"D… Read Full Bio ↴"Deacon Blues" is a song by Steely Dan from their 1977 album Aja.
"Deacon Blues" was Steely Dan's fifth Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US, where it peaked at #19 in 1978. The song remained in the Top 40 for eight weeks.
It was originally speculated that the song was written about the losing Wake Forest University Demon Deacons, and the NCAA Division I championship Crimson Tide football teams, which was confirmed in a Rolling Stone interview, when group member Donald Fagen said, "Walter and I had been working on that song at a house in Malibu. I played him that line, and he said, "You mean it's like, 'They call these cracker assholes this grandiose name like the Crimson Tide, and I'm this loser, so they call me this other grandiose name, Deacon Blues?' " And I said, "Yeah!" He said, "Cool! Let's finish it!"
In a 1994 AOL chat interview with Becker, someone asked him about the inspiration for "Deacon Blues". He answered, "It was an outgrowth of a specific mood that pertained at a given time," and later added, "...I remember the night that we mixed that one thinking that it was really good and wanting to hear it over and over which is never the case."[2]
In a 2000 documentary, Becker said: "The protagonist is not a musician; he just imagines that that would be one of the mythic forms of loserdom to which he might aspire. Who's to say that he's not right?"
Deacon Blues
Steely Dan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That shape is my shade
There where I used to stand
It seems like only yesterday
I gazed through the glass
At ramblers, wild gamblers
That's all in the past
You say it's a crazy scheme
This one's for real
I already bought the dream
So useless to ask me why
Throw a kiss and say goodbye
I'll make it this time
I'm ready to cross that fine line
Learn to work the saxophone
I play just what I feel
Drink Scotch whiskey all night long
And die behind the wheel
They got a name for the winners in the world
I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
Call me Deacon Blues
My back to the wall
A victim of laughing chance
This is for me
The essence of true romance
Sharing the things we know and love
With those of my kind
Libations
Sensations
That stagger the mind
I crawl like a viper
Through these suburban streets
Make love to these women
Languid and bittersweet
I rise when the sun goes down
Cover every game in town
A world of my own
I'll make it my home sweet home
Learn to work the saxophone
I play just what I feel
Drink Scotch whiskey all night long
And die behind the wheel
They got a name for the winners in the world
I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
Call me Deacon Blues
This is the night of the expanding man
I take one last drag
As I approach the stand
I cried when I wrote this song
Sue me if I play too long
This brother is free
I'll be what I want to be
I learned to work the saxophone
I play just what I feel
Drink Scotch whiskey all night long
And die behind the wheel
They got a name for the winners in the world
I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
Call me Deacon Blues
The song “Deacon Blues” by Steely Dan is about a man who wants to break free from the constraints of his mundane life and become an artist. He is tired of living a life that he feels is not his own, and longs for something that will make him stand out from the rest of the world. The opening line of the song, “This is the day of the expanding man,” indicates the singer’s desire to grow and change in a world that is stagnant and uninteresting.
The second verse focuses on the singer’s desire to become a musician. He wants to “learn to work the saxophone” and “play just what [he] feels.” He aspires to “drink Scotch whiskey all night long” and “die behind the wheel,” indicating his willingness to live life on his own terms, even if it means living dangerously. He then laments that there is no name for the losers in the world, stating that he wants to be recognized even if he fails.
The final verse is a triumphant statement of the singer’s desire to be free from societal norms and expectations. He declares that he “cried when [he] wrote this song” and proclaims that he will be “what [he] wants to be.” The chorus of the song reinforces the singer’s desire to be recognized and remembered, even if it’s just under the name “Deacon Blues.”
Line by Line Meaning
This is the day of the expanding man
Today is the day I want to be more, grow beyond where I stand now.
That shape is my shade
The outline I project is an image of what I aspire to be.
There where I used to stand
I've moved beyond where I was and am not settled in where I am.
It seems like only yesterday
Though I've moved on, I still remember it like it is still fresh.
I gazed through the glass
I looked into a reflection of myself, trying to understand who I am.
At ramblers, wild gamblers
I saw those who take risks and adventure rather than settle in one place.
That's all in the past
That time and those people are in my memory and I've moved on.
You call me a fool
You think I am foolish for aspiring for what I want.
You say it's a crazy scheme
You think my plan is irrational and impossible to achieve.
This one's for real
This is a serious goal of mine that I am pursuing.
I already bought the dream
I have already invested in making my dream come true.
So useless to ask me why
Don't ask why I am working to achieve my dream, as it's not worth the time debating it.
Throw a kiss and say goodbye
Let me go chase my goal and accept this as a goodbye.
I'll make it this time
I'm confident that I will achieve what I set out for.
I'm ready to cross that fine line
I've prepared myself for the uncertain but necessary steps it takes to achieve what I want.
Learn to work the saxophone
I've mastered a skill that will help me express myself better, the saxophone.
I play just what I feel
I express what's inside of me, and it comes out through my playing the saxophone.
Drink Scotch whiskey all night long
I indulge in drinking and find solace in it, especially when faced with setbacks.
And die behind the wheel
I will be continuously striving to achieve my goal, even if it kills me.
They got a name for the winners in the world
People celebrate and acknowledge those who win/achieve success in society.
I want a name when I lose
I want to be remembered for trying and having the courage to do something even if I don't succeed.
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
Some places hold nicknames and are known for a particular thing or team, like Alabama with its football team.
Call me Deacon Blues
My nickname/pseudonym will be Deacon Blues, which represents me and my attempt at success despite my failures.
My back to the wall
I'm feeling defensive and cornered in.
A victim of laughing chance
I feel like I'm being laughed at and humored for trying to achieve something unlikely.
This is for me
I'm doing this for myself, regardless of what others think or say.
The essence of true romance
The purest, most authentic love I have is for my dream and the journey to reach that dream.
Sharing the things we know and love
I'm connecting with people who share my passions and goals, and together we can navigate this pursuit.
With those of my kind
I find comfort and support from people who understand the same aspirations and struggles that I do.
Libations
Drinking alcohol and celebrating.
Sensations
Experiencing feelings of elation and excitement.
That stagger the mind
Emotions that are so intense they are overwhelming and disorienting.
I crawl like a viper
I'm being sneaky and stealthy in my movements, avoiding threat and danger on my journey.
Through these suburban streets
I move through the mundane and everyday places, seeking something extraordinary.
Make love to these women
I'm indulging in physical relations with multiple women.
Languid and bittersweet
The emotions and sensations I get from these encounters are slow and relaxed, but also melancholy and pained.
I rise when the sun goes down
I'm most active and productive when most people are sleeping.
Cover every game in town
I'm involved and knowledgeable of everything happening around me.
A world of my own
I've created my own world and identity, separate from what society may expect.
I'll make it my home sweet home
I'm embracing and accepting my journey, committing to making it my own and finding solace in that.
This is the night of the expanding man
I'm ready to continue growing and evolving beyond what I am today.
I take one last drag
I'm indulging in something one more time, possibly as a way of saying goodbye.
As I approach the stand
I'm getting closer to my goal and ready to face whatever challenges lie ahead.
I cried when I wrote this song
I've put so much of myself and my emotions into this song that I wept when writing it.
Sue me if I play too long
I don't care what others think or say, I'll do what I want regardless of consequences.
This brother is free
I am liberated and empowered in my pursuit of my dream.
I'll be what I want to be
Regardless of what society may expect of me, I'll live my life and be who I want to be.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Donald Jay Fagen, Walter Carl Becker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind