Hi all… this week in the writing biz I bit off a little more than I can chew and spit out in clearly written sentences, so I’m calling in a friend, Dr.
Thanks, Booman! I puzzled over this some for a long time, until I started noticing the narrator's shifts in who he's speaking to, then it began to make sense.
Who knows, when it comes to the underpinnings of a song or creative act. In the past, heroin has been specifically mentioned, 'chase the dragon', but after the emergence of the original idea, of which you could be correct, then the song solidifies into the narrative we've got.
Love everyone's ideas on what Steely Dan songs mean. They have great music. And it's too bad that ALL of it didn't end up on CD's
I'd like the various record companies that Steely Dan worked for to put out a CD (or 2CD) set of all of their songs that were left on the cutting floor.
Everytime I try to contact a record company, by snail mail, they won't even take the letter. I don't understand.
If anyone knows how to make this happen-I believe the fans will love the idea to have all of these great songs. And kids today that might not know Steely Dan may also like it. It would be money in the bank for the record companies.
Here are some of the songs: Mister Sam. Talkin’ ‘bout my home. I idolize you. Sail the waterway. The Bear. Stand by the Seawall. Kind Spirit. Kulee Baba. Second Arrangement. I can’t write home. West side story. A little sugar. Runnin’ child. Gully water. Roll back the meaning. This all too mobile home. Cash only Island. Dallas. The Steely Dan song- from their live shows. Funky Driver. There are also some instrumental versions of some of their greatest hits like Black Cow, Aja, Green Earrings, Kid Charlemagne, FM, Rikki don’t lose that number and Peg.
Some of those songs are popping up on YouTube - the one I especially love, and wish hadn't been changes, is Were You Blind That Day, which is more biting and Steely Dannish than the final version, Third World Man. For some reason that song always bothered me, and now I know why.
That's a great interpretation of what's literally going on in the song. "The Custerdome" had always vexed me as I refused to think it was some arbitrary name given to a fictional club or scene. Your interpretation, however, seems to fit seamlessly with the rest of the song's theme so I'm satisfied that is it's purpose.
I would add that this homosexual relationship serves as an allegory for the deterioration of Fagan's and Becker's partnership and, as others have suggested, that the gaucho amigo is symbolically Becker's herion addiction. It's amusing to think that Fagan would use a homosexual relationship to illustrate his plutonic love for Becker, particularly with the line, "In your spangled leather poncho
with the studs that match your eyes." However, from a group that adopted their name from a steam powered dildo from the novel "Naked Lunch," I don't think it's a far stretch.
Thanks, Booman! I puzzled over this some for a long time, until I started noticing the narrator's shifts in who he's speaking to, then it began to make sense.
Who knows, when it comes to the underpinnings of a song or creative act. In the past, heroin has been specifically mentioned, 'chase the dragon', but after the emergence of the original idea, of which you could be correct, then the song solidifies into the narrative we've got.
Love everyone's ideas on what Steely Dan songs mean. They have great music. And it's too bad that ALL of it didn't end up on CD's
I'd like the various record companies that Steely Dan worked for to put out a CD (or 2CD) set of all of their songs that were left on the cutting floor.
Everytime I try to contact a record company, by snail mail, they won't even take the letter. I don't understand.
If anyone knows how to make this happen-I believe the fans will love the idea to have all of these great songs. And kids today that might not know Steely Dan may also like it. It would be money in the bank for the record companies.
Here are some of the songs: Mister Sam. Talkin’ ‘bout my home. I idolize you. Sail the waterway. The Bear. Stand by the Seawall. Kind Spirit. Kulee Baba. Second Arrangement. I can’t write home. West side story. A little sugar. Runnin’ child. Gully water. Roll back the meaning. This all too mobile home. Cash only Island. Dallas. The Steely Dan song- from their live shows. Funky Driver. There are also some instrumental versions of some of their greatest hits like Black Cow, Aja, Green Earrings, Kid Charlemagne, FM, Rikki don’t lose that number and Peg.
If you can help that would be great.
Some of those songs are popping up on YouTube - the one I especially love, and wish hadn't been changes, is Were You Blind That Day, which is more biting and Steely Dannish than the final version, Third World Man. For some reason that song always bothered me, and now I know why.
That's a great interpretation of what's literally going on in the song. "The Custerdome" had always vexed me as I refused to think it was some arbitrary name given to a fictional club or scene. Your interpretation, however, seems to fit seamlessly with the rest of the song's theme so I'm satisfied that is it's purpose.
I would add that this homosexual relationship serves as an allegory for the deterioration of Fagan's and Becker's partnership and, as others have suggested, that the gaucho amigo is symbolically Becker's herion addiction. It's amusing to think that Fagan would use a homosexual relationship to illustrate his plutonic love for Becker, particularly with the line, "In your spangled leather poncho
with the studs that match your eyes." However, from a group that adopted their name from a steam powered dildo from the novel "Naked Lunch," I don't think it's a far stretch.