Monday 27 March 2017

Here at the Western World.



I've become fixated by 'Here at the Western World', by Steely Dan, a band which specialised in making the simple seem ambiguous.

It's probably because there are so many parallels with Donald Trump; a politician who makes the ambiguous seem simple....and that's much more dangerous.

Here at the Western World.

Down at the Lido they welcome you
With sausage and beer,
Klaus and the Rooster have been there too,
But lately he spends his time here.

Hanging with the mayor and all his friends
And nobody cares,
Where the sailor shuts out the sunrise
Blacked out on the stairs

Knock twice, rap with your cane
Feels nice, you're out of the rain
We got your skinny girl
Here at the Western World

Ruthie will give you the silver key
To open the red door:
Lay down your Jackson and you will see
The sweetness you've been crying for

In the night you hide from the madman
You're longing to be
But it all comes out on the inside
Eventually

Knock twice, rap with your cane
Feels nice, you're out of the rain
We got your skinny girl
Here at the Western World

In the night you hide from the madman
You're longing to be
But it all comes out on the inside
Eventually

Knock twice, rap with your cane
Feels nice, you're out of the rain
We got your skinny girl
Here at the Western World

Songwriters: W. BECKER, D. FAGEN


No one can ever be 100% sure what a Steely Dan song is about, but to me this seems to be about a bar or a brothel called 'The Western World', where 'The Mayor' holds court with 'all his friends'.

And that seems to ring too true for comfort today.

You can check it out on YouTube here;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkIFE2sLmkM

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com


1 comment:

  1. Not familiar with that one. I'll have to give a listen.

    ReplyDelete