Psychedelic Lunch

Welcome to our “Psychedelic Lunch” series where we find out how deep the rabbit hole really goes and explore psychedelic tunes from the 60’s to today. Weekdays At Noon EST. Enjoy the trip!

Donald Fagan, New Frontier. Album: The Nightfly (1982)

This was included on Fagen’s first solo album after Steely Dan called it quits in 1981. The song is about growing up in the suburbs in the late ’50s and early ’60s. Some of the cultural references include “pushing the button,” “Tuesday Weld” and “Dave Brubeck.” The title comes from President Kennedy’s political agenda for the country during his brief administration.

The song is a satirical take on life in the early 1960s, particularly the fear of a nuclear war, which had been revived in the early 1980s.

On The Charlie Gillett Show on London’s Capital Radio in 1988, Fagen said: “You’ll hear a little blues guitar played by Larry Carlton, and it’s kind of a track reflecting the spirit of the times. The storyline is basically about a bunch of kids who have a party in a fallout shelter while their parents are away for the weekend.”