Steely Dan and Alabama

[TIDEFAN17]

Saw a couple of quotes about this from people here on Tidefans and thought i'd look it up. Some probably already knew this, but here it is for those who didnt.

Steely Dan's song "Deacon Blues". Quite a debate was carried on here. Maybe some of you can give your input.

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=4042

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.

 

[THE BAMA IRISHMAN]

Saw a couple of quotes about this from people here on Tidefans and thought i'd look it up. Some probably already knew this, but here it is for those who didnt.

Steely Dan's song "Deacon Blues". Quite a debate was carried on here. Maybe some of you can give your input.

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=4042

_______________________________________________________________
Deacon Blues

Theory:
Unconfirmed theory of mine, since Becker and Fagan do not give direct answers to any interviewers who attempt to find out what their songs mean .

At the time this song was written, mid-70s, college football had few better teams than Alabama, and they often crushed their opponents. On the other end of the spectrum was a small Methodist college in North Carolina, who was terrible in football and went through at least one five year period in that decade losing 8 or more of their scheduled 10 games.
The school-Wake Forest, their mascot- Demon Deacons,

so, Deacon Blues? maybe, maybe not.
________________________________________________________________

I wasn't aware of the Wake Forest reference. Not sure if it is or is not true. :BigA:

 

[luvthat_TIDE]

This thread reminds me of another song, can't think of the artist though.

"Too much time on my hands"

 

[Boo Radley]

And how the times have changed with Wake Forest going to the Orange Bowl and Miami, while we get to travel to Shreveport.

 

[BamaLaw]

_______________________________________________________________
Deacon Blues

Theory:
Unconfirmed theory of mine, since Becker and Fagan do not give direct answers to any interviewers who attempt to find out what their songs mean .

At the time this song was written, mid-70s, college football had few better teams than Alabama, and they often crushed their opponents. On the other end of the spectrum was a small Methodist college in North Carolina, who was terrible in football and went through at least one five year period in that decade losing 8 or more of their scheduled 10 games.
The school-Wake Forest, their mascot- Demon Deacons,

so, Deacon Blues? maybe, maybe not.
________________________________________________________________

I wasn't aware of the Wake Forest reference. Not sure if it is or is not true. :BigA:

One problem I see right away is that Wake Forest is not a methodist college. It is a Baptist School.

 

[DeaconBlues]

This thread reminds me of another song, can't think of the artist though.

"Too much time on my hands"

Styx. Paradise Theatre. Great Album. Good comparison.

 

[DeaconBlues]

The Wake Forest reference is a new one on me! (What an imagination).

I wish that the interview with Becker and Fagan was still on their site, (or that I could have found it elsewhere on the web), but with updating Steely Dan's site also comes tossing some things out.

As I recall reading, Deacon Blues was merely a struggling musician (jazz saxophone player) who was having his share of failures and life's problems.
He obviously referred to himself as a loser, in comparison to others in the world who were winners.

As you can see, I only joined last year, yet with the hundreds of others of you out there on this board, I still can't believe that this name was not taken.........It's mine!

 

[TIDEFAN17]

This thread reminds me of another song, can't think of the artist though.

"Too much time on my hands"

Well excuuuuuuuse me for not starting ANOTHER coaching thread! :biggrin2:

 

[THE BAMA IRISHMAN]

This thread reminds me of another song, can't think of the artist though.

"Too much time on my hands"

Funny, you must have alot of time on your hands also. You responded. Hey it must be Christmas. :biggrin2:

 

[THE BAMA IRISHMAN]

One problem I see right away is that Wake Forest is not a methodist college. It is a Baptist School.

I just copied the music thread and pasted. For all I know they could be the Catholic school of the South! :biggrin2:

 

[moorav]

I don't know about the Deacon part but they were football fans and like it has been said Bama WAS football in that time period. They appreciated Bama FB so it found it's way into their tune.

I read that years ago in a guitar magazine

 

[DeaconBlues]

Well excuuuuuuuse me for not starting ANOTHER coaching thread! :biggrin2:

That's funny right there!

