Steely Dan - Throw Back The Little Ones Meaning

Throw Back The Little Ones Lyrics

Lost in the Barrio I walk like an Injun
So Carlo won't suspect something's wrong here
I dance in place
And paint my face
And act like I belong here

Throw back the little ones
And pan-fry the big ones
Use tact, poise and reason
And...

1. anonymous

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   Feb 29th 2024 !⃝

   Or, it could be about buying heroine. Or it could be about cultural appropriation, or it could be about disillusionment with the status quo. What it CLEARLY isn't about (like most Steely songs) is one thing.
2. anonymous

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   Jun 14th 2023 !⃝

   This song is clearly about picking up women and looking for one to settle down with. Throwing back the little ones is a reference to women who don't measure up intellectually and pan frying the big ones is a reference to grilling the more intellectually mature women to find out what their made of. I think Fagen is the only person who ever referred to woman as fish, but I did see an Asian person kissing a a large catfish on the lips once.
3. anonymous

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   Nov 30th 2017 !⃝

   This is very clearly about cultural appropriation. It's about Donald Fagen feeling conflicted about his constant drawing on elements and stylistic choices popularized throughout culturally black music such as Jazz and R&B. Although he clearly isn't THAT conflicted because, ya know
   Look at his career.
   That being said, he's thinking about it? I am not the distributor of cookies and gold stars with regards to this matter.
4. EricaKane83

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   Jun 30th 2012 !⃝

   Acceptance in a gang ( dance in place and paint my face and act like I belong here) I always get a hint of Native American