Nominations for the saddest Dan song ever

[Jonathan Kaler]

After much consideration and plenty of stiff competition
(Bad Sneakers, Charlie Freak, Royal Scam, Any World), I
humbly submit Pearl Of The Quarter as the saddest Dan
tune of all time (solo efforts nonwithstanding). The
image of a lonesome, isolated, bookish guy wandering
the streets of New Orleans with flowers and candy he
brought in hopes of securing the affections of a
prostitute, a love which will never be requited,
now there's some sadness for ya. Other thoughts?

Jake

[WMDave]

I would go for My Rival or Third World man.

[Keith Phares]

Pearl of the Quarter

[steve...@my-dejanews.com]

In article <51Zz8Ro...@delphi.com>,

Jonathan Kaler <jak...@delphi.com> wrote:
> After much consideration and plenty of stiff competition
> (Bad Sneakers, Charlie Freak, Royal Scam, Any World), I
> humbly submit Pearl Of The Quarter as the saddest Dan

> tune of all time (solo efforts nonwithstanding). The
> image of a lonesome, isolated, bookish guy wandering
> the streets of New Orleans with flowers and candy he
> brought in hopes of securing the affections of a
> prostitute, a love which will never be requited,
> now there's some sadness for ya. Other thoughts?
>
> Jake

I just logged into the NG and saw this new topic and without reading it, Pearl
of the Quarter, immediately came to mind. The SD lyric land scape is littered
with losers, wierdos, aliens, people in strange or bad personal situations-and
a few actually obsure songs that you don't know really what to make of.

But Pearl is a fairly straightforward song about a sad situation. It's always
been a favorite. I'll with hold my official nominee, but that song was the
first one I thought of.
IMO
Steve

-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own

[Mpoconnor7]

Deacon Blues.

[Jackofdays]

"Charlie Freak" ranks right up there. "Deacon Blues," without a doubt.

But for me, it's "A little with sugar" from the Catalyst demo collection.

I guess it depends on what makes you sad. Wasted life, madness, failure,
unrequited love, pedophilia, cults, drugs, politics? They got 'em all.

All I know is that when I heard "A little with sugar" the first time, every
square centimeter of my skin tightened up with gooseflesh from the meaning of
it, and I was involuntarily cast into a deep sense of grief and loss.

Donald Fagen, especially, exhibits a cool angst, so detached from the grief or
horror he is describing. He deals with it in a surrealistic way, taking an
incredibly vile subject and inserting it into goofy music.

That's genius, really, because most other artists tend to become morose and
their point is lost.

Instead, Fagen gives you the bad news in a peppy tune, dripping with sarcasm or
phony sunshine. I believe he fully suspects some people to get his lyrics,
while others simply proclaim Steely Dan's listenability, and we have songs
about dead-end lives and despair issuing forth from the American Top 40.

I like it, Dick. It's got a good beat and you can dance to it. I give it a 9.

diane
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[Jackofdays]

I wrote:

> I believe he fully suspects some people to get his lyrics,

And I meant EXpects, honest.

It's all right, ma, I'm only bleedin'....

[Todd M]

I never thought of Bad Sneakers as a sad song. Pearl and Third World has
that sadness feel going on. Black Friday is pretty sad, you know,
jumping from the 14th floor and all.

[Alfred E. Neuman]

I second 'A little with sugar'.
Great post by the way. I had the same thing when I first heard the song.

Kind Regards,
Alfred Neuman

Jackofdays wrote in message <19981115121545...@ng19.aol.com>...

>"Charlie Freak" ranks right up there. "Deacon Blues," without a doubt.
>
>But for me, it's "A little with sugar" from the Catalyst demo collection.
>
>I guess it depends on what makes you sad. Wasted life, madness, failure,
>unrequited love, pedophilia, cults, drugs, politics? They got 'em all.
>
>All I know is that when I heard "A little with sugar" the first time, every
>square centimeter of my skin tightened up with gooseflesh from the meaning
of
>it, and I was involuntarily cast into a deep sense of grief and loss.
>
>Donald Fagen, especially, exhibits a cool angst, so detached from the grief
or
>horror he is describing. He deals with it in a surrealistic way, taking an
>incredibly vile subject and inserting it into goofy music.
>
>That's genius, really, because most other artists tend to become morose and
>their point is lost.
>
>Instead, Fagen gives you the bad news in a peppy tune, dripping with
sarcasm or
>phony sunshine. I believe he fully suspects some people to get his lyrics,
>while others simply proclaim Steely Dan's listenability, and we have songs
>about dead-end lives and despair issuing forth from the American Top 40.
>
>I like it, Dick. It's got a good beat and you can dance to it. I give it a
9.
>

[David]

the saddest song is it? Pearl of the Quarter tugs at my heart strings
for sure but it is, of course, for the poor protagonist who needs a good
slap upside the head.

