Reelin' In The Years Lyrics

Lyric discussion by cbeatley 

Cover art for Reelin' In The Years lyrics by Steely Dan

What I love is how didactic and certain so many of the commenters are about the meaning of the song. I think its a great song, and I love the lyrics. What so many call cynical, I just consider intelligent.

My guess its that it's about Dorothy White. The weekend in the college didn't turn out like you planned could be a reference to the drug bust at Bard in (I think) 1969 where she, Becker, Fagan, and some 50 Bard students were busted by G. Gordon Liddy & the local sheriff. White was in the sweep, but was not bailed out by the college as all the others were, since she was visiting and not a student. Basically, a reheash of "my old school" is how I hear it.

"You've been telling me you're a genius since you were seventeen..." is just perfection. The only thing I hate about that line is that someone else said it. Ooh , I knew girls who needed to hear that.

call me crazy but this song is rather simple to understand...

a young man starts the song by talking about a girl who is immature and is childish rather growing up. She goes to school at the end of summer where she will leave her younger boyfriend. she holds onto him cause she thinks it will last.-- he then reflects on how he wants to marry her but she would not know what to do if he asked her. he then states shes not a goldigger because money cant buy her heart.

he then asks if shes living in...