Walk Between Raindrops

The Zoo Crew is spinning the jazzy, nostalgic vibes of Walk Between Raindrops by Donald Fagen from his 1982 solo debut, The Nightfly, and the Zoo Freaks are surely grooving along. This upbeat shuffle, the closing track of the album, is a love letter to a fleeting Miami romance, wrapped in a Jewish folk tale where a rabbi miraculously stays dry in a storm by walking between raindrops. Fagen reimagines this miracle as a metaphor for love’s magic, with lyrics painting a vivid scene of a couple kissing under a thunderstorm by Miami’s big hotels, their bond defying the rain. In a 2002 liner note for the Nightfly DVD-A, Fagen revealed the song was written for an old girlfriend from Miami, adding a personal touch to its dreamy nostalgia. The track’s breezy melody, driven by Steve Jordan’s drums and Will Lee’s bass, with Paul Shaffer on piano, swings with a 1960s lounge vibe, which jazz legend Mel Tormé amplified in his own cover, giving it a “Velvet Fog” lounge treatment. Tormé, a big Fagen fan, praised his “whiny, nasalized croon” in a 1996 interview, and also covered The Goodbye Look from the same album.

Fans on Reddit’s r/SteelyDan have called Walk Between Raindrops a “perfect closer” for The Nightfly, with some likening its cheerful bounce to a 1960s sitcom theme, though a few feel it’s overshadowed by heavier tracks like I.G.Y. or the title song. One fan shared a story of their father, a Duke Ellington devotee, stopping in his tracks to ask, “Who is this?” when the song played, a testament to its universal appeal. The song’s production was no small feat; Fagen and his team combined keyboard bass and bass guitar for its distinctive groove, a technique that became common in later records. Recorded using cutting-edge 3M digital 32-track machines, it was one of the first fully digital albums, though Fagen nearly gave up on the tech due to its complexity. A 2013 jazz band arrangement by Shawn W. Davern for the Boston University Big Band brought fresh life to the track, premiering with a four-minute rendition that kept its cool, sophisticated swing.

Donald Fagen, born January 10, 1948, in Passaic, New Jersey, kicked off his musical journey as a suburban kid entranced by late-night jazz radio. In his memoir, Eminent Hipsters, he describes how jazz, especially Thelonious Monk and Ray Charles, offered an escape from the blandness of 1950s suburban life, shaping his “hipster culture” worldview. As a teenager, he’d huddle by a portable radio, soaking in subversive jazz through static, a scene mirrored on The Nightfly’s cover, where he’s depicted as a crew-cut DJ. Fagen’s musical chops grew at Bard College, where he met Walter Becker in 1967. Bonding over jazz and blues, they formed early bands, playing covers and originals. By 1971, they moved to Los Angeles, becoming songwriters for ABC Records before launching Steely Dan, blending rock, jazz, and cryptic lyrics into hits like Reelin’ In the Years and Rikki Don’t Lose That Number. After Steely Dan disbanded in 1981, Fagen’s solo career began with The Nightfly, a deeply autobiographical work reflecting his youth’s optimism and cultural shifts.

Stay connected with Donald Fagen through his official website, though he keeps a low social media profile. You can follow Steely Dan’s updates on Facebook, Instagram, and X for tour news and more. Fans gather at the Steely Dan Fan Group on Facebook, sharing memories and trivia. The r/SteelyDan Reddit community is another hotspot for lively discussions, while Fever Dreams, a fan site, dives deep into song analyses and Fagen’s cryptic lyricism. For more on Fagen’s life, check out Peter Jones’ biography, Nightfly: The Life of Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen, as highlighted in a 2023 X post by @baddantakes.