Becker was born in Queens, New York, grew up in Westchester County and Forest Hills, Queens, and is a graduate of Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, class of 1967. After starting out on saxophone, he switched to guitar and received instruction in blues technique from his neighbor Randy California of Spirit. Becker met his long-time musical partner Donald Fagen while attending Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. Becker and Fagen formed and played in a number of groups, their youthful career also included a stint with Jay and the Americans under pseudonyms prior to relocating to California and forming Steely Dan. Initially a full-fledged group and later distilled to the Becker-Fagen partnership augmented with numerous studio musicians, the band released seven successful albums in its initial ten-year career. In addition to co-writing all of the band's material, Becker played bass on many of the band's tracks, as well as providing guitar solos, rhythm guitar, occasional backing vocals and arrangements.
Following Steely Dan's breakup in 1981, Becker moved to Hawaii, and began a career as a record producer, producing records from Rickie Lee Jones, China Crisis and Michael Franks. Becker is actually credited as one of five official members of China Crisis on the sleeve of their 1985 album Flaunt the Imperfection, which he also produced; he also produced tracks on their 1989 album Diary of a Hollow Horse, although he is not credited as a band member on that release.
Becker reunited with Fagen briefly to collaborate on the debut album of U.S. singer, former fashion model Rosie Vela. Their partnership properly resumed in the mid-1990s as they undertook a tour under the Steely Dan moniker in 1993, effectively reuniting the band. Becker also produced Fagen's album Kamakiriad in that year as well. In turn, Fagen co-produced Becker's belated solo debut album, 1994's 11 Tracks of Whack.
Steely Dan continued touring, and their work on new material resulted in the first Steely Dan studio album in two decades, 2000's Two Against Nature. The album won four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. The duo was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. The next Steely Dan record, Everything Must Go followed in 2003, featuring Becker's bass and electric guitar work, as well as the first studio Steely Dan track with a lead vocal by Becker, "Slang of Ages". The band spent the following years touring behind their back catalog.
Becker was later inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame on October 30, 2008. Becker's second solo album, Circus Money, was released on June 10, 2008. The album prominently featured Becker's bass playing, performances by much of the Steely Dan backing band, and work by producer Larry Klein (who received co-composition credits on all but one song). The songs were heavily inspired by reggae and other Jamaican music.
In 2001, both Becker and Fagen received Honorary Doctor of Music degrees from Berklee College of Music.
Other works
Becker produced Fra Lippo Lippi's 1987 Norwegian single, "Angel", as well as the 1985 China Crisis album, Flaunt The Imperfection. In 2005, Becker co-produced and played bass on the Krishna Das album All One. Becker played solo guitar on the title track of the 2005 Rebecca Pidgeon album Tough on Crime. Madeleine Peyroux's 2006 album Half the Perfect World featured a single, "I'm All Right", that was co-written by Becker with Peyroux and producer Larry Klein. Peyroux's 2009 album Bare Bones contains two songs co-written by Becker: the very Steely Dan-esque, "You Can't do Me" and the title-track "Bare Bones".
Girlfriend
Walter Becker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's corn flakes and Camels
And the long restless shadows of my life
None but the brave
Jim Beam and Jack Daniels
Channelhopping these empty days and nights
Glued to the screen
Rerun by rerun
Stranded between
The Green Acres of my good intentions
And the Twilight Zone of zero self-control
So come on angel
Tune in on me
You'll see your faithful servant
Lost in misery
And all of your hard work
Coming down to no good
Better see about me babe
If you only could now
Girlfriend if it can't be you
I don't even have anyone to tell my story to
I said girlfriend if it can't be you
Girlfriend if it can't be you
I don't even have anyone to tell my story to
I said girlfriend if it can't be you
Dust and despair
Cobwebs and confusion
Collecting in the corners of my room
All of my dreams
Bitter illusions
I just can't be rid of them too soon
Tired of my brain
Tired of this movie
Too tired to get up and shut it off
The time that remains
What good can it do me
Now that I know that too much is not enough
Wait a minute baby
What about my heart
Was it your idea
To take it all apart
And put it all back together
Just one piece at a time
Now it's down to you darling
That's why I'm all
Girlfriend if it can't be you
I don't even have anyone to tell my story to
I said girlfriend if it can't be you
Girlfriend if it can't be you
I don't even have anyone to tell my story to
I said girlfriend if it can't be you
I'm pullin' in a picture now
Up off my back pages
And all at once am privy to
The entire grim design
Of a great civilization
In the terminal stages
Of a slow but steady mental moral spiritual decline
And so it goes
And thus it is written
And all I want to know is
Where does a guy like me fit in?
