This song is about going into rehab and drug withdrawal (this was pointed out by an astute individual on the fever dreams website - it may be archived somewhere...). The rehab centre - blues beach - is in a warm idyllic-seeming location but you will have to suffer the blues of withdrawal. 'beat the mean streets of Medicine Park' is a way of saying getting off drugs, there are references to chilling, frying, freezing etc. the hot/cold sweats of withdrawal (and needing a 'blanket' to keep warm), the hypothetical friend is only a 'friend' while in rehab (it would be unwise to hook up with him/her on the outside). In the final verse the addict considers going back to his old ways 'pull some strings' is tightening the tourniquet before injecting. Typical Steely Dan genius of setting such dark subject matter to such a bright infectious uplifting song.
This song is about going into rehab and drug withdrawal (this was pointed out by an astute individual on the fever dreams website - it may be archived somewhere...). The rehab centre - blues beach - is in a warm idyllic-seeming location but you will have to suffer the blues of withdrawal. 'beat the mean streets of Medicine Park' is a way of saying getting off drugs, there are references to chilling, frying, freezing etc. the hot/cold sweats of withdrawal (and needing a 'blanket' to keep warm), the hypothetical friend is only a 'friend' while in rehab (it would be unwise to hook up with him/her on the outside). In the final verse the addict considers going back to his old ways 'pull some strings' is tightening the tourniquet before injecting. Typical Steely Dan genius of setting such dark subject matter to such a bright infectious uplifting song.