Babylon Sisters
Drive west on Sunset to the sea
Turn that jungle music down
Just until we’re out of town
This is no one night stand
It’s a real occasion
Close your eyes and you’ll be there
It’s everything they say
The end of a perfect day
Distant lights from across the bayBabylon sisters shake it
Babylon sisters shake it
So fine so young
Tell me I’m the only oneHere come those Santa Anna winds again
We’ll jog with show folk on the sand
Drink kirschwasser from a shell
San Francisco Show and Tell
Well I should know by now that it’s just a spasm
Like a Sunday in T.J.
That it’s cheap but it’s not free
That I’m not what I used to be
And that love’s not a game for three[chorus]
[solo]
My friends say no don’t go for that cotton candy
Son you’re playing with fire
The kid will live and learn
As he watches his bridges burn
From the point of no return[chorus]
-Steely Dan
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So, if I’m understanding correctly, this song is about a guy who has probably hired two hookers (like a Sunday in T.J. – which is known for a place you go to find hookers) and they’re doing heroine (cotton candy is a term for heroine). Sure he says, “tell me I’m the only one” like he wants to pretend it’s more than just a one night stand, but he knows it really is just that. And maybe he’s doing this to feel like he’s still a big shot and a young and energetic fella, but he knows that he’s not what he used to be. Probably because of the drugs he’s done, he’s worn down now. Love isn’t a game for three. Here he admits he’s not going to find something deep in this tryst. Obviously they are not candidates for a potential polyamorous connection, but he likes pretending that he hasn’t gone past the point of no return, soon to burn out. But I’m sure there are equally valid interpretations that don’t totally agree with me.
It’s funny that Steely Dan has been considered easy listening, but they always talk about such topics (albeit not always in a straightforward manner) as rape, prostitution, incest, or some other socially unacceptable subjects. It’s just that the delivery is so sexy… the irony in it all is such a great part of it. The word games and lyrical choices make them like a modern day Shakespeare. All that and so many references to New York city and I feel like I could have met them.
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