extended excersise in pompous pretensiousness #3

Understand
This is probably the hardest song to grasp what Al is trying to say on dither, except maybe rise if it has a deeper meaining. You have to make a couple of assumptions no matter how you interpret it. First thing I am gonna do is assume it is al talking to himself. This makes sense of the having the same hands. Another thing I am gonna draw from this is I think its the "regular" Al (haha riiiiight, regular al) talking to the rock star Al. Now let me admit that these are some big leaps. I really don't pretend to know with absolute certainty what this song is about, part of me says its just an interpretive song that has no actual meaning, but only means what the listener interprets it to mean. A lot of steely dan songs were like this. They had no real meaning to them, but just put forth images and let you draw conclusions. But anyway back to my interpretation of this song.

You've been talking back and forth in rhymes, you don't listen, doesn't matter what I say

I think this is regular al saying that the rock star al doesn't listen to his real self very much. That he goes off and just talks back and forth in rhymes. Let me say here that Al has always really struck me as a person that has a conflict between expressing himself and listening. On one hand he loves to learn, but on the other he is set free by expressing himself. Anyway maybe due to the incessant touring he feels that the expressing part, the rock star, is put on too much, and he can't listen to his inner self much less others when he has to express himself so much.

on your way...gone one too many days

I think he is saying that he feels like he is gone too much. That at times even though he may love his job he is gone one too many days. The typical sacrifice of the road theme. The "on your way part" may refer to the reason he keeps doing it, that he feels as if he is on his way. To what I don't know, becoming a big time rock star possibly, being able to do things more on his terms, who knows. It could also mean that he is on his way to being totally engulfed by the rock star al, or the on the road al however you want to look at it.

You've been walkin back and forth in time that you're missin, gets more pathetic everyday

I again disagree with the moelinks lyrics here. I just hear that more than "it's time that you're missin" To me at least it makes a bit more sense, when looking at it that way it seems as if he is saying he is thinking of things that he is missing by always being on the road. That day by day he longs to be home more when on the road.

well run to the day when you wonder who's that man, you look and you notice that you and me have the same hands, these hands your hands they are my hands, they are our hands understand, well I hope we never go there understand

I really had to stretch to try to figure out these lyrics and even these don't sound completely right, but its the closest I can come up with. Taking that these are in fact the right lyrics I get this: I think here he is saying you're gonna run yourself until you no longer realize who you are. Al is a guitar player, his hands are what is part of both essences of himself. Also his hands could symbolize everything that he has made. Its part of himself, and it isn't what he creates with the rock star al, but the personal al. He in a sense realizes he has to have the real al to make anything. Obviously he is hoping it never gets to that point where he is totally disconnected with the real al.

You've been driving up and down the countryside, rhyme and reason just flew out the door.

obviously a reference to plane crash. THe feeling of tourning with no real aim.

you've been lying in and out the sunlight time and season sleepin on the floor.

The hectic life of touring, sometimes during breaks he can venture out into the regular sunlight instead of always being part of the nightlife. No regular bed, a reference to back when they would often sleep on people's floors. an overall image into a feeling of instability about touring and what it does to him.

The rest is all repeated lyrics, so no further explanation is necessary. Let me say much of this has been a stretch, so take it for what its worth. I feel like I got a pretty good essence of what its about, but its up for debate, if anybody else has any insights then feel more than welcome to shed some light.

Jacob (two in one day whoo hoo) Rabon

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