Do It Again
- Steely Dan Lyrics
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And you fire 'til he is done in but they catch you at the border
And the mourners are all singin' as they drag you by your feet
But the hangman isn't hangin' and they put you on the street
You go back, Jack, do it again, wheel turnin' 'round and 'round
You go back, Jack, do it again
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, yeah
You go back, Jack, do it again, wheel turnin' 'round and 'round
You go back, Jack, do it again
Now you swear and kick and beg us that you're not a gamblin' man
Then you find you're back in Vegas with a handle in your hand
Your black cards can make you money so you hide them when you're able
In the land of milk and honey, you must put them on the table, yeah
You go back, Jack, do it again, wheel turnin' 'round and 'round
You go back, Jack, do it again
The song "Do It Again" by Steely Dan tells the story of a man who faces a series of unfortunate events in his life. The first verse depicts a man who seeks revenge for someone who has stolen his water but is caught at the border and put on the street instead of being hanged. The chorus "You go back, Jack, do it again" implies that he keeps making the same mistakes and keeps looking for second chances in life. The second verse paints a picture of a man who has no high aspirations, and who finds solace in a woman who betrays him. He then falls in love with a girl who only brings him sorrow. The chorus again signifies that he keeps making the same mistakes.
In the final verse, the singer claims that he is not a gambling man, but ultimately finds himself back in Las Vegas with a handle in his hand, trying to gamble once more. He tries to hide his black cards to avoid losing them, but has to put them on the table eventually. The circular structure of the song emphasizes that the man keeps repeating his mistakes regardless of the outcomes. The song's title "Do It Again" refers to the repeated actions of the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
In the mornin' you go gunnin' for the man who stole your water
You wake up early to seek revenge on the person who took your precious resource.
And you fire 'til he is done in but they catch you at the border
You shoot until your enemy is dead, but then you get caught at the border.
And the mourners are all singin' as they drag you by your feet
The people who are mourning your enemy's death sings while they drag your lifeless body.
But the hangman isn't hangin' and they put you on the street
You were supposed to be hanged, but instead they let you go free.
You go back, Jack, do it again, wheel turnin' 'round and 'round
You repeat your past mistakes and are stuck in a cycle that never ends.
When you know she's no high climber then you find your only friend
You realize that she's not someone who can help you achieve great things, and she becomes the only person left to rely on.
In a room with your two-timer, and you're sure you're near the end
You're in a room with someone who cheated on you, and you feel like your relationship is about to end.
Then you love a little wild one and she brings you only sorrow
You fall in love with someone who is unpredictable and reckless, and it causes you nothing but pain.
All the time you know she's smilin' you'll be on your knees tomorrow, yeah
Even though she seems happy now, you know that eventually she will cause you to suffer greatly.
Now you swear and kick and beg us that you're not a gamblin' man
You insist that you're not someone who likes to take risks or gamble.
Then you find you're back in Vegas with a handle in your hand
But you end up in Las Vegas with a slot machine lever in your hand, tempted to gamble.
Your black cards can make you money so you hide them when you're able
You have credit cards that can give you lots of money, but you keep them secret when you can.
In the land of milk and honey, you must put them on the table, yeah
In a place where it's easy to make a profit, you're expected to reveal your assets and take risks.
You go back, Jack, do it again, wheel turnin' 'round and 'round
You continue to repeat old patterns and never break the cycle.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: Donald Jay Fagen, Walter Carl Becker, Donald Fagen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Saad-Sadiq
Who's listening to this masterpiece in 2024?
@gittube417
I am.....much easier than pulling a CD !🙂
@MegaPopfly
Right here brother. Steely Dan rocks! Peace and love
@michaelmongelluzzo9206
I am soooo much better than the hop hop and rap bullshit that's out there now it's turning music into a very sad state 😢😢
@paesetto
Always!!
@johnpopoff7950
Right now
@SandsDolphin
Steely Dan keyboardist Jim Beard, has passed away, RIP.
@BoxingFanaticNumero1
To be honest it's by far the best Steely Dan song and surely in the top 3 of the best songs of all time
@stephenallen6329
Intro is to die for summer in the fields just chilling timeless gets better as you get older
@chrisk6283
I heard this in 1970 going into New York on a Greyhound bus. I was absolutely blown away. I was living the dream. I was 15, just finished my O levels and spending a month in Canada and America. I will remember it always.