Haitian Divorce

The Zoo Crew is spinning "Haitian Divorce" by Steely Dan from their 1976 album The Royal Scam, and the Zoo Freaks are in for a treat with this reggae-infused track. One juicy piece of trivia comes from Ultimate Classic Rock, which reports that the song was inspired by a recording engineer who took time off to fly to Haiti for a quick marriage annulment. Intrigued, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker grilled him for details upon his return, crafting a story about a woman seeking a swift divorce in Haiti. The song’s narrative follows Babs, who travels to Haiti, indulges in the local scene, and returns pregnant, sparking gossip and questions about the child’s paternity. Fans on r/SteelyDan have called it a “masterpiece of lyricism, storytelling, and funkiness,” with one user recounting how the song hit them like a “ton of bricks” while listening in a taxi, cementing their love for Steely Dan’s unique sound.

Another tidbit from Songfacts highlights the song’s use of a talkbox, the same effect Black Sabbath used in “Iron Man,” to create its distinctive guitar sound, courtesy of Dean Parks and altered by Walter Becker. The track’s Caribbean vibe, complete with a rock-steady backbeat, was described by Fagen in a 1976 Melody Maker interview as evoking an “idealized, exotic atmosphere” more akin to I Love Lucy than authentic reggae. Genius notes that the lyrics play on Haiti’s reputation for easy divorces, paralleling the fleeting nature of love, with lines like “Now we dolly back / Now we fade to black” suggesting a cinematic affair. The song’s UK chart success, peaking at #17, made it Steely Dan’s biggest hit there, despite being an outlier with its reggae influences, as noted on TV Tropes.

Steely Dan began as a songwriting partnership between Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, who met in 1967 at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. Bonded by their love of jazz, blues, and sharp-witted lyricism, they started writing together, initially penning songs for other artists. Before forming Steely Dan, they worked as touring musicians for Jay and the Americans, honing their craft. In 1971, they moved to Los Angeles, recruited a band, and named it Steely Dan after a dildo from William S. Burroughs’ Naked Lunch. Their debut album, Can’t Buy a Thrill, released in 1972 under ABC Records, blended jazz, rock, and pop, with hits like “Do It Again” and “Reelin’ in the Years.” By The Royal Scam, they had ditched the traditional band setup, relying on top-tier session musicians like Larry Carlton and Bernard Purdie to achieve their perfectionist vision, as detailed on Last.fm.

Zoo Freaks can connect with Steely Dan through their official website, where they’ll find tour dates, discography, and news. The band’s Facebook page keeps fans updated with concert photos and reissue announcements, while their Instagram shares throwback images and vinyl reissue hype. On X, Steely Dan posts about performances and engages with fans. For deeper dives, the r/SteelyDan subreddit is a vibrant fan hub with 43,000 members discussing everything from lyrics to live shows. Fan sites like Fever Dreams offer detailed analyses and Q&A archives, while the alt.music.steely-dan Google Group remains active for diehards debating song meanings and sharing memories.