A Literalist Reaction to Steely Dan - "Deacon Blues"

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Dave (the 36-year-old with the impressive beard) was raised almost completely sheltered from pop culture by his strict military family. He was homeschooled his entire life until he entered college. He legitimately has very little knowledge of music and bands from before 2000.
John (the guy in the dark on the right) has been a MUSIC LOVER since he was born in the 1960's. Problem is, he rarely knows or fully grasps the lyrics. Dave (on the left), on the other hand, has never heard or rarely overheard the music John chooses to play for him, but tends to take lyrics literally, sometimes to unexpected ends.
John remains in the dark both as a wry play on the situation but also because of legal issues causing his attorney to recommend maintaining a low profile.
We did not write nor do we own the Copyright for the song used in this Educational Video. This is a real, honest reaction to a song Dave have never consciously heard before and/or listened to with intent. Any "facts" offered by John "Doh" are based more on his remembrances than on any actual research. Please feel free to correct him. He loves it.
Fair use principles under Section 107 of the Copyright Act allow the unlicensed use of copyrighted materials for fair use purposes, such as commentary, criticism, teaching, and news reporting.

[@jimralston7562]

"We got a name for the winners in the world" is straight from a 70s beer commercial that often played during football tv broadcasts.

[@XHuntinatorX]

Oh yeah! I remember that. Was it Miller beer?

[@jimralston7562]

@@XHuntinatorX my memory says Michelob, but that was a long time ago. Lol.

[@TheMikeman1971]

Chillax With Steely Dan Can not go wrong with this band !

[@cityhonors1]

🤗 Cool! More Dan! 😁🥰🐰

[@stevebinning977]

I saw Canned Heat back in the nineties and they only had one original member but the singer could sing like Al Wilson and Bob Hite. I really enjoyed the gig.

[@lokivt]

You guys may not post a lot of reaction videos but they are top quality. This is one of my absolute favorite Steely Dan tracks, thank you!

[@LiteralistReactions]

Very kind, thank you. - JD

[@thestevelarsenexperience]

Great song and spot on lyrical interpretation!

[@jaysonbiggs8979]

I bought the album the week it came out in '77. I knew what it was about right away. The song is an hommage to Jazz and Blues musicians. Black musicians in particular. The one who immediately comes to mind in the lyrics is Charlie Parker. They both loved him. DF said that as he lie dying Walter Becker had Charlie Parker playing. DF said that he also goes to sleep listening to Charlie Parker (!)

[@garybourque5706]

I looked up song facts on the net… This song probably refers to The Wake Forest "Demon Deacons," whose football team had losing streaks during the 1977 (1-10) and 1978 seasons (1-10) which paralleled one of several of The University Of Alabama's extended winning streaks, including back-to-back National Championships during the 1978 and 1979 seasons under Coach Paul W. Bryant. Alabama is known as "The Crimson Tide": "They got a name for the winners in the world And I want a name when I lose They call Alabama the Crimson Tide Call me Deacon Blues" The University Of Alabama football team had been so successful during that period (1970-1979) that it was probably more newsworthy when they lost.

[@LiteralistReactions]

Having lived in the Winston-Salem area of NC, I was quite familiar with the Demon Deacons and made mention of them in this video. I've long assumed that was the reference in this song. Coincidentally, when I lived in Winston, the Deacons were on a hot winning streak and had an amazing year due to the efforts of a certain future hall-of-famer named Tim Duncan. Tim was a wonderful young man who was destined for greatness. - JD

[@gregbartley2475]

“This brother is free, I’ll be what I want to be.” One of my all time favorite lyric lines.

[@diamondsareforever1011]

😊 I remember donald Fagan while making aja album he said his mom introduce him to soul going in jazz club he grew up loving black music they he mix his music you'll always will hear a little rock jazz and r and b in steely dan music 🎶 this is my favorite song my God he killed it on the saxophone 🎷 at the end how it blends so well with the drums so smooth im 56 now still loving steely dan 😊😊

[@cogline]

I wish I'd seen Yes, Genesis (with Peter Gabriel), The Who, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Boston, Cheap Trick, Deep Purple, ELP, Heart, Jethro Tull, Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne, The Police, Scorpions, Styx, Supertramp, Van Halen, and Led Zeppelin I have seen Rush, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Blue Oyster Cult, Robin Trower, Pat Travers, Primus, and Beatlemania

[@kinexkid]

I have a feeling that The Rolling Stones are going to be touring forever. I saw a meme once that said, "Every cigarette you smoke takes 5 minutes off your life, and gives it to Keith Richards." I thought it was funny, but now I thinks it's actually true. Their stamina is otherworldly. Either that, or they can't afford to not tour, which I don't believe for a second.

[@francisdashwood1760]

I always wondered why the U. of Alabama and its fans didn't adopt this song. Then I found out recently that the song writers were referring to the people of Alabama as losers. I had mistakenly thought for years that the lyrics meant that the Crimson Tide were ''a name for the winners of the world''. No, they are the losers, according to the song writers.

