For a band that eschewed touring during their commercial heyday in the ’70s, Steely Dan certainly traveled a lot on their songs. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker not only mention many cities in their home country, the United States, but also refer to various places in the world.
Naturally, the group brings up New York and California, two of the most popular states when it comes to song titles. “Daddy Don’t Live In New York” is a song by katy lied album, and California is referenced on the classic “My Old School” by countdown to ecstasy.
A more specific reference is also made in that song, as the band identifies Annandale, a town in the Golden State. Then, in the last verse, they cross the southern border with a mention of the Mexican city of Guadalajara.
Other locations in that part of the world can also be found in Steely Dan songs, including “Haitian Divorce” by the actual scam. Both Bogotá and Barbados are mentioned in “Glamor Profession” of the gaucho album, while Colombia is mentioned in “Pixeleen” from the last album everything must go.
Across the Atlantic other lands are included in Steely Dan’s discography, most of them in Europe. The Netherlands and its most famous city, Amsterdam, appear in by Gaucho “Slang of Ages” and Spain are referenced in “Night By Night”. A town in the same country, famous for its prehistoric art, is the subject of “Las Cuevas de Altamira” by The actual scam.
The geographical references go beyond the Western Hemisphere, where Fagen and Becker wrote songs about places in Asia. Both China and Japan form the “Bodhisattva” choir of countdown to ecstasyand Beijing is identified in “Dr. Wu” of Katy lied.
Most of the sites featured in the lyrics can be found here in the United States, even in addition to the aforementioned New York and California. The latter’s northern neighbor, Oregon, is home to the desperate fugitive in “Don’t Take Me Alive” from the actual scamand Alabama identifies as the Crimson Tide in the chorus of of aha “Deacon Blues”.
Also included are Midwestern metropolises, such as Kansas City in pretzel logic and Chicago in “Your Gold Teeth.” Medicine Park, Oklahoma is featured in “Blues Beach” and New Orleans is the subject of “Pearl of the Quarter”.
Most of the geography refers to California or New York, where Steely Dan first formed and later built his successful recording career. “Brooklyn” is the title of a song by I can’t buy a thrilland “Parker’s Band” mentions 52nd Street. pretzel logic contains a song centered on “Barrytown”.
California locations found in Steely Dan’s lyrics include Hollywood from “Reelin’ in the Years”, while “Babylon Sisters” names both Santa Ana and San Francisco. The West Coast is one of the “things I miss the most,” according to Fagen in the opening song of two against nature.