"Show Biz Kids" is a song composed by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen and performed by Steely Dan. It was the first single from Steely Dan's 1973 album Countdown to Ecstasy, and reached number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100.[ Steely Dan USA chart history], Billboard.com. Retrieved May 28, 2012. It was edited for the single release.
The song is based on a four-bar, 30-second-long loop of drums, bass, piano, and a background vocal mantra referring to Las Vegas as "Lost Wages" (an idea borrowed from a Lenny Bruce monologue), upon which the rest of the recording was overdubbed. Rick Derringer's slide guitar part was recorded at Caribou Ranch. It briefly references the earlier Steely Dan song "Reelin' in the Years" following the line "They got the Steely Dan T-shirt".
Among the overdubs on the outro of the song are a rare instance of Becker playing harmonica, and a jumble of voices, including those of Steely Dan road crew members Warren Wallace and John Famular.
Cash Box said that the song has "an infectious chorus delivered a la Nilsson's "Coconut" hit."
The song satirizes contemporary Los Angeles lifestyles. Critic Tom Hull described the album lyrics as "a running paste together joke [...] sufraintelligent, witty and slyly devious", citing as an example the following lyrics from "Show Biz Kids": "They got the booze they need/ All that money can buy/ They got the shapely bods/ They got the Steely Dan T-shirt/ And for the coup-de-gras/ They're outrageous."
A looped sample from the track, featuring the section of lyric "you know they don't give a fuck about anybody else", formed the basis of the Super Furry Animals single "The Man Don't Give a Fuck" in 1996: Fagen initially refused permission for the sample, but subsequently relented. A version of "Show Biz Kids" was recorded by Rickie Lee Jones on her album of cover versions It's Like This, released in 2000.
Personnel Steely Dan Donald Fagen – piano, lead vocals, backing vocals Walter Becker – electric bass, harmonica, background vocals Jim Hodder – drums, percussion, background vocals
Additional musicians Rick Derringer – slide guitar Victor Feldman – marimba, percussion Sherlie Matthews, Myrna Matthews, Patricia Hall, Royce Jones, James Rolleston – background vocals Warren Wallace – spoken word John Famular – spoken word
References
External links Full lyrics for the song at Steely Dan's official website (Archived December 9, 2015) Song Review by AllMusic "Show Biz Kids" live performance on The Midnight Special, August 31, 1973