Steely dan song meanings and interpretations with user discussion. In tribute to becker, they performed his solo song book of liars, with fagen singing the lead vocals. Friend and foe seem to agree that the band name is taken from a famous book by william s. Steely dan is an american rock duo founded in 1972 by core members walter becker guitars, bass, backing vocals and donald fagen keyboards, lead vocals. Steely dans soursweet popjazz style with its modal harmonics and dips into polytonality illustrates both the comedy and the pathos of trying to keep your. Upon research, usually its something very boring and mundane i.
As is the case with most very successful bands, we follow steely dan through its formative years, the early tours that led to a hiatus for most of the mid to late 70s, the disappearance of either man in the 80s and the successful remergence in the nineties and 00s, that saw the pair working together, first with fagen on his first solo lp. Steely dan booking poprock music artists corporate. It is likely about the death of a wannabe starlet or adult film actress. The name steely is ranked on the 61,224th position of the most used names. Fagens solo album morph the cat was released in 2006, and becker released circus money in 2008 as steely dan embarked on another tour. Steely dans music is a serious business crafted, polished, full of word games and. His five string bass floats along the track for most of the song but just as the listeners ears focus on another element, it grabs the attention with a lick in lock step with the rhythm guitar. Books by steely dan author of the best of steely dan.
Remarkably significant, for a couple of skeevy dudes who refused to tour for a few decades and took forever to fine tune songs when they even got along, that is. Jul 19, 2019 thats an easy question for any steely dan fan to answer and everyone has answered correctly. Social security administration public data, the first name steelydan was not present. Im not sure where to being, or for that matter, where to end. Steely dan band name inspired from a strapon dildo in. The following year, fagen released his solo debut, the nightfly, which became a critical and commercial hit. So, just for the hell of it, here are a few other interesting facts about steely dan.
Doing a steely dan was the complete act of soliciting, going with and eventually having sexual intercourse with a lady of the evening. I mouth the lyrics to one of my favorite steely dan songs, glamor. Some of us humans like to think thet are a genius the term for hard working men who give their own life to humanity and better future always are exception for each rule. Of course others, and rightly so, will tell you that the boys took their name from william burroughs fans of.
Could it be that i have found my home at last home at last she serves the smooth retsina she keeps me safe and warm. I think actually what happened was that i started writing a little poem about the fact that this guy left a phone message for me that i didnt pick up until after he was dead. In december, fagen said that he would rather have retired the steely dan name after beckers death, and would instead. I think that particular song to me, rather than being about a possible future, was more of a world of imagination and constructs.
The songs were so good that the origin of the name steely dan mattered little. The creative genii behind steely dan walter becker and donald fagen have long been fond of peppering their lyrics with arcane literary and cultural references, the meaning of which can be murky at best given the duos legendary reticence. Spearheaded by keyboardistvocalist donald fagen and guitarist walter becker, the duo assembled many of the best studio musicians to bring their musical ideas to life. This is the only biography of becker and fagen that i have ever found so it is essential reading if you love the dan. Were gonna break out the hats and hooters when josie comes home were gonna rev up the motor scooters when josie comes home to stay were gonna park in the street sleep. Steely dan is an american jazz rock band which formed in 1972. Steely dan lyrics 85 song lyrics sorted by album, including hey nineteen, reelin in the years, do it again. Fans can expect to hear all the hits from both iconic acts. My opinionnaked lunch was a green book my take on steely dan is this. On sunday, walter becker, cofounder of the band steely dan, died, and the world lost a great musical and lyrical talent. Josie is a song written by walter becker and donald fagen and first released by steely dan on their 1977 album aja.
The bands name is in reference to the steampowered dildo, steely dan iii from yokohama, in william s. I hate to think that a rock band that produced such good music, that didnt degrade women, didnt talk. Mar 08, 2006 new york somehow the idea of rock musician donald fagen working in a borders book store or teaching highschool literature is about as likely as an unambiguous steely dan song lyric. I heard it means something naughty involving a womans body part, but i hope not. May 27, 20 steely dan home at last aja, september, 23, 1977 djclay33. Their website contains many pieces from becker andor fagen that are as funny as many of their songs. The bands bestknown songs included do it again, reelin in the years, and rikki dont lose that number. November 27, 2017 band cofounder donald fagen is suing the estate of walter becker, his artistic partner for over 50 years, over a. Also spelt gwine, this is simply a slang term for going or going to, used as a declaration of intent. Steely dan is an american rock duo founded in 1972 by core members walter becker guitars.
