peace-based tasks, but working together (or at least sharing their results) they would change society in ways that would lead to global cooperation. From a U.S. perspective, once the Western Hemisphere was connected by rail to Europe, and we all wore climate-controlling fabrics and jetpacks, watered the deserts from the seas and sun, and fed the World's poor with superfarms of grain and krill (can you say "Soylent?"), how could the Commies resist joining our side? Of course the Soviets didn't play fair, the Scandinavians played ball with them, and the secrets to Nirvana were never revealed.
And for one, by '76 he thought it would work this time!
Many Dan songs remind me of characters I've met, some uncomfortably so. This one I feel I actually knew.
Nice catch on the missing lyrics....but I believe the last line is "eternally free yes, and eternally young."
Nice catch on the missing lyrics....but I believe the last line is "eternally free yes, and eternally young."
@marink it’s def 3rd person someone (or people) in the 50’s thinking the techno generation is going to be such a great life. Even the very last two lines he almost seems to purposely sound more nasally as if to invoke the most possible sarcasm and borderline contempt for that line of thinking
@marink it’s def 3rd person someone (or people) in the 50’s thinking the techno generation is going to be such a great life. Even the very last two lines he almost seems to purposely sound more nasally as if to invoke the most possible sarcasm and borderline contempt for that line of thinking