The Boston Rag?
mjlipinski
exactly an upbeat, get-the-folks-outta-their-seats tune. Does anybody know
what the boston rag refers to?
Mick
Christian Mueller
guess, currently, is something to do with drugs:
"Lonnie was the kingpin, back in 1965 ..."
etc. etc.
Countdown, incidentally, is my favorite SD album, but I haven't really sat
down and analyzed the lyrics. I like the music better anyhow...
Chris
PS -- great setlist for the shows! I'm drooling over my tickets for 7/22
nissan pavilion, va.
mjlipinski <m...@loxinfo.co.th> wrote in message
news:8goboi$qeg$1...@news.loxinfo.co.th...
JYOB
>what the boston rag refers to?
It refers to a state of mind!
the old geezer
Steve_2000
<m...@loxinfo.co.th> wrote:
>I notice they started both Tokyo shows with this song. A great
song, but not
anybody know
>what the boston rag refers to?
>
>
In article <8goboi$qeg$1...@news.loxinfo.co.th>, "mjlipinski"
<m...@loxinfo.co.th> wrote:
>I notice they started both Tokyo shows with this song. A great
song, but not
>exactly an upbeat, get-the-folks-outta-their-seats tune. Does
anybody know
>what the boston rag refers to?
>
>Mick
>
BR is not certainly not 'upbeat'- but is a great rock tune with
a very powerful chorus. If they had recorded it based on big
crunchy guitars, it would easily classify as a heavy rock tune.
Those kind of tonalities beg for it. Steely Dan has never gone
that route, so it's a strong Dan-style rocker from that era with
an intense, big and dramatic chorus.
Dunno how SD's current interpretation will sound, they tend to
throw a fairly updated (usually 'more musically sophisticated')
arrangement on anything pre-Royal Scam.
I always like what they do with the older songs, but of course,
I'd love to see a 'cranked twin lead guitar' version of 'Reelin
in The Years', more along the lines of the guitar-classic
original. I know it'll never happen, and that we're kinda lucky
that they even go back to some of their early era 'rock' stuff
at all.
In interviews over the years, D and W have been fairly
dismissive of the early stuff-even though they've never written
a 'boring rock tune'-always a cool chordal twist, extra
musicality, great harmonies and guitars- and of course- lyrical
brilliance, subterfuge, or both.
As far as what the "Boston Rag' is...'Lonnie' is about as well
drawn a character as you're apt to find in a Dan tune...plenty
of room for you to come up with your own specific take on him,
but they point the general direction pretty clearly, seems to
me.
The 'Boston Rag' itself...hmmm. As with a lot of SD lyrics, song
titles, subjects etc... 'your own mileage may vary' on that one.
It's probably whatever you think it is. A tune, a newpaper, a
rag...a _______________ (fill in the bank.)
There's only a couple of verses and a chorus in 'The Boston
Rag.' Considering this, the lyrics actually give you a lot to
soak up..it's not nearly as cryptic as many other tunes. The
cleverly named *subject* of the song...'the Boston Rag', has
fans speculating on it's 'real' meaning in a Usenet newsgroup
28+ years after the tune was released....so I guess it's (still)
doing it's job.
What is the Boston Rag? Why should we bring it back and tell our
buddies it ain't no drag?
Actually, I think the tune is more about 'Lonnie' than the BR.
Probably a good thing I don't do a lot of SD lyrical analyzing
in the newsgroup.
Perhaps they are opening some shows with 'The Boston Rag' as a
sort of.....Statement. After all, they are 'bringing' live SD
music 'back' to us again. And that ain't no drag.
Steve
* Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet's Discussion Network *
The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet - Free!
mjlipinski
Steve_2000 <steve_200...@my-deja.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:02ec4215...@usw-ex0104-032.remarq.com...
mjlipinski
yes, the rag is clearly about drug use, but i wonder why the "narrator" sees
these o.d.'s around him and prefers the boston rag... is it another "better"
drug or an alternative or ...? Yes, i know it is extremely boring to get
over-analytical about the lyrics but still, fagan was a literature major and
obviously knows the value and power of words. that's why we love their
lyrics. it just seemed like an odd song to start the world tour with. but it
is great rock and i especially like the acoustic guitar: finger picked in
the first stanza and strummed in the second -- it adds a lot more depth to
the chords. wish i had a chance to see them perform it.
mick
mjlipinski <m...@loxinfo.co.th> wrote in message
news:8gqupu$nmp$1...@news.loxinfo.co.th...
DrJ
>
> As far as what the "Boston Rag' is...'Lonnie' is about as well
> drawn a character as you're apt to find in a Dan tune...plenty
> of room for you to come up with your own specific take on him,
> but they point the general direction pretty clearly, seems to
> me.
Shades of Donald explaining that there is Cousin Dupree in every
family... back in the mid-late '60s/early '70s there might have
similarly been a 'Lonnie' in every cricle of friends...
>
> What is the Boston Rag? Why should we bring it back and tell our
> buddies it ain't no drag?
for me, The "Rag" evoked a circuitous quality... by trap or by choice
[sometimes the distinction can be obfuscated]. The song isn;'t
necessarily about Lonnie. The protagonist was out of his mind then while
the person to which he sings was on the phone...
metaphorical and literal, i believe.
In fact, shiver me timbers but i went to school in Boston at the time
and had a girlfriend who made me feel exactly that way. heavy.
i also drove a cab as a summer job in NYC where i'm from and frequently
pointed it down sevunth avenyooo.
then the Beatles wrote Helter Skelter which was also a cryptic and
private communication targeted at only me.
>
> Actually, I think the tune is more about 'Lonnie' than the BR.
