What's your favorite line from a Steely Dan song?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by classicrockguy, Aug 31, 2019.

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  1. classicrockguy

    classicrockguy Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Livingston NJ
    I know there are many great ones, there seem to be a lot of great lines from the "Royal Scam" album, but it could be from any SD song. Here are some great lines that I love to listen to,


    From "Sign in Stranger",
    "Do you have a dark spot on your pants
    Leave it to my man he'll fix it fast..."

    From "Haitian Divorce"

    "At the Grotto
    In the greasy chair
    Sits the Charlie with the lotion and the kinky hair..."

    From "Your Gold Teeth"
    "Use your knack darlin'
    Take one step back darlin'
    There ain't nothing in Chicago
    For a monkey woman to do
    Do you throw out your gold teeth
    Do you see how they roll..."
     
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  2. TheSixthBeatle

    TheSixthBeatle Quae nocent, saepe docent

    Lonnie swept the Playroom
    And swallowed up all he Found
    It was 48 hours ‘Til
    Lonnie came Around.

    Boston Rag
     
  3. JakeKlas

    JakeKlas Impatiently waiting for an 8-track revival

    Location:
    United States
    This is not the most clever lyric or turn of a phrase in comparison to so many other songs, but Hey Nineteen is the first song by them I remember hearing.

    Hey Nineteen
    That's 'Retha Franklin
    She don't remember
    The Queen of Soul
    It's hard times befallen
    The Soul Survivors
    She thinks I'm crazy
    But I'm just growing old

    At the time, I didn’t understand the meaning of the song (I was too young and no Internet to look it up), but this song stood out because it wasn’t like any sort of traditional relationship song I was hearing on the radio. There was more of a deeper story that you’d pay attention to... like pretty much all SD songs.

    And many, many years later, I made sure my kids knew who Aretha Franklin was as part of a well-rounded musical education. :D
     
  4. Mister Charlie

    Mister Charlie "Music Is The Doctor Of My Soul " - Doobie Bros.

    Location:
    Aromas, CA USA
    "Is there gas in the car?" "Yes, there's gas in the car."
     
  5. Roger Thornhill

    Roger Thornhill Senior Member

    Location:
    Ilford, Essex, UK
    *past*
     
    Wordnat2, A6mzero, gregorya and 16 others like this.
  6. MarcS

    MarcS Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Now we dolly back, now we fade to black.
     
    marc with a c, bzfgt, kBear and 8 others like this.
  7. leefarber

    leefarber Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    My last favorite line:

    And if Dave from Acquisitions
    Wants to get in on the action
    With his HandiCam in tow
    Well we're going out of business
    Everything must go.
     
    McLover and groundharp like this.
  8. vinylontubes

    vinylontubes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Katy, TX
    As long as they play till dawn
    Nothin' but blues and Elvis
    And somebody elses' favorite song
     
    McLover, CCrider92, ARK and 5 others like this.
  9. john lennonist

    john lennonist There ONCE was a NOTE, PURE and EASY...

    On the water down in New Orleans
    My baby's the pearl of the quarter
    She's a charmer like you never seen
    Singing voulez, voulez, voulez vous
     
  10. fishcane

    fishcane Dirt Farmer

    Location:
    Finger Lakes,NY
    Just by chance you crossed the diamond with the pearl:idea:
     
    Last edited: Aug 31, 2019
  11. BornBeforeTheWind

    BornBeforeTheWind Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston
    Like a Sunday in T.J.
    That it's cheap but it's not free
    That I'm not what I used to be
    And that love's not a game for three
     
  12. Jerjo

    Jerjo Forum Resident

    In my 20s it was "drink scotch whiskey all night long and die behind the wheel"

    As an old man:

    I got this thing inside me
    That's got to find a place to hide me
    I only know I must obey
    This feeling I can't explain away
     
  13. muzzer

    muzzer Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Turn that jungle music down
     
  14. Bebstrel

    Bebstrel Old-Timey Member

    Location:
    Michigan USA
    "I think I'll go to the park, watch the children playing,
    perhaps I'll find in my head
    what my heart is saying."

    Love it!

    Also, if we include The Nightfly,

    "Won't you pour me a Cuban Breeze, Gretchen."
     
  15. Fox67

    Fox67 Bad as Can

    Location:
    Isle of Rhodes
    All those day glo freaks who used to paint their face
    They've joined the human race

    Got a case of dynamite
    I could hold out here all night
     
  16. MKHopkins

    MKHopkins Break out the Hats and Hooters

    Location:
    Beaver Falls, PA
    We’re gonna break put the hats and hooters
    When Josie comes home
    We’re gonna rev up the motor scooters
    When Josie comes home to stay we’re gonna park in the street
    Sleep on the beach and make it
    Throw down the jam till the girls say when
    Lay down the law and break it
    When Josie comes home

    Or

    Show biz kids makin movies of themselves
    You know they don’t give a **** about anybody else

    Which may be the only F bomb in Steely Dandom, at least it’s the only one I can think of. Profanity wasn’t really their jam.

    Only close one I can think of is “Funked up Muzak” which doesn’t sound like funked to me.
     
  17. willy

    willy hooga hagga hooga

    Cousin Dupree

    I pretended to be readin' the National Probe
    As I was watchin' her wax her skis...
     
  18. lightbulb

    lightbulb Not the Brightest of the Bunch

    Location:
    Smogville CA USA
    “Savoy sides presents a new saxophone sensation
    It's Parker's band with a smooth style of syncopation
    Kansas City born and growing
    You won't believe what the boys are blowing
    You got to come on man
    And take a piece of Mister Parker's band”
     
    A6mzero, McLover, willy and 6 others like this.
  19. Phil Tate

    Phil Tate Miss you Indy x

    Location:
    South Shields
    Who makes the morning fabulous
    Rescues a dreary Sunday
    Who gets to spend her birthday in Spain
    Possibly you - Janie Runaway
     
    bluejimbop, willy, negative1 and 2 others like this.
  20. MKHopkins

    MKHopkins Break out the Hats and Hooters

    Location:
    Beaver Falls, PA
    Though you’re not my enemy
    I like things like they used to be

    -Barrytown
     
  21. Desolation Row

    Desolation Row Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oklahoma
    "I Stepped up on the platform / the man gave me the news / he said, 'You must be joking son, where did you get those shoes?'"
     
    A6mzero, mando_dan, Scope J and 14 others like this.
  22. lightbulb

    lightbulb Not the Brightest of the Bunch

    Location:
    Smogville CA USA
    Bad sneakers and a Pina Colada my friend
    Stompin' on the avenue
    By Radio City with a
    Transistor and a large sum of money to spend
     
  23. Fox67

    Fox67 Bad as Can

    Location:
    Isle of Rhodes
    Ha, I can just picture your avatar delivering that line!
     
  24. MKHopkins

    MKHopkins Break out the Hats and Hooters

    Location:
    Beaver Falls, PA
    California tumbles into the sea
    That’ll be the day I go back to Annandale
    Tried to warn ya
    About Gino and Daddy G
    But I can’t seem to get to you through the US Mail
     
    A6mzero, Bern, Andy Saunders and 13 others like this.
  25. monotone

    monotone I know noothing.

    Location:
    HEL/FIN
    You better step back, son,
    give the man some whacking space.
    You know this might get messy
    - Godwhacker's on the case.
     
    LeBon Bush likes this.
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