The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Have you heard about the boom on Mizar Five
People got to shout to stay alive
They don't even have policeman one
Doesn't matter where you been or what you've done
Do you have a dark spot on your past
Leave it to my man he'll fix it fast
Pepe has a scar from ear to ear
He will make your mug shots disappear
[Chorus]
You zombie
Be born again my friend
Won't you sign in stranger
Do you like to take a yo-yo for a ride
Zombie I can see you're qualified
Walk around collecting Turkish union dues
They will call you sir and shine your shoes
Or maybe you would like to see the show
You'll enjoy the Cafe D'Escargot
Folks are in a line around the block
Just to see her do the can-can-Jacques
[Chorus]
Love or leave her, yellow fever
Sure, it's all in the game
And who are you
Just another scurvy brother
[Chorus]
People got to shout to stay alive
They don't even have policeman one
Doesn't matter where you been or what you've done
Do you have a dark spot on your past
Leave it to my man he'll fix it fast
Pepe has a scar from ear to ear
He will make your mug shots disappear
[Chorus]
You zombie
Be born again my friend
Won't you sign in stranger
Do you like to take a yo-yo for a ride
Zombie I can see you're qualified
Walk around collecting Turkish union dues
They will call you sir and shine your shoes
Or maybe you would like to see the show
You'll enjoy the Cafe D'Escargot
Folks are in a line around the block
Just to see her do the can-can-Jacques
[Chorus]
Love or leave her, yellow fever
Sure, it's all in the game
And who are you
Just another scurvy brother
[Chorus]
Lyrics submitted by barefoot_nightchild, edited by sirnoname
Sign in Stranger Lyrics as written by Walter Carl Becker Donald Jay Fagen
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
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"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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Can't believe folks here don't pick up on the obvious.
This is talking about a "wild and wooly" PLANET. This is a future SF world being depicted here. "Mizar V" is, in this universe, a "boom planet" that has chosen to minimize legal authority, shall we say, which attracts the more nefarious types to the place, a world where you can go to sort of "disappear," make a new life for yourself.
The guy who mentioned Jack Vance is almost certainly spot-on.
"You zombies" is a probably a reference to the Robert Heinlein story "...All You Zombies..." from the 50s. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_You_Zombies%E2%80%94) The plot of the Heinlein story bears little in common with the story of the SD song, and is probably just a name-check kind of thing, just like the allusion to the Vance story.
Most of SD's stuff is autobiographical; this is likely a sort of acknowledgment of the role played by pulp SF in the youth of either Donald or Walter. Or maybe both.
@Illbay Heinlein's zombies referred to the fact that every one of the characters who had a part in molding the main character's life were actually time-traveling versions of himself; that he was both his own mother and father, and therefore that his very existence in the real world was ultimately inexplicable -- hence they were all unreal zombies. I suspect SD was just using "zombie" in the sense of a gang member, like "enforcer," "soldier," "collector," etc., as a guy whose identity has been wiped.
My take on the lyrics of this song:
"Turkish union dues" is a reference to the overt corruption among the principal labor unions in Turkey during the 50s and 60s, some of which had greater annual revenue than the government, at the time. Union dues were often extorted, and often had nothing to do with membership. Union officials could get away with practically anything, with no consequences.
"Pepe's got a scar from ear to ear. He will make your mug shot disappear." Pepe is dead. He's had his throat slashed, and his body will be a stand-in for yours, so if anyone asks, you're dead (wink, wink). Case closed. This is also what "zombie" (and the chorus) refers to: You're dead, but you're not dead. Get it?
"Do you like to take a yo-yo for a ride? Zombie I can see you're qualified." Ratfinkabooboo (I like the handle -- seen the movie) has it nailed, and I'll add: If you want to execute the little creep, no one will come looking for you, 'cause you're dead. Pepe took care of that (see above), remember?
The lyrics are quite brutal, and very well written. Anyway, that's my interpretation.
my take on "scar from ear to ear" is that this is a criminal who committed a crime and can be identified by his mug shot. a scar is often a recognizable feature in identification used by law enforcement. a" scar from ear to ear" is his FACE, now that someone has i.d.ed him. making your mug shot disappear may refer to actually getting the mug shot removed from the files, but i like to think it refers to getting plastic surgery to make the mug shot no longer useful. fits in with the line "dark spot on your past" as well. just my 2 cents. steely dan are my all time favorite artists.
@reagan0 Both good takes. I always simply assumed that Pepe was the guy in charge of identity laundering, and the scar was his underworld cred (i.e., he's not the Witness Protection Program).
@reagan0 By the way, I bumped you one for explaining "Turkish union dues." Although its meaning is somewhat evident from the context, I've looked for a source for that phrase for a long time and yours is the first I've ever found.<br /> <br /> I've also never seen an official derivation of "Spanish kissin'," (I've Got The News) though again the context suggests its own answer.
