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I never seen you looking so bad my funky one
You tell me that your superfine mind has come undone
[Chorus]
Any major dude with half a heart surely will tell you my friend
Any minor world that breaks apart falls together again
When the demon is at your door
In the morning it won't be there no more
Any major dude will tell you
Have you ever seen a squonk's tears? Well, look at mine
The people on the street have all seen better times
[Chorus]
I can tell you all I know, the where to go, the what to do
You can try to run but you can't hide from what's inside of you
[Chorus]
You tell me that your superfine mind has come undone
[Chorus]
Any major dude with half a heart surely will tell you my friend
Any minor world that breaks apart falls together again
When the demon is at your door
In the morning it won't be there no more
Any major dude will tell you
Have you ever seen a squonk's tears? Well, look at mine
The people on the street have all seen better times
[Chorus]
I can tell you all I know, the where to go, the what to do
You can try to run but you can't hide from what's inside of you
[Chorus]
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Any 'mount of world that breaks apart falls together again.
That is, "any amount of world". One of the motifs of the song is to talk cool -- "major dude", "my funky one", "superfine mind", etc.
Read more at songmeanings.net/songs/view/140468/ more at songmeanings.net/songs/view/140468/
Any MAJOR dude
With HALF a heart
Any MINOR world
Etc. Just real clever, and that sort of helps you take it seriously when it can be clever without being droll. And that also makes one relax, as these are sort of like jokes or puns, and wit can soften things as he gives the needed medicine.
It's also "cool" and "hip", becuase he lays it out with street lingo, dude, any major player, my man, with just half a heart, he'd TELL you...
Yet he's kind of saying it in a logical, formulaic way at the same time:
Now, listen up class. Any dude such that he is major and has no less than half of a heart would tell
anyone, including you, that, any world such that it is minor and having fallen apart, will in all
cases fall together again. Or, to put it another way, any DEMON such that it is a)at your door and b)
is there at night will for a certainty not be present in the morning.
I don't know, but it's like big brotherly advice that has the substance of a deep lecture on metaphysics and the meaning of life while simultaneously being cool and hip, close to the street. It tells you that you are strong without patronizing you, and even chiding you a little bit (come on, have you ever seen a squonk's tears buddy? Well, look at mine over here...)
It says "shape up, be strong", but it says "don't worry about it, we've all been there" and yet "so were the Masters of Life. How do you think they got to be where THEY are, DUDE?"
:P
all give away the meaning - in my opinion. Not to mention, the conversational lyric of the title, referring to the fact that any good friend would tell you the truth about what you keep doing to yourself. After all, Steely Dan songs are littered with various drug references.
In addition, he says something else with these two lyrics:
I can tell you all I know: the where to go, the what to do.
You can try to run but you can't hide from what's inside of you.
What he simply means is that anyone can tell you how to do things, but all the real answers are already within you. It's the idea of finding direction in yourself before looking outside outwards for help.
i believe a major dude is a friend (any friend would tell you that you won't always feel so bad)
practice impermanence... in the morning things will be different (because things are impermanent, attachment to them is futile, and leads to suffering)
Have you ever seen a squonks tears? Well, look at mine. (i’m sad sometimes too)
The people on the street have all seen better times. (there is suffering everywhere)
I can tell you all I know: there where to go, the what to do.
(my words are meaningless if you don’t put them into practice)
You can try to run but you can't hide from what's inside of you.
(the nature of your being is goodness and joy)
"The people on the street have all seen better times" and "When the demon is at your door in the morning it won't be there no more" have to be some of the the most uplifting lyrics ever.
Love the musicality so much. Hail the Skunk!