Artists
Musicians featured in this piece are:
Donald Fagen – lead vocals, Fender Rhodes electric piano, synthesizer
Walter Becker – guitar
Hugh McCracken – guitar
Rick Marotta – drums
Victor Feldman – percussion
Steve Gadd – percussion
Written by Walter Becker & Donald Fagen. Produced by Gary Katz, engineered by Roger Nichols & Elliot Scheiner. Released as the lead single from Gaucho (MCA Records, November 21, 1980, album released the same month).
“Hey Nineteen” tells the story of an aging hipster’s awkward attempt to connect with a much younger woman, who fails to even recognize Aretha Franklin. The album’s title track drew a legal threat from jazz pianist Keith Jarrett over an uncredited melodic similarity, eventually resolved by adding him as a co-writer on that song. On “Hey Nineteen” specifically, engineer Roger Nichols built a custom drum machine — a forerunner to his “Wendel” digital sampler — used for the basic drum beat alongside the live players. It was the last major hit before Becker and Fagen dissolved the band in 1981, not performed live again until Steely Dan’s 1993 reunion tour.
Steely Dan – Hey Nineteen Lyrics
Way back when
In Sixty-seven
I was the dandy
Of Gamma Chi
Sweet things from Boston
So young and willing
Moved down to Scarsdale
Where the hell am I
Hey Nineteen
No we can’t dance together
No we can’t talk at all
Please take me along
When you slide on down
Hey Nineteen
That’s ‘Retha Franklin
She don’t remember
The Queen of Soul
It’s hard times befallen
The Soul Survivors
She thinks I’m crazy
But I’m just growing old
Hey Nineteen
No we got nothing in common
No we can’t talk at all
Please take me along
When you slide on down
Nice
Sure looks good
Mmm-mmm-mmm
Skate a little lower now
The Cuervo Gold
The fine Colombian
Make tonight a wonderful thing
The Cuervo Gold
The fine Colombian
Make tonight a wonderful thing
The Cuervo Gold
The fine Colombian
Make tonight a wonderful thing
No we can’t dance together
No we can’t talk at all
To listen to other songs from the Teleskop 17 program and the full program, click here.