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.
You've got a point. It's okay to analyze lyrics, but as Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane / Jefferson Starship wrote (and he probably borrowed it from somewhere else): "Eat the doughnut and forget about the hole!"
You've got a point. It's okay to analyze lyrics, but as Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane / Jefferson Starship wrote (and he probably borrowed it from somewhere else): "Eat the doughnut and forget about the hole!"
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.
@jcarruth Film Noir sums it up. Excellent points about Becker Fagan lyrics that we tend toward attributing depth whereas they are not.
@jcarruth Film Noir sums it up. Excellent points about Becker Fagan lyrics that we tend toward attributing depth whereas they are not.
You've got a point. It's okay to analyze lyrics, but as Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane / Jefferson Starship wrote (and he probably borrowed it from somewhere else): "Eat the doughnut and forget about the hole!"
You've got a point. It's okay to analyze lyrics, but as Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane / Jefferson Starship wrote (and he probably borrowed it from somewhere else): "Eat the doughnut and forget about the hole!"