Uploaded September 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
🎸 plaidonflannel.com
🎤 plaidonflannelshop.com
Nolan Randall playing the guitar interlude of “Reelin’ In The Years” by Steely Dan from their 1972 album Can’t Buy A Thrill for ABC Records.
Words and music by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker
Your everlasting summer
You can see it fading fast
So you grab a piece of something
That you think is gonna last
Well you wouldn't even know a diamond
If you held it in your hand
The things you think are precious
I can't understand
Are you reelin' in the years
Stowin' away the time
Are you gatherin' up the tears
Have you had enough of mine
Are you reelin' in the years
Stowin' away the time
Are you gatherin' up the tears
Have you had enough of mine
You been tellin' me you're a genius
Since you were seventeen
In all the time I've known you
I still don't know what you mean
The weekend at the college
Didn't turn out like you planned
The things that pass for knowledge
I can't understand
Are you reelin' in the years
Stowin' away the time
Are you gatherin' up the tears
Have you had enough of mine
Are you reelin' in the years
Stowin' away the time
Are you gatherin' up the tears
Have you had enough of mine
I spend a lot of money
And I spent a lot of time
The trip we made to Hollywood
Is etched upon my mind
After all the things we've done and seen
You find another man
The things you think are useless
I can't understand
Are you reelin' in the years
Stowin' away the time
Are you gatherin' up the tears
Have you had enough of mine
Are you reelin' in the years
Stowin' away the time
Are you gatherin' up the tears
Have you had enough of mine
*Song Facts*
"Reelin' In the Years" (sometimes called "Reeling In the Years") is a song by jazz rock band Steely Dan, released as the second single from their 1972 album, Can't Buy a Thrill. It reached No. 11 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The song was written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker and features Fagen on vocals. In 2009, Rolling Stone described the track as "a prime early example of what would become the Dan’s trademark vibe, marrying a sardonic kiss-off to an ex to a bouncy shuffle groove, and adding on some white-hot guitar dazzlement courtesy of Elliott Randall to bring the whole thing home." In the same interview, Fagen said "It’s dumb but effective," and Becker said "It’s no fun."
"Reelin' In The Years" is about recalling times with a girlfriend and a romantic breakup. It's one of the most popular Steely Dan songs, but also one of their least favourite. As both Fagen and Becker have stated their distaste for the tune. Being different from their adapted signature jazz-rock style.
Steely Dan are known for their meticulous sound - every note must be perfect. This song is sometimes criticized for bringing on overly polished mainstream '70s music.
The guitar solo on the original recorded version, by session player Elliott Randall, was recorded in one take. It has reportedly been rated by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page as his favourite solo of all time, and he scored it 12/10.
Elliot Randall, who was not a member of Steely Dan, stopped by on an invite from Skunk Baxter while they were recording this and ended up playing the guitar solo. This was one of the first of many times Walter Becker and Donald Fagen would use studio musicians, and by their fourth album, nearly every player was a studio musician. Randall also played on their albums Katy Lied and The Royal Scam.
On it's release in 1973, Billboard said: "Easy sounding guitar solos lead into an easy sounding piano break which supports the voices extolling about culling life's experiences from tears to time." Cash Box called it a "winner highlighted by some expert guitar playing."
In March 2005, Q magazine placed the recording at No. 95 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.
In 2016 the solo was ranked the 40th best guitar solo of all time by the readers of Guitar World magazine.
The four-channel quadraphonic mix of "Reelin' In The Years" has extra lead guitar fills not heard in the more common two-channel stereo version.
The live version on Alive in America (1995) includes a saxophone section and additional backing vocals.
Donny and Marie Osmond covered "Reelin' In the Years" for their variety show on January 13, 1978. This rendition of the song was more ebullient than the original, and included the introduction of the show's guests, Ruth Buzzi, Buddy Hackett and Suzanne Somers. The performance also featured a chorus line of ice-skating dancers.
In 1993, the song was featured in The Wonder Years episode "Unpacking".
"Reelin' In The Years" is featured in Rob Zombie's 2005 movie, The Devil's Rejects.
The song was used as the theme music for the television series Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive, which aired on BBC Three in the UK between July 2006 and June 2007.
It's also used as the theme for the RTÉ television series Reeling In the Years, an Irish documentary series, covering one year per episode.