In blues beach, the guy definitely has mixed feelings about the place once he gets there hence the line the long sad sunday of the. To me it had a lot more in common with deacon blues and the idea of a sort of bohemian utopia. The royal scam is the fifth studio album by steely dan, originally released by abc records in 1976. He is so relieved i dont castrate him literal he come all over my bedbug spray. Steely dan band name inspired from a strapon dildo in williams s. It was something that actually happened in hawaii where i lived. Heres the excerpt from the book that mentions steely dan. Everything must go own nothing, shared for fair use. The word originated from gullah, which is a creole or pidgin language spoken among some africanamerican communities in south carolina, georgia and florida in the 19th century and still today, to varying extents. Official online store of the legendary band steely dan. Jun 03, 20 in 1972, after signing with abc records they came up with the name steely dan. July 29, 2019 steely dan updated their website address. All thats left to know about this elusive band robustelli, anthony on.
The word originated from gullah, which is a creole or pidgin language spoken among some africanamerican communities in south carolina, georgia and florida. Im always curious about where band names originated. In 1840 there were 8 steely families living in pennsylvania. The sardonic style of steely dan the new york times. They added a ninth to virtually every chord they played. A village with an idyllic ring to it, annandaleonhudson, new york, is home to steely dan, a pop jazz rock band built around core members donald jay fagen and walter carl becker. Doing a steely dan was the complete act of soliciting, going with and eventually. An inside look at the guitar styles of steely dan guitar legendary licks by steely dan and toby wine may 1, 2001 4.
Thats an easy question for any steely dan fan to answer and everyone has answered correctly. Mar 27, 2020 steely dan, american rock band that drew from the gamut of american musical styles to create some of the most intelligent and complex pop music of the 1970s. Before forming steely dan, founding members donald fagen and walter becker had a group named the bad rock group featuring comedian chevy chase on drums and also used the band name the leather canary. Steely dan originates from annandaleonhudson, new york.
Earth after hoursa 2020 summer tour steely dans earth after hours summer tour with steve winwood, will be playing amphitheaters across north america. Equally amazing is the toetotoe solos that becker and fagen play. It is notable as being the only album release of both sides of the 1972 single dallas bw sail the waterway, although these are in mono and were sourced from a copy of the single. The most steely families were found in the usa in 1880. The band was formed by donald fagen vocals, keyboards and walter becker guitar, bass, who met in 1967 while both attended bard college in annandaleonhudson, new york, and began a songwriting partnership shortly thereafter their music is characterized by dark, witty lyrical narratives, obscure lyrical allusions and complex. Steely dan all the facts and hidden meanings from a band who. The term steely dan was originally used by the british to describe the act of a man spending a night with a prostitute. The steely family name was found in the usa, the uk, canada, and scotland between 1840 and 1920. My interest in steely dan was the only reason i could push on to the end.
As fans of beat generation literature of fagen and becker named the band after steely dan iii from yokohama, a strapon dildo referred to in the william s. Taken from the name of a strapon dildo in william burroughs naked lunch. The longunnerving steely dan fetish for vapid underage girls. Everything must go is the ninth studio album by american rock group steely dan. Visit and sign up for the mailing list to receive news and updates. During the summer of 1981, becker and fagen announced that they were parting ways. Originally the phrase everything must go was associated with stores that were not in fact going out of business but were permanently pretending to go out of business as a comeon. Steely dan followed it in 2003 with everything must go. Steely dan is a compilation album by steely dan, released in japan in 1978.
Pennsylvania had the highest population of steely families in 1840. Steely dan the complete guide this is a wikipedia book, a collection of wikipedia articles that can be easily saved, imported by an external electronic rendering service, and ordered as a printed book. We re only allowed to write three songs a year using a girls name. Beckers bass playing on everything must go is among the best on any steely dan album, but green book manages to both surprise and fit perfectly. If you are not a talent buyer, we are unable to provide steely dan manager or management contact information. Steely dans most popular book is the best of steely dan.
