Steely Dan's "Peg" with Jon Benjamin

One Song

Hartbeat

Music Commentary, Music Interviews, Onesong, Comedy, Music

4.9 • 876 Ratings

🗓️ 31 October 2024

⏱️ 81 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

One Song Nation – won’t you smile for another episode? Because we know you’re gonna love it! On this episode of One Song, actor, comedian and musician Jon Benjamin (Archer, Bob’s Burgers) joins Diallo and LUXXURY to break down one of Steely Dan’s most beloved, jazz-infused songs from 1977, “Peg.” They discuss the lengths the band’s core duo – Walter Becker and Donald Fagen – went to achieve their vision for this song and its album 'Aja' (it took 40 musicians!), and why it may be “one of the strangest hits to ever grace the mainstream.” (Pitchfork’s words, not ours.)

Transcript

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0:00.0	there's a reason why we did not do a parody song.
0:02.5	You wanted to. I had the lyrics written.
0:04.2	I tried to learn this song. It is beyond my ability. And this is relevant because we've done
0:10.0	whatever 58, 59 episodes. Most of the songs in our one song repertoire are performable because
0:16.0	they're relatively like in the rock pop canon. I can play them. This has got too much jazz in it. It's way too much
0:22.3	jazz. The theme of today's episode is too much jazz. It's too much jazz. Too much jazz.
0:27.1	Lectury Today's song is the biggest commercial release from this jazz and pop influence rock
0:35.6	band who have sold 40 million albums worldwide and
0:38.2	were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. It's also one of their most popular
0:43.3	and beloved songs. It peaked at number three in the U.S. and number five in the U.K. So the U.S.
0:48.8	knew something more. We were just better than the U.S. slightly more fans In 1978. And the song is on an album that has been certified platinum.
0:57.5	That's right, Diallo.
0:58.2	This band has refused to obey rock and pop conventions.
1:01.1	They're known for weaving deceptively ironic lyrics with sophisticated jazz harmonies and
1:05.5	arrangements and a meticulous production style.
1:08.1	And this song, which Pitchfork called one of the strangest hits ever to grace the
1:11.7	mainstream, understatement. It just might be the perfect combination of all of those elements.
1:15.8	It's one song, and that song is Pegg by Steely Dan.
1:19.4	Hey, it will come back to you.
1:23.6	Hey, it will come back to you.
1:29.6	Damn, the show of the songs you'll see it. Hey, I'm back to you Then I'm sure to far away.
1:30.9	You see it all
	...

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