10 hours Ago By [email protected] (Paige Freshwater)
Steely Dan have been making music for nearly 55 years - but many of the band's fans have been left scratching their heads over the meaning of their stage name. The American rock band, formed by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 after selling more than 40 million albums worldwide. They've also been recognised by VH1 as number 82 on their list of the 100 Greatest Musical Artists of All Time, and Rolling Stone ranked them at number 15 on their list of 20 Greatest Duos of All Time.
Some of Steely Dan's biggest hits include Reelin' In the Years, My Old School, Black Cow, Do It Again, Peg, Hey Nineteen, Dirty Work and Don't Take Me Alive. Despite their long-standing popularity, one fan recently took to Reddit to ask: "Why are they called Steely Dan and not something like Steely Doug?" According to The Lion, the band's name has a rather risqué origin. It appears the band chose their name from an object featured in William S.
Burroughs' book Naked Lunch, known for being "one of the most shocking novels ever written". A statement explains: "The 'Steely Dan' in question was a steam-powered, mechanical dildo. Right away, the name suited the music to a T.
Something so obscene, naughty, anti-societal, was buried under the innocuous, a careful blend of clean sound that owed as much to the Stones as it did to Duke Ellington. What seemed sleep-inducing was anything but if you gave a damn." According to American Songwriter, the origin of the band's name is attributed to a rather unusual source: "Fagan and Becker must have had a laugh at the idea and well, it stuck.
So, there you have it, folks. One of your favourite bands is named after a sex toy. Just goes to show you not all greatness comes from where you'd expect.
" The name is a reference to a dildo mentioned in William S. Burroughs' novel Naked Lunch, which follows a narcotics addict's journey through a "nightmarish wasteland" called Interzone. Reacting to this revelation, one Reddit user joked: "Why not just Steely D? " Another user explained: "Because William S.
Burroughs called the dildo in the book Naked Lunch Steely Dan and not Steely Doug." A third user chimed in: "Don't get me wrong, I love Steely Dan, just not the origin of the name." Others found the news amusing, with one user saying: "Thank you for the good belly laugh to get my day started.
" Another user shared a similar conversation they had with their mum, saying: "I had this conversation with my mum a while ago. I think I said something about that 'personal massager' that was in the Sears mail order catalogue in the 70/80s. She got the drift.
.." Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp.
Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like.
If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice ..