Ferris Beuller's Day Off, reel 4 scene 7 in which Ferris bemoans the
fate of his friend [who he manipulates and uses but cares for]:
"alas poor Yorrick [can't remember the friend's name in the movie],
he'll probably marry the first girl who (has sex with him)."
The tale of PotQ reminds me of this- the poor sod thinks he in love with
the prostitute, he is perhaps a bottomless pit of need. But, this is
not love... it's strictly business, and the pro has probably "made love
to his head" as well as his body [ooh baby that's so good-
it's in the script... ahem, or so I have read]. He's got it all wrong
and pines for his Louise, tell her I love her. Sad, but not the
saddest. If you held a gun to my head and made me pick one [drum
roll.......]

King of the World!

Surprise? I might live 'till Saturday? The wasted world after the
buttons have all been pushed [and there's probably no one left to push
the rest of them anyway] and the one remains to tell the [very brief]
tale has put out the CQ [ham radio vernacular, "seek you"] in hopes of
finding another human being left alive to hang with for the duration.

King of the World by default.

please don't shoot.
David

[William Homer]

Some good choices and thoughts in this thread. To expand the candidates
to Nightfly, I would have to put "Goodbye Look" on the list of songs that
can create/expand a somber mood. The image of this tropical paradise
rearing its ugly side is very powerful.

Wm, with his stupid face, his glasses and a gun

[keith...@my-dejanews.com]

In article <72pua2$b...@journal.concentric.net>,

I'd have to go with "The Nightfly" for my "Nightfly" nomination; and while
we're at it, I'll submit "On the Dunes" for "Kamikiriad."

Keith

[Mike]

ill haveta say "surf and/or die", since thats playing right now :)

[Jonathan Kaler]

In part to keep this slightly crazed thing going, and in part
to take up the challenge of the wise posters who've expanded
it, I humbly submit my nomination for saddest tune anywhere
among the collect works of Walt and Dan: Junkie Girl
(Becker's 11 Tracks of Whack).

To me, Pearl of the Quarter is told by a someone whose
vision is clouded with rose-colored tears. And who speaks
mostly out of desperation, but also with a slight trace of
hope. While in Junkie, the protagonist sees the world as
clearly as he sees the grime under his finger nails. It's a
cold, nasty, "fucked up" place. But despite it all, he loves his
heroin-addicted flower who treats him extra special "behind
the white side of her China curtian." And in her own twisted
way, she loves him, or at least runs to when "the right side of
her brain is hurtin.'" And she tells him lies. And she tells him the
truth. And she tells him whatever will make stay till the pain
goes away. And stay he does. And begs, and pleads, and begs
some more for her to please come clean. Till finally he sees
her "wavin' from a distant shore." And there he stands, forced
to come to grips with the anguishing reality that dispite giving
his all for his last chance at love in this mean, upside-down
world, he has still lost her, or the perhaps more painfully, he
never really had her at all. Sad, sad, sad.
Jake

[Toby Howard]

What about Deacon Blues? It's always struck me as very melancholy. "I want
a name when I lose" -- he knows his life will never amount to anything and
survives only with his fantasies about the exotic "jazz" life (yes, I know,
Possible Interpretation #38B).

Toby

--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Toby Howard | Lecturer | Science writer | ET Moderator
to...@cs.man.ac.uk http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/aig/staff/toby/
Tel: +44(0)161-275-6274 Fax: +44(0)161-275-6236
Advanced Interfaces Group, Department of Computer Science
University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
--------------------------------------------------------------

[Morph...@webtv.net]

I would say that Deacon Blues is the saddest song for me. I guess it
depends on each person's own interpretation of the lyrics. " I'll make
it this time, I'm ready to cross that fine line." - represents to me
the ultimate act of desperation - taking a fat girl to your senior prom.
----------------------

[BillyPat]

something about "Razor Boy" has always gotten to me...oh and also "Here at the
Western World" and "Haitian Divorce."
--------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
bill...@aol.com
http://members.aol.com/bobrules/bobland.html

[steve...@my-dejanews.com]

In article <18850-365...@newsd-162.iap.bryant.webtv.net>,

Morph...@webtv.net wrote:
> I would say that Deacon Blues is the saddest song for me. I guess it
> depends on each person's own interpretation of the lyrics. " I'll make
> it this time, I'm ready to cross that fine line." - represents to me
> the ultimate act of desperation - taking a fat girl to your senior prom.

Hey, that was supposed to be a secret. How'd you find out? Which Old School
did you go to? Well, I'm Never going back. (I was pretty desperate, even at
that tender age.) Steve
_____________________________________________________________________________
___

> to...@hans.cs.man.ac.uk (Toby=A0Howard) wrote:
>
> What about Deacon Blues? It's always struck me as very melancholy. "I
> want a name when I lose" -- he knows his life will never amount to
> anything and survives only with his fantasies about the exotic "jazz"
> life (yes, I know, Possible Interpretation #38B).
> Toby
>
>

-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------

[steve...@my-dejanews.com]

Ya know, this is a great topic, has generated some terrific replies and should
definitely keep going as long as 'it will'.

