In the 'Classic Albums' episode on the album Aja, Donald Fagen, and Walter Becker, perhaps showing their wry sense of humor, described the lyric as "self-explanatory," but did offer some insight as to what they had in mind.
"It starts out with this guy talking about this girl he used to be involved with," Fagan said. "She's sitting at a counter, and he describes her behavior and habits, and out of that you begin to see her character and their relationship."
He added that the "black cow" is a beverage - depending on where you live, it can be a milkshake or a coke float (like a root beer float, but with coke). But it's something you would get at a soda fountain, where the song takes place. In the '50s, Fagen and Becker spent a lot of time at these soda fountains. This was never released as a single, but it earned lots of airplay on FM radio and became a Steely Dan favorite, with the band often playing it in concert. It was released as the B-side of "Josie."
Note the deceptively simple disco-era instrumental starting out with a bass line and drums, then sneaking in layers of complexity with saxophone accompaniment and the electric piano solo. Steely Dan made a name for themselves with highly polished productions using a wide array of session musicians. Becker and Fagan would sometimes record a song with one group of musicians, decide it wasn't working, and try it again with an entirely new set of players - rinse and repeat until it was right. Aja was their sixth album; by this time Fagen and Becker had refined their system and developed an uncommon rapport where they could almost read each other's musical minds.
Aja's perfectionism was rewarded with the 1978 Grammy for Best Engineered Non-Classical Recording. It is the best-selling Steely Dan album, with over 2 million copies sold in America.
Tom Scott, who did the horn arrangements on the Aja album, also played tenor sax on this track, and Victor Feldman did the Fender Rhodes solo.
The multi-track masters for "Black Cow" and "Aja" have gone missing, which makes it impossible to do surround-sound versions of these tracks. In the liner notes to the stereo remaster of the Aja album, the band offered a $600 reward for information leading to their return.
The 1998 hip-hop hit "Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)" by Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz samples significant portions of "Black Cow." So much so that Walter Becker and Donald Fagen are listed as the writers on the track.
Black Cow
Steely Dan Lyrics
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I saw you in Rudy's
You were very high
You were high
It was a cryin' disgrace
They saw your face
On the counter by your keys
One of these surely will screen out the sorrow
But where are you tomorrow
I can't cry anymore
While you run around, while you run around
Break away
Just when it seems so clear
That it's over now
Drink your big black cow
And get out of here
Down to Greene Street
There you go
Lookin' so outrageous
And they tell you so
You should know
How all the pros play the game
Then you change your name
Like a gangster on the run
You will stagger homeward to your precious one
I'm the one who must make everything right
Talk it out till daylight
I don't care anymore
Why you run around, why you run around
Break away
Just when it seems so clear
That it's over now
Drink your big black cow
And get out of here
I can't cry anymore
While you run around, while you run around
Break away
Just when it seems so clear
That it's over now
Drink your big black cow
And get out of here
The lyrics to Steely Dan's "Black Cow" tell the story of a relationship that has fallen apart due to one partner's addiction. The singer of the song sees their former lover in a bar, high and crying, with a book of numbers and remedies beside them. They urge the addict to leave and "drink your big black cow and get out of here." The second verse finds the addict in a different setting, surrounded by people who tell them they look "outrageous." The singer asserts that they are the one who must "make everything right" and talk the addict through the night. Ultimately, though, they cannot continue to watch their partner run around and break their heart, and they urge them to "break away" and move on.
The lyrics to "Black Cow" are both vivid and cryptic, inviting interpretation and analysis. It seems clear that the "big black cow" of the chorus is a reference to a strong alcoholic drink, perhaps a Manhattan or a Black Russian. The "book of numbers and your remedies" could refer to drug use, with the numbers indicating a dealer or supplier. The line "like a gangster on the run" conjures images of an underworld figure fleeing from something, and the repeated refrain of "while you run around" suggests a cycle of self-destructive behavior that the singer has grown tired of witnessing.
Overall, "Black Cow" is a haunting, evocative song that captures the pain and frustration of a relationship gone wrong. It suggests that sometimes the best thing to do is to let go and move on, even when that means leaving someone you love behind.
Line by Line Meaning
In the corner of my eye
I noticed you without directly looking at you
I saw you in Rudy's
I saw you at a bar called Rudy's
You were very high
You were under the influence of drugs or alcohol
You were high
You were under the influence of drugs or alcohol
It was a cryin' disgrace
It was a shameful situation
They saw your face
Other people saw you and recognized you
On the counter by your keys
Next to where you left your keys
Was a book of numbers and your remedies
You had a book with phone numbers and possible solutions to your problems
One of these surely will screen out the sorrow
One of these solutions will surely help you forget your sorrows
But where are you tomorrow
But what will become of you in the future?
I can't cry anymore
I've run out of tears
While you run around, while you run around
While you continue to behave recklessly
Break away
End the destructive cycle
Just when it seems so clear
At the moment when it becomes obvious
That it's over now
That the relationship is ending
Drink your big black cow
Drink your problems away
And get out of here
And leave this place behind
Down to Greene Street
Heading towards Greene Street
There you go
You're on your way
Lookin' so outrageous
Looking very unusual or shocking
And they tell you so
And people are commenting on your appearance
You should know
You should be aware
How all the pros play the game
How experienced people handle a situation like this
Then you change your name
You try to start fresh by changing your identity
Like a gangster on the run
Like a criminal who is on the run
You will stagger homeward to your precious one
You will eventually come home to your loved one, even if in a difficult state
I'm the one who must make everything right
I feel responsible for fixing everything
Talk it out till daylight
We must discuss our issues until morning
I don't care anymore
I am indifferent now
Why you run around, why you run around
Why you keep acting recklessly
Break away
End the destructive cycle
Just when it seems so clear
At the moment when it becomes obvious
That it's over now
That the relationship is ending
Drink your big black cow
Drink your problems away
And get out of here
And leave this place behind
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Donald Jay Fagen, Walter Carl Becker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind