About the song
About the song“My Old School” is a song that takes listeners on a journey back in time to the late 1960s, when the American rock band Steely Dan was still in its formative years. Released in October 1973, the song is the second single from their album Countdown to Ecstasy, and it reached number 63 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song’s lyrics tell the story of a drug bust that took place at Bard College in Dutchess County, New York, in May 1969. The incident, which involved the arrest of 44 students, including Steely Dan’s own Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, is recounted in the song with a mix of humor and sarcasm.
The song’s narrative is built around the theme of betrayal, as the singer reflects on the events that led to the bust. According to the lyrics, a female acquaintance betrayed the singer and his friends to “Daddy Gee” (G. Gordon Liddy), a local assistant district attorney. The song’s chorus, which repeats the phrase “I’ll never go back to Annandale,” is a vow to never return to the college until “California tumbles into the sea.” Despite this promise, Fagen did eventually return to Bard College in 1985 to receive an honorary Doctor of Arts degree.
Musically, “My Old School” is a departure from Steely Dan’s usual fare, with a more upbeat and catchy melody than many of their other songs. The song features a guitar solo by Jeff Baxter and a horn arrangement by Jimmie Haskell. Overall, “My Old School” is a fascinating glimpse into the early days of Steely Dan, and its blend of humor, sarcasm, and musical craftsmanship has made it a fan favorite for decades.
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Lyrics
I remember the thirty-five sweet goodbyes
When you put me on the Wolverine up to Annandale
It was still September
When your daddy was quite surprised
To find you with the working girls in the county jail
I was smoking with the boys upstairs when I
Heard about the whole affair, I said oh no
William and Mary won’t do
Well, I did not think the girl
Could be so cruel
And I’m never going back
To my old school
Oleanders growing outside her door
Soon they’re gonna be in bloom up in Annandale
I can’t stand her
Doing what she did before
Living like a gypsy queen in a fairy tale
Well, I hear the whistle but I can’t go, I’m gonna
Take her down to Mexico, she said oh no
Guadalajara won’t do
Well, I did not think the girl
Could be so cruel
And I’m never going back
To my old school
California tumbles into the sea
That’ll be the day I go back to Annandale
Tried to warn you
About Chino and Daddy Gee
But I can’t seem to get to you through the U.S. Mail
Well I hear the whistle but I can’t go, I’m gonna
Take her down to Mexico, she said oh no
Guadalajara won’t do
Well, I did not think the girl
Could be so cruel
And I’m never going back
To my old school