I just can't help thinking (and this has come partly from reading some of the
posts) that asking for Nominations for the saddest Steely Dan song is kinda
like asking for the bluesiest BB King song. Almost all have elements of
saddness, depending on your viewpoint.

One poster mentioned that D and F will frequently write some bizarre or
sarcastic or even fairly straight ahead (for them) lyrics- and a lot of the
time, at the core, is sadness. The same poster (I believe) mentioned that they
lay these lyrics over wonderful music and they sometimes slide right by the
casual listener or maybe misdirect the Dan Fan a little...

In a way, it's a surreality that is sometimes all to real.

Steve on a Wednesday morning

[William Homer]

To heck with you guys, introduce me to that big blonde.

steve...@my-dejanews.com wrote:
: In article <18850-365...@newsd-162.iap.bryant.webtv.net>,

: Morph...@webtv.net wrote:
:> I would say that Deacon Blues is the saddest song for me. I guess it
:> depends on each person's own interpretation of the lyrics. " I'll make
:> it this time, I'm ready to cross that fine line." - represents to me
:> the ultimate act of desperation - taking a fat girl to your senior prom.

: Hey, that was supposed to be a secret. How'd you find out? Which Old School
: did you go to? Well, I'm Never going back. (I was pretty desperate, even at
: that tender age.) Steve
: _____________________________________________________________________________
: ___

:> to...@hans.cs.man.ac.uk (Toby=A0Howard) wrote:
:>
:> What about Deacon Blues? It's always struck me as very melancholy. "I
:> want a name when I lose" -- he knows his life will never amount to
:> anything and survives only with his fantasies about the exotic "jazz"
:> life (yes, I know, Possible Interpretation #38B).
:> Toby

:>
:>

: -----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------

[Mike]

William Homer wrote:

> To heck with you guys, introduce me to that big blonde.

does she have a touch of Tuesday Weld? wearing Ambush, and a French Twist? id say
shes got the right dynamic...

[steve...@my-dejanews.com]

In article <72v6ef$d...@journal.concentric.net>,

William Homer <Who...@galileo.cris.com> wrote:
> To heck with you guys, introduce me to that big blonde.
>

Sorry to say she's married to a major dude. But he's never around and (only a
fool would say this-on the internet) she's has her 'needs.' I take care of the
dirty work.
Steve

[Lewis Barnett]

Deacon Blues would be my nomintaion also.
Mpoconnor7 wrote in message <19981115073439...@ng100.aol.com>...
>Deacon Blues.

[John Cassidy]

I kind of like 'Boston Rag' for that title.

[mja...@erols.com]

I think Black Friday is actually a humorous tune, at least from the perspective of
the singer. The last line gives it away for me: "When Black Friday falls, you know
it's got to be. Don't let it fall on me."

My nomination for saddest is Rikki. It has the most plaintive tone about love not
fulfilled and how his love interest won't let herself give into her feelings.

On Sun, 15 Nov 1998 12:29:31 -0500 (EST), mur...@webtv.net (Todd M) wrote:

: I never thought of Bad Sneakers as a sad song. Pearl and Third World has

[Diego Nabartek]

Deacon Blues is pretty sad.

[Varness]

Black Cow, Do it Again, King of the World, Rikki don't Lose that Number,
Charlie Freak are all sad tunes.

[esa...@banet.net]

For me, it's Doctor Wu. "Biscayne Bay...Where the Cuban gentlemen sleep
all day...I was waitin for the taste you said you'd bring to me."

[The Mitochondrion]

var...@aol.com (Varness) writes:
> Black Cow, Do it Again, King of the World, Rikki don't Lose that Number,
> Charlie Freak are all sad tunes.

I think Hatian Divorce has the most futility.

[Dave F.]

any world

davef
--

_____________________
dave F.'s psychedelic comics
a new one each tuesday at
http://members.tripod.com/~d_foster/comix.html

[M.G. Conroy]

midnite cruiser

mgc

[Dirk Brandt]

I'd like to mention again the East St. Louis Toodle-Oo although it's no
song but the more I think about it ... I just get that picture of people
dancing Charleston in deep internal sadness (when I hear the brass
part), people looking aside while dancing. If the word existed I would
say they slinger - swinging in despair. As a whole and in it's parts the
track is a perfect concentrate of what it refers to - it's manierism
well knowing itself. - Perhaps one could call it a reflection on the
principal limitation of stimulation, couldn't tion?