#SteelyDan #ReelinInTheYears #ClassicRock
🎸 plaidonflannel.com
🎤 plaidonflannelshop.com
Nolan Randall playing the guitar interlude of “Reelin’ In The Years” by Steely Dan from their 1972 album Can’t Buy A Thrill for ABC Records.
Words and music by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker
Your everlasting summer
You can see it fading fast
So you grab a piece of something
That you think is gonna last
Well you wouldn't even know a diamond
If you held it in your hand
The things you think are precious
I can't understand
Are you reelin' in the years
Stowin' away the time
Are you gatherin' up the tears
Have you had enough of mine
Are you reelin' in the years
Stowin' away the time
Are you gatherin' up the tears
Have you had enough of mine
You been tellin' me you're a genius
Since you were seventeen
In all the time I've known you
I still don't know what you mean
The weekend at the college
Didn't turn out like you planned
The things that pass for knowledge
I can't understand
Are you reelin' in the years
Stowin' away the time
Are you gatherin' up the tears
Have you had enough of mine
Are you reelin' in the years
Stowin' away the time
Are you gatherin' up the tears
Have you had enough of mine
I spend a lot of money
And I spent a lot of time
The trip we made to Hollywood
Is etched upon my mind
After all the things we've done and seen
You find another man
The things you think are useless
I can't understand
Are you reelin' in the years
Stowin' away the time
Are you gatherin' up the tears
Have you had enough of mine
Are you reelin' in the years
Stowin' away the time
Are you gatherin' up the tears
Have you had enough of mine
*Song Facts*
"Reelin' In the Years" (sometimes called "Reeling In the Years") is a song by jazz rock band Steely Dan, released as the second single from their 1972 album, Can't Buy a Thrill. It reached No. 11 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The song was written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker and features Fagen on vocals. In 2009, Rolling Stone described the track as "a prime early example of what would become the Dan’s trademark vibe, marrying a sardonic kiss-off to an ex to a bouncy shuffle groove, and adding on some white-hot guitar dazzlement courtesy of Elliott Randall to bring the whole thing home." In the same interview, Fagen said "It’s dumb but effective," and Becker said "It’s no fun."
"Reelin' In The Years" is about recalling times with a girlfriend and a romantic breakup. It's one of the most popular Steely Dan songs, but also one of their least favourite. As both Fagen and Becker have stated their distaste for the tune. Being different from their adapted signature jazz-rock style.
Steely Dan are known for their meticulous sound - every note must be perfect. This song is sometimes criticized for bringing on overly polished mainstream '70s music.
The guitar solo on the original recorded version, by session player Elliott Randall, was recorded in one take. It has reportedly been rated by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page as his favourite solo of all time, and he scored it 12/10.
Elliot Randall, who was not a member of Steely Dan, stopped by on an invite from Skunk Baxter while they were recording this and ended up playing the guitar solo. This was one of the first of many times Walter Becker and Donald Fagen would use studio musicians, and by their fourth album, nearly every player was a studio musician. Randall also played on their albums Katy Lied and The Royal Scam.
On it's release in 1973, Billboard said: "Easy sounding guitar solos lead into an easy sounding piano break which supports the voices extolling about culling life's experiences from tears to time." Cash Box called it a "winner highlighted by some expert guitar playing."
In March 2005, Q magazine placed the recording at No. 95 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.
In 2016 the solo was ranked the 40th best guitar solo of all time by the readers of Guitar World magazine.
The four-channel quadraphonic mix of "Reelin' In The Years" has extra lead guitar fills not heard in the more common two-channel stereo version.
The live version on Alive in America (1995) includes a saxophone section and additional backing vocals.
Donny and Marie Osmond covered "Reelin' In the Years" for their variety show on January 13, 1978. This rendition of the song was more ebullient than the original, and included the introduction of the show's guests, Ruth Buzzi, Buddy Hackett and Suzanne Somers. The performance also featured a chorus line of ice-skating dancers.
In 1993, the song was featured in The Wonder Years episode "Unpacking".
"Reelin' In The Years" is featured in Rob Zombie's 2005 movie, The Devil's Rejects.
The song was used as the theme music for the television series Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive, which aired on BBC Three in the UK between July 2006 and June 2007.
It's also used as the theme for the RTÉ television series Reeling In the Years, an Irish documentary series, covering one year per episode.
#SteelyDan #ReelinInTheYears #ClassicRock
