Third World Man

The Zoo Crew is spinning "Third World Man" by Steely Dan from their 1980 album Gaucho, and Zoo Freaks, you're in for some wild trivia about this track! Originally recorded during the Aja sessions in 1977 under the title "Were You Blind That Day?" with different lyrics, the song was shelved until a studio mishap forced its revival. During the Gaucho sessions, a junior engineer accidentally erased three-quarters of "The Second Arrangement," a track producers Gary Katz and Roger Nichols considered a masterpiece. Unable to salvage it, Steely Dan pulled "Third World Man" from the vault, reworking it with new lyrics and a haunting guitar solo by Larry Carlton. Carlton, unaware his Aja-era performance was used, was surprised to hear himself on Gaucho. Fans on Reddit’s r/SteelyDan note the song’s distinct sound, with some detecting a demo-like quality compared to Gaucho’s polished production, likely due to its earlier recording. The lyrics, described as a critique of U.S. imperialism or a portrait of a traumatized child soldier, make it one of the band’s darkest closers, with Songs From So Deep calling it “horrifying” yet “humane.”

Another layer to "Third World Man" comes from the grueling Gaucho sessions, which Eli Lutsky highlighted in a 2004 interview shared on X, where Donald Fagen and Walter Becker discussed the album’s troubled production. Becker, battling heroin addiction and recovering from a car accident that left him with multiple fractures, was less involved, leaving Fagen to shoulder much of the work. The song’s inclusion was a compromise after the loss of "The Second Arrangement," with fans on Steely Dan Fan Club debating whether it fits Gaucho’s sleazy, groove-driven vibe or feels like an Aja outlier. Some, as seen in r/SteelyDan threads, argue it’s the perfect melancholic end to the band’s 1970s era, with Carlton’s emotive solo—described as a career highlight—adding raw emotion to an otherwise slick album. The track didn’t use the $150,000 Wendel drum machine, unlike others on Gaucho, relying instead on live drums for its brooding rhythm.

Steely Dan began as a partnership between Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, who met in 1967 at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. Bonding over their love for jazz, blues, and Beat literature, they played in various bands before moving to New York City in 1969 to work as songwriters and backing musicians. By 1971, they landed in Los Angeles as staff songwriters for ABC Records, where they secretly formed Steely Dan—named after a dildo in William S. Burroughs’ Naked Lunch—with musicians like guitarists Jeff “Skunk” Baxter and Denny Dias. Their 1972 debut, Can’t Buy a Thrill, blended rock, jazz, and R&B with cryptic lyrics, spawning hits like “Do It Again” and “Reelin’ in the Years.” Initially a full band, Becker and Fagen shifted to a studio-only duo by 1974, frustrated with touring and seeking control over their meticulous sound. They enlisted top session players like Larry Carlton and Michael McDonald, cementing their reputation for perfectionism and complex, irony-laced songs.

Zoo Freaks can stay connected with Steely Dan through their official website, which offers tour updates and merch. While the band doesn’t have an official Instagram, Donald Fagen posts sparingly on his Facebook page about solo projects and concerts. No verified X account exists for the band, but fans share news via posts like Eric Alper’s 2023 tweet about Gaucho’s release. Join the Steely Dan Fan Club on Facebook for lively discussions, or check out r/SteelyDan for deep dives into tracks like "Third World Man." Fan sites like Steely Dan NL offer discographies and tour archives, while Songs From So Deep provides thoughtful song analyses. Keep grooving, Zoo Freaks!