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".
SomeBody
Walter Becker Lyrics
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Slouched in a booth at Pamela’s Pistol Dawn
Drink, drink cigarette, talkie talk
Drink, drink, smoke, smoke cigarette
Up to the room with the beddie-bye goin’ on
Somebody’s Saturday night says, oh, I get it
You want to go where no man’s ever been
Turn around, push, push, turn around
Digging up the gold and carrying it back again
She looked good in the available light
She was somebody’s Saturday night
She said it ain’t wrong but it’s not quite right
I guess it's somebody's Saturday night
Somebody’s Saturday night says, hey, it's raining
You wouldn’t kick a good girl out on a night like this
He says, she says the demon in me says just you watch me
Pucker up, darling, for my legendary good night kiss
She’s no fool but she’s none too bright
She’s just somebody’s Saturday night
She stays cool if not watertight
Such is somebody’s Saturday night
Only a girl, one more is up and gone
Leaving nobody to blame the whole thing on, baby
Somebody’s Saturday night is walking in the moonlight
Playing on the beads of her beatnik Rosary
Thinking nobody gives it exactly the way that you want it
No one ever gets it with a money-back guarantee
But I've been born with the second sight
Now I’m looking in the mirror at somebody’s Saturday night
I get along, in fact I do all right
Being somebody’s Saturday night
But I've been born with the second sight
Now I’m looking in the mirror at somebody’s Saturday night
I get along, in fact I do all right
Being somebody’s Saturday night
The song Somebody's Saturday Night by Walter Becker is a vivid description of a night out in a seedy joint, where strangers mingle, looking for a connection or a moment of recklessness. The singer, who seems to be an observer, captures the essence of the scene through disjointed remarks and fragments of conversations, as if trying to fit the puzzle pieces of a blurry dream. The refrain repeats the phrase "somebody's Saturday night" as if to emphasize the fleeting and anonymous nature of the characters' identities, who are reduced to their primal urges and whims, lost in the neon-lit void of the night. The first stanza describes a woman who is sitting in a booth, drinking, smoking, and chatting, before retiring to her bed in the hotel room upstairs with a lover/stranger. The second stanza features a man who proposes to the woman a trip to the coal mine, where they can indulge in an illicit expedition to extract some gold, both literally and figuratively. The third stanza presents another female character, who is more self-aware and reflective than the previous one. She acknowledges that her actions might be questionable, but she still enjoys the excitement of living dangerously. The fourth and final stanza brings the singer's identity into focus, as he contemplates his own reflection in the mirror, recognizing that he is just like the other people he observed, someone's Saturday night, a part of the ephemeral and chaotic nightlife.
The song Somebody's Saturday Night has been interpreted in various ways, but most critics agree that it is a commentary on the social and cultural changes of the 1980s, a decade marked by Reagan's politics of deregulation, consumerism, and individualism, which led to the rise of the yuppie culture and the downfall of the counterculture ideals of the 1960s. The song's lyrics capture the sense of dislocation and alienation that characterized many people's lives, as they struggled to find meaning and identity in a world that seemed to value only money, power, and conformity. The use of surreal imagery, slang vocabulary, and fragmented syntax creates a sense of disorientation and ambiguity, reflecting the postmodern aesthetics of the time.
Line by Line Meaning
Somebody’s Saturday night seems pleased to meet you
A person who spends their Saturday nights in this establishment comes up to you and greets you excitedly
Slouched in a booth at Pamela’s Pistol Dawn
The person who greets you is currently sitting in a relaxed manner in one of the booths at Pamela's Pistol Dawn
Drink, drink cigarette, talkie talk
The person is consuming alcohol and cigarettes while also engaging in idle conversation
Drink, drink, smoke, smoke cigarette
The person continues to drink and smoke cigarettes
Up to the room with the beddie-bye goin’ on
The person heads up to their room to go to sleep
Somebody’s Saturday night says, oh, I get it
The person says that they understand what you want
You want to go where no man’s ever been
You want to try something new and unusual
Down in the coal mine, goin' down
Metaphor for going into an uncertain and potentially dangerous situation
Turn around, push, push, turn around
Actions that are associated with manual labor or sexual activity
Digging up the gold and carrying it back again
This metaphorical gold refers to the thrill of the new experience, and the journey back is the physical and emotional challenge of implementing it in your life
She looked good in the available light
She looks beautiful in the light available in the area
She was somebody’s Saturday night
She is the type of person who goes out on weekend nights for entertainment
She said it ain’t wrong but it’s not quite right
Although what you're doing isn't fundamentally wrong, it's still not entirely correct
I guess it's somebody's Saturday night
People have their own motivations for going out on the weekends, even if it's not something that we necessarily value ourselves
Somebody’s Saturday night says, hey, it's raining
The person comments on the weather, which is bad but not bad enough to go home
You wouldn’t kick a good girl out on a night like this
It would be unreasonable to ask someone to leave just because of a little rain
He says, she says the demon in me says just you watch me
The person is torn between doing the right thing and giving in to their more selfish impulses
Pucker up, darling, for my legendary good night kiss
The person is attempting to seduce someone they're interested in
She’s no fool but she’s none too bright
The person is intelligent but can sometimes make poor decisions
She’s just somebody’s Saturday night
The person is the type to go out on weekends for entertainment
She stays cool if not watertight
The person is calm and collected under pressure, if not completely in control of the situation
Only a girl, one more is up and gone
The person is reflecting on a past experience where someone they were with left them
Leaving nobody to blame the whole thing on, baby
The person is taking responsibility for what happened, despite the fact that it was someone else who left
Somebody’s Saturday night is walking in the moonlight
The person is walking outside at night, enjoying the moonlight
Playing on the beads of her beatnik Rosary
The person is figuratively playing with their beads while they walk, possibly showing signs of anxiety or restlessness
Thinking nobody gives it exactly the way that you want it
The person is contemplating the fact that no one can give them exactly what they're looking for in life
No one ever gets it with a money-back guarantee
No one can promise or guarantee that they can meet your needs and wants exactly as you envision them
But I've been born with the second sight
The person believes they have a heightened ability to understand and predict the future
Now I’m looking in the mirror at somebody’s Saturday night
The person reflects on their own life and sees themselves as somebody's Saturday night
I get along, in fact I do all right
Despite this realization, the person is still able to enjoy life and find happiness
Being somebody’s Saturday night
The person accepts that they are somebody's weekend entertainment, and that's just fine with them
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: WALTER BECKER, LARRY KLEIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Powell Pressburger
Walter Becker lyrics below: his brilliant bittersweet character study.