Hey 17, nice change of pace on the thread I think.
I gave it a good vote.

 

[Mamacalled]

There was some Auburn guy that posted that Steely Dan had wrote the song as an insult to Bama. He went on to make fun of Bama fans for thinking that is was a positive. Man, the though process of some Aubies never suprises me.

 

[CraigMack]

From wikipedia & the band itself:


The song contains the lines:

They've got a name for the winners in the world
I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
Call me Deacon Blues[1]

According to urban legend, the song was actually written about the Wake Forest University Demon Deacons, but in a Rolling Stone interview, Donald Fagen said "Walter and I had been working on that song at a house in Malibu. I played him that line, and he said, "You mean it's like, 'They call these cracker assholes this grandiose name like the Crimson Tide, and I'm this loser, so they call me this other grandiose name, Deacon Blues?' " And I said, "Yeah!" He said, "Cool! Let's finish it!"

 

[moorav]

I know for a fact I read that they were fans maybe they lied in the article I read

 

[TurningTide]

From wikipedia & the band itself:


The song contains the lines:

They've got a name for the winners in the world
I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
Call me Deacon Blues[1]

According to urban legend, the song was actually written about the Wake Forest University Demon Deacons, but in a Rolling Stone interview, Donald Fagen said "Walter and I had been working on that song at a house in Malibu. I played him that line, and he said, "You mean it's like, 'They call these cracker assholes this grandiose name like the Crimson Tide, and I'm this loser, so they call me this other grandiose name, Deacon Blues?' " And I said, "Yeah!" He said, "Cool! Let's finish it!"

Yeah, that doesn't sound so positive to me. Funny thing that would be on an Aubie board, though. I'm sure the 'cracker a-holes' part refers to their opinions of Alabama people in general, not just UA people.

 

[DeaconBlues]

From wikipedia & the band itself:


The song contains the lines:

They've got a name for the winners in the world
I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
Call me Deacon Blues[1]

According to urban legend, the song was actually written about the Wake Forest University Demon Deacons, but in a Rolling Stone interview, Donald Fagen said "Walter and I had been working on that song at a house in Malibu. I played him that line, and he said, "You mean it's like, 'They call these cracker assholes this grandiose name like the Crimson Tide, and I'm this loser, so they call me this other grandiose name, Deacon Blues?' " And I said, "Yeah!" He said, "Cool! Let's finish it!"

I'll have to stand on my position that this is an entirely new 'urban legend' to me (dreampt up by someone out there). This is the first time that I've ever heard such a tale, and I have a hard time buying into the Demon Deacon thing. As stated before, but now I can't find it on there site, the song was more or less about a tough-luck sax player who was down on himself, comparing his losing ways to complete opposites ('winners of the world').

"From wikipedia & the band itself"? I need some reference to the "from the band itself" part, unless your only giving credibility to the written lyrics themselves?

There is truth to Fagen's reference to the Crimson Tide during the writing of the song, but still, I can't find a hint of truth to the Wake Forest thing, until someone throws their opinion out there. (See once again the differing opinions here): http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=4042

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/qa/story/9519861/donald_fagen_gets_inspired

 

[TIDEFAN17]

That's funny right there!

Hey 17, nice change of pace on the thread I think.
I gave it a good vote.

Well thanks Deacon, greatly appreciated!

 

[derek4tide]

From wikipedia & the band itself:


The song contains the lines:

They've got a name for the winners in the world
I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
Call me Deacon Blues[1]

According to urban legend, the song was actually written about the Wake Forest University Demon Deacons, but in a Rolling Stone interview, Donald Fagen said "Walter and I had been working on that song at a house in Malibu. I played him that line, and he said, "You mean it's like, 'They call these cracker assholes this grandiose name like the Crimson Tide, and I'm this loser, so they call me this other grandiose name, Deacon Blues?' " And I said, "Yeah!" He said, "Cool! Let's finish it!"

Typical Lee County response.