Oh, yeah. The last stanza:
"Love or leave her" is a frequent reply to someone who offers criticism (deserved or not) about a town, state or nation, in this case, Mizar 5. Yellow fever, here, refers to rampant infectious cowardice: You hate what you see going on around you, but, like everyone else, who feels the same, you hesitate to do or say anything about it for fear of losing everything, including your life. So, you stay and "play the game," contributing to the criminal enterprise, by your inaction.
In a final blast of contempt, the singer says, "So who are you? Just another scurvy brother." He means that you're just another worthless piece of scum, like the rest of us, here on Mizar 5.
When I hear this song, I think of that 70s sci-fi flick, Outland, with Sean Connery and Peter Boyle. But, in the movie, Connery's character refuses to turn a blind eye....
@reagan0 I hear the "scurvy brother" line as a brag about their services: when you came here you were notorious, hot, and wanted; when we're done laundering your identity you'll be just another worthless face in a crowd.
I've wondered for a while now whether the reference to Mizar V are supposed to in some way link to the planet Mizar VI in an american sci-fi novel called 'Star Kings' written by Jack Vance. The inhabitants are all part of this strange religious sect, are super pious, ordered, and identical, doing the same things all the time. Maybe the song is describing people going to this place called Mizar V (where all bets are off), because the place next door (Mizar VI) is too up-tight, and people didn't want to live there anymore? This would explain why there was a 'boom'?
The book was written in the sixties, and had some circulation in magazines as a serial as well, so it works as a physical possibility. Could that maybe be the reference? It's hard to know, though - did either Fagen or Becker read much sci-fi? Might be a bit of a leap, but I thought it was a fun suggestion. :D
@nubbins I think this is just coincidence. Mizar is an actual star in the handle of the Dipper, prominent enough to have one of the old original Arab names. Science fiction authors love to use such stars as the sites of supposed planetary systems for their novels. The more exotic names get used more often, so you can almost always find some SF author who used it.
@nubbins "did either Fagen or Becker read much sci-fi?" My guess is yes. These guys do significantly more sci-fi songs than their contemporaries. This one, King of The World, Tomorrow's Girls, Trans-Island Skyway. Kamakiriad... (Some people claim Pretzel Logic is a time-travel song, I remain unconvinced.)<br /> There's also the IGY/New Frontier arc, which to me honestly reflects the "science fiction future" we were all promised back in the '50s.
@nubbins I think “scurvy brother” could have a comma in between. Meaning he isn’t saying your are a “scurvy brother”, he is saying “you are another scurvy….my brother”. You are just another disease.
Agree with the sci-fi, other planet bit. It appears to me Zombie is a criminal being recruited to go to the new boom-town planet to make some money off the new inhabitants (hey, they don't even have policeman one). You can find one individual with money to rip-off (take a yo-yo for a ride) or be part of a large scam (collect Turkish Union dues). Zombie could be just an underworld nick-name, or a reference to someone who is a "dead man walking" getting another chance.
When I listen to "Sign In Stranger" it's 2:00 in the afternoon, anywhere America, and I hear a recruiter, ex military, maybe CIA, parked at a corner table in a seedy bar, talking some guy just out of the army, navy, maybe marines. The recruiter is pitching "off-the-books" work. The guy is broke, guilt-ridden, maybe heartbroken, and clearly easy to impress. The recruiter knows the right lingo, the right pitch, the right way to state his offer without being specific so as to manipulate this guy into joining the "Dark Services" for mercenary work as this guy has killed before as a soldier and this guy will likely kill again for the right money and the right distraction. The recruiter, for effect, slams his hand on the table, leans over to the guy, stares him in the eyes and says:
"You zombie Be born again my friend Won't you sign in stranger".
@juni0rbarns145 An interesting take. I always envision a lifelong criminal who is "wanted" practically everywhere, being told about (or traveling to, or arriving at) a pirate planet populated by a society of criminal scofflaws who offer (among other things) an identity laundry that can set him up with a new identity (for a price, of course).
This song reminds me most of Naked Lunch. Definitely a place where you could get a new life if you wanted. By the way, Morocco is not in Turkey; it's a country in Africa across from Spain and Gibraltar.
Funny I always thought "take a yoyo for a ride" was a reference for driving a stool pigeon or other informant out into a desolate area and performing a hit.
i'm thinking it's conning some dupe.
@ratfinkabooboo I did as well, but both these interpretations sound valid. Both are criminal, at any rate.
This is probably my favorite song off the Royal Scam album
.. the piano is great
ditto. plus they're all good.
This song is about the French Foreign Legion. It deals with the privilegs you get you join the legion, how you can exploit the people of the country you're. It also says that you can hide away your criminal past (make the mug shout disappear), which was the main reason for many people joining the legion.