Somebody's Saturday night seems pleased to meet you Slouched in a booth at Pamela's Pistol Dawn
Drink drink cigarette talkie talk drink drink smoke smoke cigarette
Up to the room with the beddie-bye goin' on
Somebody's Saturday night says oh I get it
You want to go where no man's ever been
Down in the coal mine goin' down turn around push push turn around
Digging up the gold and carrying it back again
She looked good
In the available light
She was somebody's Saturday night
She said it ain't wrong
But it's not quite right
Guess it's somebody's Saturday night
Somebody's Saturday night says hey it's raining
You wouldn't kick a good girl out on a night like this
He says she says the demon in me says just you watch me
Pucker up darling for my legendary good night kiss
She's no fool
But she's none too bright
She's just somebody's Saturday night
She stays cool
If not watertight
Such is somebody's Saturday night
Only a girl —
One more is up and gone
Leaving nobody
To blame the whole thing on — baby
Somebody's Saturday night is walking in the moonlight
Playing on the beads of her beatnik rosary
Thinking: Nobody gives it exactly the way that you want it
No one ever gets it with a money-back guarantee
But I been born with the second sight
Now I'm looking in the mirror at somebody's Saturday night
I get along
In fact I do all right
Being somebody's Saturday night
pretorious700
Walter is the king of interlocking syncopation and beautifully stacked chords. His lyrics are top notch too.
Bops NY
My favorite lyric of his; "Skate and or Die"
Joe Moore
RIP Walter. fantastic song, fantastic collaboration with Larry Klein. Heard 11 Tracks as a surprise purchase in '94, and wondered when another album was coming out. And until the bad news last year, anticipated another CD from yourself and Mr. Klein.
Geoff Bosco
Is there any established guy so, tragically underrated as solo artist as Walter Becker?
nwlovell
I don't shed any tears for him....he is fantastic. and he has lived his life exactly the way he wants to. that is the dream.
Powell Pressburger
His girlfriend dying on him of an overdose and her family taking him to court wasn't in the plan.
Powell Pressburger
Walter Becker lyrics below: his brilliant bittersweet character study.
Somebody's Saturday night seems pleased to meet you Slouched in a booth at Pamela's Pistol Dawn
Drink drink cigarette talkie talk drink drink smoke smoke cigarette
Up to the room with the beddie-bye goin' on
Somebody's Saturday night says oh I get it
You want to go where no man's ever been
Down in the coal mine goin' down turn around push push turn around
Digging up the gold and carrying it back again
She looked good
In the available light
She was somebody's Saturday night
She said it ain't wrong
But it's not quite right
Guess it's somebody's Saturday night
Somebody's Saturday night says hey it's raining
You wouldn't kick a good girl out on a night like this
He says she says the demon in me says just you watch me
Pucker up darling for my legendary good night kiss
She's no fool
But she's none too bright
She's just somebody's Saturday night
She stays cool
If not watertight
Such is somebody's Saturday night
Only a girl —
One more is up and gone
Leaving nobody
To blame the whole thing on — baby
Somebody's Saturday night is walking in the moonlight
Playing on the beads of her beatnik rosary
Thinking: Nobody gives it exactly the way that you want it
No one ever gets it with a money-back guarantee
But I been born with the second sight
Now I'm looking in the mirror at somebody's Saturday night
I get along
In fact I do all right
Being somebody's Saturday night
Tim Meyer Music
Powell Pressburger utterly cool poetry
Nancy Dresser
Walter had a handle on funk. Paging Audrey, beyond beautiful.
Joe Moore
I know that's the "regular" SD band down to a piece and a voice backing Walter, Still, more magnificent keyboard work by Ted Baker. I think I'm on the 6th or 8th consecutive "Postproduction" listening. Damn, what a song, what an album, including "Paging Audrey" and "Selfish Gene."