# Obscure Reference in Old Steely Dan Song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 1, 2013, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-reference-in-old-steely-dan-song/651717 "2013-03-01T12:44:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-reference-in-old-steely-dan-song/651717/1 "2013-03-01T12:44:33Z")
I think the song was in their album “Royal Scam”…anyway, the words are “bring back…Boston Blackey” Anybody know who or what “Boston Blackey” was? I never heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-reference-in-old-steely-dan-song/651717/2 "2013-03-01T12:53:01Z")
[Boston Blackie](http://www.bostonblackie.org/) but the lyric was “bring back the Boston rag” wasn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-reference-in-old-steely-dan-song/651717/3 "2013-03-01T13:47:07Z")
Doesn’t Jimmy Buffet reference that in “Pencil Thin Mustache”? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-reference-in-old-steely-dan-song/651717/4 "2013-03-01T13:56:31Z")
A two toned Ricky Ricardo jacket And an autographed picture of Andy Devine ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-reference-in-old-steely-dan-song/651717/5 "2013-03-01T14:45:16Z")
Is Googling that difficult for you, ralph124c? You start to enter the words “Boston Blackey” in the Google browser. You get as far as “Boston Blac” and it’s already showing you nothing but references to “Boston Blackie”. In fact, you get as far as “Boston Bl” and the top reference it shows you is “Boston Blackie”. ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-reference-in-old-steely-dan-song/651717/6 "2013-03-01T14:51:13Z")
Are you talking about The Boston Rag? from Countdown to Ecstasy? Chorus: Bring back the boston rag Tell all your buddies That it ain’t no drag Bring back the boston rag ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-reference-in-old-steely-dan-song/651717/7 "2013-03-01T14:51:35Z")
Google ran over **ralph** ’s dog, so he refuses to use it. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-reference-in-old-steely-dan-song/651717/8 "2013-03-01T14:57:12Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Google ran over **ralph** ’s dog, so he refuses to use it. And let’s not even talk about what his spell checker did. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2013, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-reference-in-old-steely-dan-song/651717/9 "2013-03-02T08:02:26Z")
In the old song **Searchin’** by the Coasters (I think) several old time radio detectives are mentioned in passing: Charley Chan, Bulldog Drummond, and Boston Blackie. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2013, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-reference-in-old-steely-dan-song/651717/10 "2013-03-02T14:40:33Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > Doesn’t Jimmy Buffet reference that in “Pencil Thin Mustache”? I wish I had a pencil-thin mustache. The Boston Blackie kind. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2013, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-reference-in-old-steely-dan-song/651717/11 "2013-03-03T06:23:34Z")
> **[Boston Blackie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Blackie)** > > Boston Blackie is a fictional character created by author Jack Boyle (1881–1928). Blackie, a jewel thief and safecracker in Boyle's stories, became a detective in adaptations for films, radio and television—an "enemy to those who make him an enemy, friend to those who have no friend." > Actor Chester Morris played the character in 14 Columbia Pictures films (1941–1949) and in a 1944 NBC radio series. > Writer Jack Boyle grew up in Chicago, Illinois. While working as a newspaper reporter in San Fran... ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-reference-in-old-steely-dan-song/651717/12 "2013-03-04T04:10:12Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Is Googling that difficult for you, ralph124c? You start to enter the words “Boston Blackey” in the Google browser. You get as far as “Boston Blac” and it’s already showing you nothing but references to “Boston Blackie”. In fact, you get as far as “Boston Bl” and the top reference it shows you is “Boston Blackie”. If everyone Googled their questions instead of asking here this would be a very quiet message board. ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-reference-in-old-steely-dan-song/651717/13 "2013-03-04T04:13:19Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > I wish I had a pencil-thin mustache. > The Boston Blackie kind. They must be a pain to maintain, especially with a modern 5 blade razor. It would probably require an old fashioned cut-throat razor. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-reference-in-old-steely-dan-song/651717/14 "2013-03-04T04:45:03Z")
He was one of the fictional detectives referenced in the song “[Searchin’](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searchin%27)”: “Well Sherlock Holmes, Sam Spade got nothing, child, on me. Sergeant Friday, Charlie Chan, and Boston Blackie.” ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-reference-in-old-steely-dan-song/651717/15 "2013-03-04T04:53:28Z")
> [@Imasquare](#): > > If everyone Googled their questions instead of asking here this would be a very quiet message board. Obscure Reference in old Jimmy Buffett Song. I think the song was on his album “Living & Dying in ¾ Time”..anyway, the words are “Ricky Ricardo jacket.” Anybody know who or what “Ricky Ricardo” was? I never heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-reference-in-old-steely-dan-song/651717/16 "2013-03-04T07:29:49Z")
Who is this Jimmy Buffet everyone is taking about? ---
**Author:** ![FrankJBN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@FrankJBN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankJBN)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-reference-in-old-steely-dan-song/651717/17 "2013-03-04T22:05:38Z")
I just noticed for several weeks on one of the secondary broadcast TV neteworks (you know a step below Fox and CW) was re-running Boston Blackie films on Saturdays. I saw several. And just a couple of days ago i saw a fellow with a pencil thin moustache on an elevator. They are uncommon. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-reference-in-old-steely-dan-song/651717/18 "2013-03-04T22:27:13Z")
IIRC, Boston Blackie in those old movies didn’t have a pencil-thin – or any other – moustache. Ah, some googling reveals that the movie BB (what I saw) was a clean-shaven Chester Morris while the moustached BB was in a television series. ---
**Author:** ![FrankJBN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@FrankJBN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankJBN)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-reference-in-old-steely-dan-song/651717/19 "2013-03-05T15:02:51Z")
Hoping that the question was serious, Ricky Ricardo was the Cuban band leader spouse of Lucy Ricardo, portrayed by Desi Arnaz on the “I love Lucy” TV show. The Ricky Ricardo jacket is a short-waisted style of sports jacket, often with contrasting shoulders ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-reference-in-old-steely-dan-song/651717/20 "2013-06-10T16:16:15Z")
Dare I ask who Dr. Wu is/was? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-reference-in-old-steely-dan-song/651717.md?page=2)