The Steely Dan song about their “loud mouth” neighbour
While Steely Dan might be known for the intricate complexity of their music, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen’s lyrics have also often been the source of wonder. Although their story is usually centred around their musical achievements, their lyrics were as vital to their success.
It was with their words that Becker and Fagen were able to establish themselves as two of the most incisive comedians of their generation, who, with their dark form of humour, covered many thematic bases, from hating the work of their peers the Eagles to the exploitation at the centre of the movie industry. Ultimately, there is much more to Steely Dan than you might first believe, with their lyrics a colourful world brimming with imagination and surprising backstories.
One song that has long been a source of puzzlement is ‘Brooklyn (Owes The Charmer Under Me) from their 1972 debut album, Can’t Buy A Thrill. Lyrics such as “A race of angels bound with one another / A dish of dollars laid out for all to see” and “His lady’s aching to bring a body down / She daily preaches on where she wants to be” are enigmatic but seem to point to real-life inspiration.
The song was indeed inspired by real-life events and, specifically, a “loud mouth” neighbour of Fagen and Becker’s in New York City. While Fagen was born in New Jersey, Becker was from New York, and the pair met at Bard College in 1967. They then moved to the borough of Brooklyn after the former graduated in 1969.
This heady period in Brooklyn inspired the song of the same name. Strangely, singer-songwriter Aimee Mann revealed this matter. In 2022, she was set to support Steely Dan on tour, but due to management complications, it never occurred. She then took to Twitter to outline what had happened and asked Fagen what ‘Brooklyn’ is about.
In true style, Fagen responded with an email recalling the formative years of Steely Dan, when he and the late Becker – who passed away in 2017 – were living in Brooklyn. “Brooklyn was about his downstairs neighbour,” Mann revealed to Uncut. “This loud mouth, entitled guy. From a cynical viewpoint, they listed all these prizes they felt like this guy thought he was entitled. What would it take to make this asshole happy?”
“But on some level, you can tell they’re also talking about themselves,” she continued. “What are the riches and prizes that I maybe don’t feel entitled to, but would like to feel entitled to?”
“There’s this one chord change that goes to the minor that’s really heartbreaking,” Mann added. “It sounds like a break in the mask. That’s what makes them so interesting: the damage that you can hear underneath the cynicism.”
Listen to ‘Brooklyn (Owes The Charmer Under Me) below.