[Steve Thomas]

Babylon Sisters- perfectly sums up the sadness of the cocaine-saturated LA
of the period, the ultimate futility of relations with prostitutes, and the
way "those Santa Anna winds" can wear you down.

[Everdean]

I think the saddest sone is Charlie Freak, a song about a heroin addict who
lives a miserable life. He dies at the end of the song.
Patricia

[JYOB]

>I think the saddest sone is Charlie Freak, a song about a heroin addict who
>lives a miserable life. He dies at the end of the song.

Good riddence to bad rubbish! What's so sad about that?

[cakes...@yahoo.com]

On Wed, 23 Dec 1998 09:54:14 -0600 (CST), mg...@webtv.net (M.G. Conroy)
wrote:

>midnite cruiser
>
>mgc
>
I still cry when I hear Dr. Woo

[J Rideout]

Am I the only one thinking The Royal Scam? Makes me feel sad and angry...

J.R.

[J Rideout]

Could swear I said The Royal Scam, not Don't Take Me Alive...
J.R..

Iain Cummings wrote:

> J Rideout <rid...@execpc.com> wrote -

> >Am I the only one thinking The Royal Scam? Makes me feel sad and angry...
> >
>

> Scary. Are you a bookkeeper's son?
>
> --
> ia...@cummings.demon.co.uk
> Jimmy McNulty's Bonnie Scotland - http://come.to/McNulty
> Celebrity Ruck Internet Radio show
> http://www.uploaded.com/site/monkey/monkey.html

[Prefect]

Don't Take Me Alive is a good candidate. Book of Liars (technically a Walter
Beck tune) is also one of their few sad songs.

[Barry Seymour]

"Third World Man." A melancholy masterpiece.

cakes...@yahoo.com wrote in message
<36975acc...@newshost.capecod.net>...

[steve...@my-dejanews.com]

I don't like ratings threads much, but they sometimes generate debate so,
cool, I guess. And according to the statisticians over at the Western World,
this thread is a contenda in the 'Longest SD Thread' marathon...

So I nominate:

"Third World Man."

The topic of sadness and Steely Dan Lyrics is not a simple one and I won't
even go there. The reason I nominate Third World Man is: it is the final
track on the album that, for far too many years, I thought would be the last
release from my favorite band.

This made me very sad.

[MAustin477]

The subject matter of the song, "The Royal Scam" should make anyone cringe....

Just ask anyone who's ever had family who emigrated to Ameica, particularly in
the early part of the century....particularly to NYC!

[DrJ]

> So I nominate:
>
> "Third World Man."
>
> The topic of sadness and Steely Dan Lyrics is not a simple one and I won't
> even go there. The reason I nominate Third World Man is: it is the final
> track on the album that, for far too many years, I thought would be the last
> release from my favorite band.
>
> This made me very sad.
>
> Steve
>

moment of zen enlightenment <dropping one knee to the earth> HA!!!!
<putting house in town up for sale>
how sad, indeed... could be the final word on the matter.

blessings on your buddha-head
David

[steve...@my-dejanews.com]

In article <369CC7...@umich.edu>,

Pls don't give me any mystical or philosophical credit. I don't really know
much about Zen except that I've seen courses that claim to help you with
things like blackjack "or whatever...:)"

In the case of TWM it's just true. Like a lot of us, I spent many years just
having to be thankful for the stuff they Did put out. And as I've mentioned
before, "overjoyed" is an understatement when my constant Fagen-Becker vigil
brought news that they had jammed together on the NY R and S project- and I
literally yelled a big "Yesssssss" when it was announced that Becker was
producing Kama.

Steve-in-Waiting

(politely but impatiently. Get it right guys, but Let's Go, and Let's Tour!)

[amos...@webtv.net]

having only recently discovered this group, i get the impression
that this thread stretches back into the mists of time. however, i would
like to propose....
charlie freak is pretty depressing. does that count as sad?
amos

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
~life has become a goat dance~
hunter s. thompson
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

[DrJ]

> > >
> > moment of zen enlightenment <dropping one knee to the earth> HA!!!!
> > <putting house in town up for sale>
> > how sad, indeed... could be the final word on the matter.
> >
> > blessings on your buddha-head
> > David
>

steve_2000 wrote

> Pls don't give me any mystical or philosophical credit.

none had been offered... was allusion to a SD song, the line goes:
I'm gonna sell my house in town

east coast cynical theatre of the absurd [and a very real heavily
treaded trodden trail].

I'll rephrase:
having followed this thread a looooooong time, I enjoyed your post and
hope that your interpretation of "sad song" [which gave me a nice
chuckle on a slow morning here in the salt mine] cuts it and neatly ties
it off.

better?

unmystically,
David

[steve...@my-dejanews.com]

In article <369E58...@umich.edu>,

Yes thanks. I learn something I shoulda known already, almost daily.
Thake Care,
Steve