# In 1973, Steely Dan wrote a scathing song about LA. Then radio cut out the punchline

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1973-steely-dan-wrote-a-scathing-song-about-la-then-radio-cut-out-the-punchline/
- Published: 2026-11-06T20:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T20:25:41+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/1973-steely-dan-wrote-scathing-song-about-la/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Steely Dan’s “Show Biz Kids” took aim at Los Angeles culture.
- Radio edits removed its expletive and its punchline.
- The band stayed in LA to record two more albums.

## Summary

Steely Dan’s experience of Los Angeles inspired “Show Biz Kids”, a 1973 song that sharply criticised the city’s entertainment culture. Its satirical lyrics mocked show-business figures as selfish, and the band’s blunt language made the track unusually provocative for the time.

Radio stations cut the song from five minutes and 26 seconds to about four minutes and censored its expletive. Donald Fagen compared the edit to telling a joke without its punchline. Despite their apparent dislike of Los Angeles, the band remained there and recorded their next two albums, “Pretzel Logic” and “Katy Lied”, in the city.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.