[@LiteralistReactions]

If anything, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons should use it! - JD

[@michaelbaucom4019]

Still fresh, still moving 40 years later. The lyrics are kind of vague( as are most Steely Dan songs), but, it can be generally interpreted that the song is about someone who is living a life of quiet desperation, perhaps an aspiring musician or playwright, perhaps a bit autobiographical( Walter Becker and Donald Fagen have hinted at this interpretation in the past). This was a hit single back in the day, used to be my favorite song from them, but other deep cuts have moved ahead of it, but, it is Steely Dan, an abundance of riches The opening remarks by our hosts: Steely Dan is a reggae band? Well, they do use a bit of it from time to time. Listen to some of the songs from the first three albums, not a lot of reggae elements there. And Steely Dan being a rock band with jazz has always been their calling card, but, on the " Aja " album, the jazz overtook the rock, for the most part( the song " Josie " is a rocker) RIP Walter Becker Technical note: Getting an echo during the non music portion of the video

[@dwaneanderson8039]

I'd say more Bossa Nova than Reggae.

[@jml-rj5re]

Crimson Tide = Alabama, Deacon Blues = Wake Forest (Demon Deacons) football team who were really, really bad in the 70s.

[@michaelyork4554]

Are You Sure You Want To Live Your Dream, Love This Song. "The Royal Scam" "Green Earrings"

[@yournamehere6002]

It's a guy with delusions of grandeur that he'll never achieve

[@jml-rj5re]

Steely Dan in writing were different than the vast majority of bands of the rock era. They wrote Fiction, just as authors of the page write fictional novels. Virtually none of the songs are autobiographical (except sort of Rikki Don't Lose That Number and My Old School. They just made up the litany of loserdom in their songs. In contrast, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker's solo albums have many autobiographical notes. Deacon Blues is about a 9 to 5'er who seeks a less (perceived) boring live as a jazz artist.

[@coils4foil537]

You CAN see Carl Palmer which I recommend. Saw him, met him, autographed drum head. Well worth the $30.

[@stevebinning977]

Maybe you listened to "Haitian Divorce" which was definitely a reggae song.

[@Bryman1970]

Welcome back, guys! I always love to see songs analyzed (or overanalyzed).

[@HollowGolem]

I'm going to continue correcting John about Steely Dan. It is a marital aid, but within the novel _Naked Lunch_ it is steam powered, rather than battery powered. Look, the book is really weird.

[@LiteralistReactions]

Sorry. I only saw the film, decades ago, and I may have been mentally altered at that. - JD

[@HollowGolem]

@@LiteralistReactions I mean, the movie is _also_ really weird, just in a way that is different from the book. And even if you weren't mentally altered, Burroughs certainly was when he wrote the book and... I don't actually know about Kronenberg, but probably him too with the movie.

[@jeffreyrozier2943]

There seems to be a renewed interest & appreciation of Steely Dan after so many years of being the butt of musical jokes. Glad to see the change in the current zeitgeist.

[@djlaino]

LD is just too young to appreciate peaty scotch. Just wait young man. Which leads me to my obscure Rush song suggestion of the day, a song inspired by Scotland according to the band, "Resist".

[@runningcathill]

THANK YOU TRY ROY HARGROVE HORNS, BOZ SCAGGS VOCALS, MISS RIDDLE

[@ClayParrot42265]

You JUST missed Kansas in Denver a couple of weeks ago.

[@erikahlander3489]

I think Dave's association to reggae is "steel pan". And I am satisfied with the result!

[@michaellockhart554]

Blues, Jazz, a little Rock, Steely Dan could do it all

[@robinmarks1710]

I'm not sure Dave qualifies as a human. The crimson tide colors are maroon, a shade of red and white, plus deacon blues could perhaps be a play on the American dream being actually a nightmare for some people, stuck in a rut of a nowhere job

[@jml-rj5re]

Good analysis overall.

[@garybourque5706]

Jack Daniels? There’s no mention of Jack Daniels in this song.

[@tonywtyt]

The Stones came well before Kansas!

[@johngriswold2213]

Lots of swings and misses on the lyrics. This is autobiographical, an examination of hitting cruising altitude and that inevitable moment when you feel the plane tip slightly forward to start the long gradual descent to the end...we all meet that end someday;)

[@calguy3838]

This is your sixth Steely Dan song, but your first from "Aja"? That's almost criminal! You've AT LEAST got to be sure to hit up the title track and "Black Cow".

[@Bryman1970]

Absolutely! Aja is epic!

[@yarsivad000.5]

I like Yacht rock and this song or Steely Dan is not Yacht Rock. Steely Dan is great, Yacht Rock is good.

[@Pablo_sanz359]

I think the song is about a man who is in love with himself as a loser rather than someone who dreams of being a winner.

[@lokivt]

You guys may not post a lot of reaction videos but they are top quality. This is one of my absolute favorite Steely Dan tracks, thank you!

[@LiteralistReactions]

More to come! - JD

[@jml-rj5re]

@@LiteralistReactions Excellent!!