Lyrics to
Deacon Blues

This version of Deacon Blues was released by Steely Dan in 1977.

Our Steely Dan Songs profile has Deacon Blues lyrics from 1977 and most if not all of the lyrics by Steely Dan that we have here at Decade Lyrics.

Here's more interesting things in songs and lyrics tied to Steely Dan or about the 1970s in general.

This is the day
Of the expanding man
That shape is my shade
There where I used to stand
It seems like only yesterday
I gazed through the glass
At ramblers
Wild gamblers
That’s all in the past

You call me a fool
You say it’s a crazy scheme
This one’s for real
I already bought the dream
So useless to ask me why
Throw a kiss and say goodbye
I’ll make it this time
I’m ready to cross that fine line

I’ll learn to work the saxophone
I’ll play just what I feel
Drink Scotch whisky all night long
And die behind the wheel
They 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

My back to the wall
A victim of laughing chance
This is for me
The essence of true romance
Sharing the things we know and love
With those of my kind
Libations
Sensations
That stagger the mind

I crawl like a viper
Through these suburban streets
Make love to these women
Languid and bittersweet
I’ll rise when the sun goes down
Cover every game in town
A world of my own
I’ll make it my home sweet home

This is the night
Of the expanding the man
I take one last drag
As I approach the stand
I cried when I wrote this song
Sue me if I play too long
This brother is free
I’ll be what I want to be

---

Want more lyrics and songs by Steely Dan?

Steely Dan has released many songs over the years besides Deacon Blues. Steely Dan released songs from 1972 to 2000 spanning across albums like Can't Buy A Thrill, Countdown To Ecstasy, Pretzel Logic, Katy Lied, The Royal Scam, Aja, Gaucho, and Two Against Nature. Decade Lyrics has over lyrics & songs by Steely Dan.

If you're a fan of 1970s songs looking for more songs from 1977 or the 1970s overall, you've come to the right place!

About Lyrics and Deacon Blues by Steely Dan

The lyrics to Deacon Blues are the words, verses and chorus for the song released by Steely Dan in 1977. Elements of the lyrics to Deacon Blues are both direct in meaning and also metaphorical with the real meanings of the song only known by Steely Dan and any collaborating writers working on the lyrics for Deacon Blues back when it was created.

Some people have an interest in the etymology behind words and phrases. You can take apart the lyrics to Deacon Blues by Steely Dan in a number of ways. The word "lyric" itself derives from the Latin word lyricus, with the actual English word lyrics applied to the definition "words set to music" listed in Stainer and Barrett's 1876 Dictionary of Musical Terms. Continuing the chain, the Latin word lyricus derives from the Greek word λυρικός or lyrikós. This somewhat means "poetry accompanied by the lyre" or "words set to music." You can easily see that by looking at the background of the word lyric, that the "lyrics to Deacon Blues" means the words set to the music of Deacon Blues, or poetry accompanied by the lyre played by Steely Dan. The singular form "lyric" is still used to mean the complete words to a song. However, the singular form lyric is also commonly used to refer to a specific line (or phrase) within a song's lyrics. Hence, by this analysis of word structure, you could say that the lyric to Deacon Blues and the lyrics to Deacon Blues are both one and the same thing. None of this talk about the word Lyrics is really relevant to fans of Steely Dan who came here looking just for the lyrics to Deacon Blues, but we feel it is still fun to learn what's behind commonly used words and lyrics in songs.

More Songs & Lyrics by Steely Dan

Visit our Steely Dan profile for more Steely Dan songs, lyrics & info!

)