1972 · Behind the Songs
A farewell to friends who never grew up.
If “Do It Again” was the warning, “Reelin’ in the Years” is the morning after. The song looks back at old friends who burned bright and flamed out — the ones who had everything and let it slip. Elliott Randall’s guitar solo, all flashing precision, is the sound of someone showing off the chops the song’s subjects wasted.
Released as the second single from Can’t Buy a Thrill in 1972, it became one of the band’s signature songs, and its bitterness has aged well. There is no nostalgia in it, only a clear-eyed inventory of what gets lost. Steely Dan were barely out of their twenties when they recorded it, which makes its world-weariness either impressive or suspicious — probably both.