Their music is characterized by dark, witty lyrical narratives, obscure lyrical allusions and complex, jazz-influenced instrumentation and chord sequences, overlying more ordinary popular song structures. Their fastidious standards in the studio and use of world-class sessions players has also been a hallmark of their work. For this, special credit should be given to their long-time producer Gary Katz and engineer Roger Nichols.
The band was originally a six-piece consisting of Fagen, Becker, David Palmer (vocals), Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (guitar), Denny Dias (guitar) and Jim Hodder (drums), but by 1975, only Fagen and Becker remained.
The band's history can be divided into three stages. In its original conception, the group was a relatively conventional rock band that toured from 1972 to 1974, releasing the singles-chart successes, 'Do It Again', 'Reelin' in the Years', 'My Old School' and 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number'. The group's name was derived from a series of dildos in the 1959 novel, 'Naked Lunch' by the avant-garde writer, William S. Burroughs; the phrase first used in the lyrics of an early, pre-Steely Dan Fagen/Becker song, Soul Ram.
In its second stage (1975 - 1980) the group, now consisting solely of Fagen and Becker, became a purely studio-based act, their album releases showing a growing obsession with polished production values, and whose output became increasingly jazz-orientated, culminating in the highly successful 'Aja' (1977) and 'Gaucho' (1980). The two split in 1981 following a tumultuous recording process for the latter album, and personal problems for both members.
In the Eighties, Fagen released his seminal debut album, 'The Nightfly', and took time away from the music industry, whilst Becker, after recovering from drug dependence, was in frequent work as a producer.
The third stage came when Fagen and Becker reunited in 1993, followed by a world tour (their first touring dates in 20 years). In 2000, the Grammy-award-winning 'Two Against Nature' was released to critical and surprising commercial success. Its successor followed swiftly, 'Everything Must Go' being released in 2003. The two albums show a more relaxed attitude to production, less morbid lyrical themes and an upbeat jazz pop sound, but with the characteristic wit and musical complexity of their 20th century work remaining.
Walter Becker passed away on September 3, 2017. This was followed by legal action between Becker's estate and Fagen over ownership of material. Fagen with additional bandmates continues to tour as Steely Dan.
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The Royal Scam
Steely Dan Lyrics
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From the city of St. John
Without a dime
Wearing coats that shined
Both red and green
Colors from their sunny island
From their boats of iron
They looked upon the promised land
On the rising tide
To New York City
Did they ride into the street
See the glory
Of the royal scam
They are hounded down
To the bottom of a bad town
Amid the ruins
Where they learn to fear
An angry race of fallen kings
Their dark companions
While the memory of
Their southern sky was clouded by
A savage winter
Every patron saint
Hung on the wall, shared the room
With twenty sinners
See the glory
Of the royal scam
By the blackened wall
He does it all
He thinks he's died and gone to heaven
Now the tale is told
By the old man back home
He reads the letter
How they are paid in gold
Just to babble in the back room
All night and waste their time
And they wandered in
From the city of St. John without a dime
See the glory
Of the royal scam
The lyrics of Steely Dan’s “The Royal Scam” explore themes of deception and disillusionment in the context of immigrants coming to America seeking a better life. The song tells the story of a group of people who arrive in New York City from the Caribbean island of St. John. They are hopeful and optimistic, believing that their lives will improve in the promised land of America. However, they quickly discover that things are not as they seem. They are hounded by poverty and fear in the “bottom of a bad town”, surrounded by the ruins of a once-great city. They are also confronted with racism and hostility by a community of “fallen kings” who view them as outsiders.
Despite these challenges, the immigrants continue to hold onto their dreams of success and prosperity. They are drawn to the bright lights and excitement of the city, and they are seduced by promises of riches and fame. However, they soon realize that the promises are empty, and the reality of their lives is far different than they imagined. They are left with nothing but the memory of their sunny island, clouded by a “savage winter” of disillusionment.
The song’s title, “The Royal Scam”, refers to the idea that the immigrants have been deceived by the American Dream. They have fallen victim to a system that promises them everything but delivers nothing. The “royal” aspect of the scam suggests that it is both grand and insidious, a widespread deception that affects many people. Overall, the song paints a bleak picture of life in America for those who are marginalized and oppressed. It suggests that the American Dream is a myth that has been sold to generations of immigrants, only to leave them disillusioned and disappointed.
Line by Line Meaning
And they wandered in
Two people from St. John arrived without a plan
From the city of St. John
Their hometown was St. John
Without a dime
They had no money
Wearing coats that shined
They wore bright colored coats
Both red and green
Their coats were red and green
Colors from their sunny island
The colors of their coats came from their island's sunny climate
From their boats of iron
They arrived on boats made of iron
They looked upon the promised land
They looked at New York City as an opportunity
Where surely life was sweet
They believed that New York City life would be enjoyable
On the rising tide
They rode the tide into the city
To New York City
Their destination was New York City
Did they ride into the street
They arrived in the city center
See the glory
They were dazzled by the city
Of the royal scam
And what New York City had to offer.
They are hounded down
They were chased down
To the bottom of a bad town
They were brought to the less frequented area of the city
Amid the ruins
It was a largely abandoned, deteriorating place
Where they learn to fear
They discovered they should be afraid
An angry race of fallen kings
They were confronted by powerful but disgraced people
Their dark companions
Those people surrounded and guided them in the ruins
While the memory of
Even though they missed
Their southern sky was clouded by
The blue sky which reminded them of home had been replaced by
A savage winter
A harsh, unforgiving winter in the city
Every patron saint
Various religious symbols were hung up
Hung on the wall, shared the room
The symbols were displayed with a rowdy group of people
With twenty sinners
The crowd was composed mostly of troublemakers
See the glory
Despite what they experienced
Of the royal scam
They continued to be infatuated with New York City.
By the blackened wall
Next to a dark wall
He does it all
A man accomplishes everything he desires
He thinks he's died and gone to heaven
He's convinced life couldn't get any better
Now the tale is told
The story is recounted
By the old man back home
Told by an elderly man in their hometown
He reads the letter
The man reads a letter
How they are paid in gold
It describes how the men receive payment in gold
Just to babble in the back room
For aimless chatter and passing the time
All night and waste their time
It happens all night and the time is wasted
And they wandered in
Returning to where the story started
From the city of St. John without a dime
With no money and back in St. John
See the glory
Finally, even after all they've been through
Of the royal scam
Their fascination with New York City continues.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DONALD JAY FAGEN, WALTER CARL BECKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind