An unforgettable 1977 hit with a one-word title still ranks among the greatest yacht rock songs of all time.Steely Dan introduced the world to "Peg" in the late '70s. The first release from the band's sixth studio album, Aja, was an instant hit, and Ultimate Classic Rock ranked "Peg" at No. 2 on its list of the Best Yacht Rock Songs of All Time.
According to U Discover Music, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen co-wrote the song, accompanied by Paul Griffin, Chuck Rainey, Steve Khan, and Jay Graydon. The secret ingredient was Doobie Brothers lead singer Michael McDonald, who added harmonies to the song that gave it an unmistakable edge.
In a 2020 interview with The Wall Street Journal, the story behind "Peg" is as original as the song itself. The track’s unusual inspiration adds another layer to its enduring appeal.
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Fagan explained that he and Becker didn't plan to write "Peg." In fact, the song was part of an existing blues riff Fagan had worked on, inspired by some old movies the duo had enjoyed throughout the years. Here's what the song is really about.
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"'Peg' began at home in Malibu in 1976. I was fooling around on my little upright piano," Fagan said of writing the song. I had an All About Eve idea. Unlike in the movie, where Bette Davis’s young assistant, Eve, manipulates her way to stardom, the main character in our song is the one with starlet fever. On her way up, she ditched her boyfriend."
"The name we came up with for the starlet was Peg. There’s no hidden meaning. We just wanted a dotted half note for that spot, and Peg was short enough to fit with the music," Fagan explained.
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He concluded, "The chorus is about how the guy is imagining how things will turn out for the starlet down the road. The second line is cinematic. The click of the camera’s shutter changes the scene to some point in the future. Then the third and fourth lines imagine the starlet’s washed-up scenarios—appearing in a cheesy 3-D film. Or she’s in someone’s favorite foreign movie, a big come-down."
"Peg" has since become a Yacht Rock classic song, despite not cracking the Billboard Top 10. Aja is Steely Dan's best-selling album, also spawning the hits "Deacon Blues" and "Josie."
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