Steely Dan are in the top five of my favorite all time rock and roll bands.
As much as I’ve listened to them over the years, read interviews with them, and reviews/critiques about their music, I learned a lot reading the Quantum Criminals, a book by Alex Pappademas and Joan LeMay, about the songs of Steely Dan. For fans, it’s fantastic. For diehards (like me) it’s even better. While reading it, I listened in chrono-order to the Dan catalogue, starting with their 1972 debut, Can’t Buy A Thrill. There’s is a catologue I often revisit often - particularly the magical genius of Aja - and side one of Gaucho (the triology of “Babylon Sisters, “Hey Nineteen,” and “Glamour Profession” is undeniable).
One of the many take aways I had from reading the book, was, I never noticed, until Pappademas points it out, that Donald and Walter ask a lot of questions in their lyrics.
Perhaps the most well known of the Dan questions are “Can you hear me Dr. Wu?” (from “Dr. Wu” on their 1975 lp Katy Lied) and “Have you ever seen a squonk’s tears?” from “Any Major Dude," off of ‘74’s Pretzel Logic. 1
Maybe subliminally I did realize that their lyrics contained a lot of questions. Seriously, like everytime I get in my car I think to myself “is there gas in the car?”
So I decided to sweep through the studio albums, and here they are - the collected questions from all the Dan studio lps.
Special bonus. 2
CAN’T BUY A THRILL (1972)
“Midnight Cruiser”
Tell me where are you driving Midnight Cruiser?
Where is your bounty of fortune and fame?
“Reelin’ In The Years”
Are you reelin’ in the years?
Stowin’ away the time?
Are you gatherin’ up the tears?
Have you had enough of mine?
“Fire In The Hole”
Am I myself or just another freak?
Should I hide or eat my pride?
Or wait until it’s good and ripe?
“Change Of The Guard”
Can you swallow up your pride?
COUNTDOWN TO ECSTASY (1973)
“Bodhisattva”
Bodhisattva, would you take me by the hand?
Can you show the shine of your Japan?
“Razor Boy”
But how many friends must I have to begin with to make you laugh?
Will you still have a song to sing when the razor boy comes and takes your fancy things away?
Will you still be singing it on that cold and windy day?
“Gold Teeth”
Do you throw out your gold teeth, do you see how they roll?
Won't you let me help you find the door?
“Pearl of The Quarter”
And if you hear from my Louise won’t you tell her I say hello?
“King of The World”
Hello one and all, was it you I used to know?
Can’t you hear me call on this old ham radio?
PRETZEL LOGIC (1974)
“Any Major Dude”
Have you ever seen a squonk’s tears?
“Pretzel Logic”
Where did you get those shoes?
“With A Gun”
Did you pay the other man with the piece in your hand and leave him lyin’ on the rain?
“Monkey In Your Soul”
Won’t you turn that bebop down?
Where’s that fatback chord I found?
But honey don’t you think it was wrong to interrupt my song?
KATY LIED (1975)
“Bad Sneakers”
Honey, when they gonna send me home?
You wear that white tuxedo/how you gonna beat the heat?
Do you take me for a fool?
Do you think that I don’t see/that ditch out in the valley/that they’re digging just for me?
“Rose Darling”
Oh honey, can’t you see? / I know it’s real, it’s got to be/ Why not chase it where it goes?
“Dr. Wu”
Are you with me Dr. Wu?
Are you really just a shadow of the man that I once knew?
Are you crazy, are you high or just an ordinary guy?
Have you done all you can do?
Are you with me Doctor?
Can you hear me Doctor?
“Your Gold Teeth II”
Who are these children who scheme and run wild?
Who speak with their wings and the way that they smile?
What are the secrets they trace in the sky?
Why do you tremble each time they ride by?
Who are these strangers who pass through the door/Who cover your action and go you one more?
THE ROYAL SCAM (1976)
“Kid Charlemagne”
Do you feel like Jesus?
Did you realize that you a champion in their eyes?
Could you live forever?
Could you see the day?
Could you feel your whole world fall apart and fade away?
Is there gas in the car?
“The Caves of Altamira”
Nothin’ here but history can you see what has been done?
“Don’t Take Me Alive”
Can you hear the evil crowd?
“Sign In Stranger”
Have you heard about the boom on Mizar 5?
Do you have a dark spot on your past?
Do you like to take a yo-yo for a ride?
Maybe you would like to see the show?
Won’t you sign in stranger?
And who are you? (answer: just another scurvy brother)
“Haitian Divorce”
Who’s this kinky so-and-so?
“Everything You Did”
Whey did the bastard run?
Is he still around?
Are you gonna tell me everything you did?
AJA (1977)
“Peg”
Won’t you smile for the camera?
“Josie”
Jo would you love to scrapple?
“Home At Last”
Who wrote that tired sea song
Could it be that I have found my home at last?
“I Got The News”
Yes dear, how did you know?
How was I to know about the warm soulful secret you been keepin’ for years?
GAUCHO (1980)
“Hey Nineteen”
Where the hell am I?
“Gaucho”
Who do you think I am?
Who is the gaucho amigo?
Why is he standing in your spangled leather poncho and your elevator shoes?
I’ll drop him near the freeway/doesn’t he have a home?
What do you think I'm yelling for?
Holding hands with the man from Rio/Would you care to explain?
TWO AGAINST NATURE (2000)
“Gaslighting Abbie”
What will it be – some soothing herbal tea?
How can you knock this mighty spitelock?
“What A Shame About Me”
She said, "Yeah, Hollywood's been good to me\But tell me—how about yourself?"
She said, “Talk to me, do you ever see/Anybody else from our old crew?
Why don’t we grab a cab to my hotel and make believe we’re back at our old school?
“Two Against Nature”
Who’s gonna grok the shape of things to go?
Who’s gonna break the shape of things unknown?
Who’s gonna drop the boom on things to go?
“Janie Runaway”
Who makes the morning fabulous?
Who says today’s a fun day?
Why do I feel like sailing again?
Come to old blue eyes tell me – who do you love?
Who makes the traffic interesting?
Who makes me feel like paining again?
Who has a friend named Melani?
Who’s not afraid to try new things?
Who gets to spend her birthday in Spain?
“Cousin Dupree”
How about a kiss for your cousin Dupree?
What’s so strange about a down-home family romance?
How can you stand it for one more day?
But what is it exactly turns you off?
“West of Hollywood”
Look in my eyes/don’t you see the core is frozen?
Don’t you love Port Blanc/When Hooterie is over?
EVERYTHING MUST GO (2003)
“Slang Of Ages”
Do you hear the slang of ages?
Are you all part of the dreaming?
Where’d she go?
Was it something that I said?
Or something I was thinking when she opened up my head?
Now did you say you were from the Netherlands Or was that "Netherworld"?
“Green Book”
The new cashier looks like Jill St. John/Can that be right?
Now where’d we sample those legs?
“Lunch With Gina”
I guess she’s a knockout – hey where have I been?
“Everything Must Go”
Does anybody get lucky twice?
Tell me can you dig it Miss Fugazy?
Can it be the sorry sun is rising?
“Pixaleen”
Freddy can we cut to the chase?
“Blues Beach”
I said hey pretty girl can I cop a ride?
I only know of one other song that uses the word squonk.
Highly reccomended NPR Music interview with Alex Pappademas and Joan LeMay
"How can I answer?"
"Won't you tell her I love her so?"