Steely dan came across the word in a book by jorge luis borges. What i do know is that steely dan profoundly effected and affected my life. The full name from the book is steely dan iii from yokohama. Steely dan all the facts and hidden meanings from a band who changed how i listened to music.
We estimate that there are at least 2200 persons in the world having this name which is around 0. Sep 04, 2017 on sunday, walter becker, cofounder of the band steely dan, died, and the world lost a great musical and lyrical talent. The bands popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz. Walter becker and donald fagen explain the meaning behind steely dan songs such as rikki dont lose that number, my old school and kid charlemagne. Steely dan finally released gaucho, the followup to aja, in late 1980, and it became another top ten hit for the group. The songs that becker wrote with his college friend donald fagen filled. Burroughs 1959 novel naked lunch, a book ill admit to reading but not actually understanding. You cant make an exegesis of the lyrics as if it was a poem or novel, because when put together with the. Steely dan iii from yokohama is the name of an oversized steampowered strapon dildo.
I like the neon, i love the music, deadpans steely dans donald fagen on green book. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the cambridge dictionary editors or of cambridge university press or its licensors. For you younger people, steely dan was a rock band from the 1970s. This was about 22% of all the recorded steely s in the usa. Steely dan was one of the most successful music acts of the 1970s. Consider the opportunity to book steely dan or other entertainers for a wedding, birthday, anniversary, business meeting or convention. Fans can purchase exclusive merchandise including tshirts, sweatshirts, hats, vinyl and more. Palmer and fagen shared lead vocals on the album, but the records two hit singles the top ten do it again and.
These examples are from the cambridge english corpus and from sources on the web. Steely dan lyrics, songs, albums and more at songmeanings. What lyrical phrases from steely dan have the greatest personal meaning to you or puzzle you the most. Steely dan, more aptly donald fagen and walter becker, were the consummate storytellers, unabashed liars, and all consuming reflections of themselves and of the times in which the band. Steely meaning in the cambridge english dictionary. The royal scam features more prominent guitar work than the prior steely dan album, katy lied, which had been the first without founding guitarist jeff baxter. Steely dan has some very bizarre and clever lyrics that have led to much discussion about what they actually mean. In queens, new york, there is a community called bayside, where i culled numerous members for my first rock and roll band, and bayside had a particular character to the community, which ranged from politically, rabidly conservative to absolute congenital minddamage among its younger citizens. The only book ever to have been published on steely dan, reelin in the years tells the strange tale of how walter becker and donald fagen, two cynical new york jazz fans, wormed their way into a record contract and astonished critics with their debut album, cant buy a thrill. Interested in the deeper meanings of steely dan songs.
Jul 03, 2017 a palindromic acronym from the initials of the first names of the band membersagnetha faltskog, bjorn ulvaeus, benny andersson and annifrid lyngstad. The band was formed by donald fagen vocals, keyboards and walter becker guitar, bass, who met in 1967 while both attended bard college in annandaleonhudson, new york, and began a songwriting partnership shortly thereafter. Complete lyrics interview with fagen and becker in sound on sound article by paul tingen about the making of everything must go. Steely dan has 35 books on goodreads with 50 ratings. Steely dan home at last aja, september, 23, 1977 youtube. As you can see for yourself old girl in the green book i tango down to the smoky lobby.
Recruiting guitarists denny dias and skunk baxter, drummer jim hodder, and keyboardistvocalist david palmer, becker and fagen officially formed steely dan in 1972, releasing their debut, cant buy a thrill, shortly afterward. What happen to steely dan ii he was torn in two by a bull dike. So on one level the song is about the simulated deaththroes that are so attractive to the feeding fish. It is possible the name you are searching has less than five occurrences per year. Fair use is a limitation and exception to the exclusive. The songs that becker wrote with his college friend donald fagen filled the sonic gap left by the beatles in 1970. This was about 22% of all the recorded steelys in the usa. Steely dan all the facts and hidden meanings from a band. The steely dan facebook page is closing shop effective immediately. This is the only biography of becker and fagen that i.
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