Top Ten Songs by Steely Dan

Searching for a unique blend of jazz and soft rock miles away from the ordinary? Steely Dan is your oasis. For nearly thirty-five years, this band has delivered a delicious mix of jazz, rock, R&B;, funk and pop to the masses.

Steely Dan’s success results from a unique blend of jazz-influenced rock, rich harmonies, and intelligent lyrics with bite. At the helm of this success are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, two of the most talented musicians you’ll ever hear. Together, these two men deliver hard-hitting, catchy tunes you’ll enjoy time and time again.

#1: DO IT AGAIN. A great tune for the open road. A happy, upbeat rhythm with a fascinating, twist: Some of the most somber lyrics you’ll ever hear.

When you know she’s no high climber
Then you find your only friend
In a room with your two timer
And you’re sure you’re near the end
Then you love a little wild one
And she brings you only sorrow
All the time you know she’s smilin’
You’ll be on your knees tomorrow

Wow! A song which delivers a variety of fears: Infidelity, Mistrust, and Heartache! How wonderful! These words pack a punch! They make you want to swear off any relationship!

#2: REELIN’ IN THE YEARS. This is the ultimate thinking person’s song. Lyrics such as “Your everlasting summer/ You can see it fading fast/ So you grab a piece of something/ That you think is gonna last” make you realize that life is brief, so we need to make the most of it while we can. Believe me; this song will deliver more of somber impact as you age.

#3: BODHISSATVA. One of Steely Dan’s rare, truly feel-good songs. It’s the story of a man willing to sell everything he owns to move to the Orient:

Bodhisattva
I’m gonna sell my house in town
Bodhisattva
I’m gonna sell my house in town
And I’ll be there
To shine in your Japan
To sparkle in your China
Yes I’ll be there
Bodhisattva

A great beat and fantastic guitar solo. Simple, yet rich imagery. A Must for any long road trips.

#4: PARKER’S BAND. One of the most sincerely upbeat tune’s in Steely Dan’s extensive collection. No hidden messages (I think): Just a fun song which delivers a fantastic beat that makes you want to dance all night long. Immerse yourself in such tempting lyrics as “We will spend a dizzy weekend smacked into a trance/Me and you will listen to/ A little bit of what made the preacher dance” and start jumping!

#5: CHARLIE FREAK. This song makes you think differently about the homeless:

Charlie Freak had but one thing to call his own
Three weight ounce pure golden ring no precious stone
Five nights without a bite
No place to lay his head
And if nobody takes him in
He’ll soon be dead

It’s not a pretty song, but one that makes you think how we ignore the poor, the different, and the mentally ill in our communities. We turn our backs on them, but they’re still there.

#6: BLACK FRIDAY. Pulsating rhythm and a fast temp mask the fact this song is about the Depression, a somber (very real period) in American history due to repeat itself:

When Black Friday comes
I’ll stand down by the door
And catch the grey men when they
Dive from the fourteenth floor
When Black Friday comes
I’ll collect everything I’m owed
And before my friends find out
I’ll be on the road
When Black Friday falls you know it’s got to be
Don’t let it fall on me

With everything facing society today, the song is very prophetic.

#7: DON’T TAKE ME ALIVE. A powerful song which belongs in a movie, “Don’t Take Me Alive” suggests one in a psychotic state of mind:

Can you hear the evil crowd
The lies and the laughter
I hear my inside
The mechanized hum of another world
Where no sun is shining
No red light flashing
Here in this darkness
I know what I’ve done
I know all at once who I am

It’s as if the voice in this song is coming to grip with the somber fact he or she has been institutionalized. I don’t if that’s what Fagen and Becker meant by these lyrics, but that’s what I gather.

#8: BLACK COW. This somber song laments the fact we’ve become a pill-popping society willing to do anything to combat our depression:

On the counter
By your keys
Was a book of numbers
And your remedies
One of these
Surely will screen out the sorrow
But where are you tomorrow

Using prescription medications, the song implies, rarely solves our unhappiness. Instead, we become hooked and never discover the reasons for our depression in the first place.

#9: WHAT A SHAME ABOUT ME. The gentle tale of middle age regrets: The sad realization one hasn’t lived up to his or her full potential.

I’m still working on that novel
But I’m just about to quit
‘Cause I’m worrying about the future now
Or maybe this is it
It’s not all that I thought it would be
What a shame about me

It’s a wake-up call for anyone approaching midlife. We need to live life to its fullest with no regrets.

#10: THINGS I MISS THE MOST. A gentle song with major impact. A man justifies his breakup until he realizes how empty his life is without her:

I don’t mind the quiet
Or the lonely nights
I don’t miss the funky attitudes
And I don’t miss the fights
I lie on the couch ’till suppertime
And hunker down and read the Post
And that’s when I remember the things I miss the most:

The talk
The sex
Somebody to trust
The Audi TT
The house on the Vineyard
The house on the gulf coast
These are the things I miss the most

It’s a modern day parable for all of us to heed before it’s too late.

Reference:

• Learn more about Steely Dan, one of America’s greatest bands, at their official website: www.steelydan.com .