Steely Dan - Show Biz Kids

Mr. M

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Dec 13, 2009, 7:41:34 AM12/13/09

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I've always liked this song by SD. Sd generally isn't the kind of
group people listen to on 45s, but I happened hear this song on a 45
because I recorded into the computer for the Whitburn group. It
sounds really good actually - the 45 really brings out the marimbas or
whatever instrument is being played - they seem to get lost in the cd
mix.

Mr. M

Andreas

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Dec 13, 2009, 2:42:08 PM12/13/09

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One of my favs from SD... and from my fav SD album "Countdown to Ecstasy".
It wasn't much of a hit for them though. Just curious if they bleeped out
the word "f**k" on the 45? (You know the line, "Show Business kids making
movies of themselves, you know they don't give a f**k about anybody else").
From your sound description, I'd love to hear the 45 version even though the
version on the "Citizen SD" box sounds pretty good.

Andreas

Mr. M

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Dec 13, 2009, 3:05:33 PM12/13/09

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>One of my favs from SD... and from my fav SD album "Countdown to Ecstasy".
>It wasn't much of a hit for them though. Just curious if they bleeped out
>the word "f**k" on the 45? (You know the line, "Show Business kids making
>movies of themselves, you know they don't give a f**k about anybody else").
>From your sound description, I'd love to hear the 45 version even though the
>version on the "Citizen SD" box sounds pretty good.
>
>Andreas

The song has a repeating chorus by the girls, but I can't make out
what they say. At point of the song where the swear is, the 45 sort
of fades it, and has about 1/2 second deleted. It goes "Show business
kids making movies of themeselves, you know they don't"...-- repeating
chorus.

If you know where I post, you can find it there, or I can email it to
you if necessary.

Mr. M

Andreas

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Dec 13, 2009, 4:38:28 PM12/13/09

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"Mr. M" wrote:
> The song has a repeating chorus by the girls, but I can't make out
> what they say. At point of the song where the swear is, the 45 sort
> of fades it, and has about 1/2 second deleted. It goes "Show business
> kids making movies of themeselves, you know they don't"...-- repeating
> chorus.

The girls' chorus is a little play with words, they sing, "You go to Lost
Wages, Lost Wages", sounding very similar to "Las Vegas" but intentionally
mispronouncing it. The rest of the lyrics is here:
http://www.steelydan.com/lyrcountdown.html#track5
The part which is shortened has the lyrics "Show business kids making movies
of themselves you know they
don't give a f**k about anybody else" followed by Donald Fagen singing "You
know you go to..." and then the girls again "Lost Wages, Lost Wages". So
they probably cut more than 1/2 a second.

> I can email it to you if necessary.

Yes please :) My email would be scrooge.mcduck at gmx.net, use "@" instead
of " at ".

Andreas

Chris S.

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Dec 13, 2009, 6:47:00 PM12/13/09

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On Dec 13, 4:38 pm, "Andreas" <m...@home.com> wrote:
>
> The girls' chorus is a little play with words, they sing, "You go to Lost
> Wages, Lost Wages", sounding very similar to "Las Vegas" but intentionally
> mispronouncing it.

"Lost Wages" as a substitute for Las Vegas was something from Lenny
Bruce's standup routine because the city's gambling enterprise often
resulted in people heading back home with their earnings gone. I'm
sure Lenny Bruce wasn't the originator of the term, but it was in use
at least by the late 1950s.