> Probably a good thing I don't do a lot of SD lyrical analyzing
> in the newsgroup.
your vibe as good as anyone else's bro!
my gal worked on Long Beach Island in New Jersey [making her lady
bayside, to me] the summer she dumped me for a surfer.
there was nothing that i could do!!!
I'm over it.
I mention only because I really do feel that the song is a lost
adolescent lament; the protagonist is caught in the self-destructive
[more mild for him than the notorious Lonnie] and perhaps moderately
romanticized "she broke my heart so I did some 'ludes" circular
emotional "abandonment" of himself because it is also in some haunting
way "fun" to be wasting the time and the grey matter...
dancing with his cronies [for whom Lonnie was some kind of king-pin] to
the Boston Rag.
there is no seventh avenue in Boston, btw, and the Skunk elaborates on
the "haunting theme" in hauntingly beautiful solo fashion. The refrain
and fade out speaks to me: tell all your buddies that it ain't no drag
though you rilly know you're empty and fucked up in the middle but here
comes the rag around again this friday night as usual...
swing your partners.
Play this for your teenager! What? Redeeming social value in a Steely
Dan song? It ain't no Catcher in the Rye, but ya.
okay. now over to Oleander's site to see if there's any resonance there.
anyone? http://home.earthlink.net/~oleander1/Index.htm
David
A.J. Bassett
[begining of a very long attempt to explain the song] ...
> As far as what the "Boston Rag' is...'Lonnie' is about as well
> drawn a character as you're apt to find in a Dan tune...plenty
> of room for you to come up with your own specific take on him,
> but they point the general direction pretty clearly, seems to
> me.
>
> The 'Boston Rag' itself...hmmm. As with a lot of SD lyrics, song
> titles, subjects etc... 'your own mileage may vary' on that one.
> It's probably whatever you think it is. A tune, a newpaper, a
> rag...a _______________ (fill in the bank.)
>
> There's only a couple of verses and a chorus in 'The Boston
> Rag.' Considering this, the lyrics actually give you a lot to
> soak up..it's not nearly as cryptic as many other tunes. The
> cleverly named *subject* of the song...'the Boston Rag', has
> fans speculating on it's 'real' meaning in a Usenet newsgroup
> 28+ years after the tune was released....so I guess it's (still)
> doing it's job.
>
> What is the Boston Rag? Why should we bring it back and tell our
> buddies it ain't no drag?
>
> Actually, I think the tune is more about 'Lonnie' than the BR.
> Probably a good thing I don't do a lot of SD lyrical analyzing
> in the newsgroup.
>
> Perhaps they are opening some shows with 'The Boston Rag' as a
> sort of.....Statement. After all, they are 'bringing' live SD
> music 'back' to us again. And that ain't no drag.
>
> Steve
So in other words, you have no idea? :)
Methinks you're destined for a wonderful political career.
A.J.
Steve_2000
<aug...@escape.ca> wrote:
>Steve_2000 wrote:
>> it's not nearly as cryptic as many other tunes. The
>> cleverly named *subject* of the song...'the Boston Rag', has
>> fans speculating on it's 'real' meaning in a Usenet newsgroup
>> 28+ years after the tune was released....so I guess it's
(still)
.
>> Probably a good thing I don't do a lot of SD lyrical analyzing
>> in the newsgroup.
>>
>> Perhaps they are opening some shows with 'The Boston Rag' as a
>> sort of.....Statement. After all, they are 'bringing' live SD
>> music 'back' to us again. And that ain't no drag.
>>
>> Steve
>
>So in other words, you have no idea? :)
>
>Methinks you're destined for a wonderful political career.
>
>A.J.
Yes, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to again
announce my candidacy for the Office of Minister of the
Ulterior.
If nominated, I will run like hell. If elected... we'll discuss
that right after the election. That's a promise.
Black Cow's and Spandex Jackets for everyone!
-Stevie La Page
'Man of the People and everyone else.'
atomikart...@gmail.com
> I notice they started both Tokyo shows with this song. A great song, but not
> exactly an upbeat, get-the-folks-outta-their-seats tune. Does anybody know
> what the boston rag refers to?
>
> Mick
"Any news was good news" - he's waiting for his connection.
Hence - "out of my mind and you were on the phone". He's out of his mind because he's waiting for the man to call and a woman he can't get to (she's in Queens) is tying up the phone.
You were Lady Bayside - his woman is in Queens and he's in the lower east side looking for drugs or a woman "So I pointed my car down 7th Avenue".
Lonnie (the kingpin) is so desperate he actually sweeps the floor looking for something to get high on and winds up in a coma. So even the underworld kingpin is strung out looking for scraps.
The "Boston Rag" is a local nick name for the Boston Herald newspaper. I always figured it's him lamenting, wishing he were back in Boston, where he could get drugs and get laid.
But even more cogent perhaps is the utterly dishwater dirty guitar behind the lyrics from the second verse on. The first verse it's open tuned acoustic - sounds like hope.
But the rest of the song it's gritty and crunchy - this would include the lead - distorted, phased and overdriven - right into the board. It sounds like desperation. If anyone ever played a guitar solo describing what it's like to be dope sick, it's this one.
And all through the song the rhythm counts out the dirge - 1 2 3 4 and 1.
The old geezer
Gordon Hawkins
Lonnie was Fagans roommate at Bard... back in 65... anyone having a few joints was the kingpin... that’s just the way of the world then..pointing the car down 7th ave..was the way you got to Lonnies house... the song came out in 73 I think it was ...
POOO..I have a picture of Lonnie.. likely from ‘70 I was going to post... in one of his playrooms in TriBeca..no windows .. roof falling in but home for years. It was the old warehouse of a company called Espiritusss Cheese. but I can’t post the picture here.. it doesn’t accept pictures it seems..any one looking to see write to me directly