So I'm visualizing a cute little bunny
With a fluffy white tail and long grey floppy ears
Who looks up at me and says, Doc don't you worry
All you got to do is, hide in here
Now all you got to do is to just say when
You might consider bringing your sweetness 'round here again
Girlfriend if it can't be you
I don't even have anyone to tell my story to
I said girlfriend if it can't be you
Girlfriend if it can't be you
I don't even have anyone to tell my story to
I said girlfriend if it can't be you
The lyrics of Walter Becker's song "Girlfriend" explore the themes of loneliness, despair, and addiction. The singer is alone in his cave, consuming corn flakes, Camels, Jim Beam, and Jack Daniels. He is glued to the screen, watching reruns and caught between the Green Acres of his good intentions and the Twilight Zone of his lack of self-control. He pleads with his girlfriend to tune into him and see him lost in misery. He fears that all of her hard work will come down to no good, and craves her affection and attention.
The singer is tired of his brain and the bitter illusions of his dreams. He is tired of this movie and too exhausted to shut it off. He questions what good the time that remains can do him, and wonders if his heart was her idea to take apart and put back together just one piece at a time. The singer realizes that he doesn't even have anyone to tell his story to if it can't be his girlfriend.
The lyrics end with the singer visualizing a cute little bunny and seeking solace from the world. He pleads with his girlfriend again, asking her to bring her sweetness around, if only to have someone to tell his story to. The song depicts the sadness and desperation that can come with addiction and loneliness, and highlights the importance of meaningful human connections.
Line by Line Meaning
Alone in my cave
Feeling secluded and isolated from the world
It's corn flakes and Camels
Having a simple and unhealthy lifestyle
And the long restless shadows of my life
Feeling burdened and haunted by past experiences
None but the brave
Only those with courage can handle this kind of lifestyle
Jim Beam and Jack Daniels
Using alcohol to numb the pain
Channelhopping these empty days and nights
Watching TV aimlessly to fill the empty void
Glued to the screen
Being addicted to TV
Rerun by rerun
Watching the same shows repeatedly
At the dark outer limits of my soul
Feeling lost and disconnected from oneself
Stranded between
Being torn between two conflicting things
The Green Acres of my good intentions
Wishing to improve oneself
And the Twilight Zone of zero self-control
Lacking the ability to make positive changes in one's life
So come on angel
Calling for help from someone he cares about
Tune in on me
Paying attention to him and his struggles
You'll see your faithful servant
Showing loyalty and devotion to this person
Lost in misery
Feeling depressed and helpless
And all of your hard work
Recognizing the effort this person has put into the relationship
Coming down to no good
Feeling hopeless about the future of the relationship
Better see about me babe
Asking this person to work on the relationship
If you only could now
Expressing a desire for help and support
Girlfriend if it can't be you
Expressing a deep love and connection with this person
I don't even have anyone to tell my story to
Feeling completely alone without this person
Dust and despair
Feeling overwhelmed by negative emotions and situations
Cobwebs and confusion
Feeling mentally cluttered and disorganized
Collecting in the corners of my room
Feeling physically and mentally stagnant
All of my dreams
Referring to past aspirations and goals
Bitter illusions
Realizing that these goals may never come to fruition
I just can't be rid of them too soon
Feeling frustrated with the inability to move on
Tired of my brain
Feeling mentally exhuasted
Tired of this movie
Feeling bored and tired of watching the same thing play out
Too tired to get up and shut it off
Feeling too drained to even make a small change
The time that remains
Feeling like time is running out
What good can it do me
Being doubtful of future successes
Now that I know that too much is not enough
Realizing past excesses and trying to change
Wait a minute baby
Pausing to reflect and asking for more time
What about my heart
Expressing deep emotions
Was it your idea
Wishing to understand the other person's intentions
To take it all apart
Feeling emotionally broken and hurt
And put it all back together
Desiring to fix the relationship
Just one piece at a time
Recognizing that change takes time
Now it's down to you darling
Putting responsibility on the other person to make a change
That's why I'm all
Feeling completely invested in this relationship
I'm pullin' in a picture now
Recalling a mental image
Up off my back pages
Revisiting past memories
And all at once am privy to
Suddenly realizing something important
The entire grim design
Feeling overwhelmed by the negative aspects of life
Of a great civilization
Reflecting on society's issues
In the terminal stages
Feeling like there is no turning back
Of a slow but steady mental moral spiritual decline
Referencing the slow deterioration of society
And so it goes
Accepting the inevitability of societal issues
And thus it is written
Believing that things are predetermined
And all I want to know is
Questioning his place in the world
Where does a guy like me fit in?
Feeling like he doesn't belong in society
So I'm visualizing a cute little bunny
Turning to imagination for comfort
With a fluffy white tail and long grey floppy ears
Painting a vivid picture in his mind
Who looks up at me and says, Doc don't you worry
Imagining someone comforting him through hard times
All you got to do is, hide in here
Seeking refuge from the harsh realities of life
Now all you got to do is to just say when
Encouraging him to seek help when needed
You might consider bringing your sweetness 'round here again
Asking for the return of love and support from the other person
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GREGORY BECKER, JAREN JOHNSTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind