Whole Musician Notes and Quotes
Post #2: Throw Back The Little Ones

While lyrics can be interpreted from a variety of perspectives, I have always thought about the following fishing metaphor as beautifully illustrating the early stages of the creative process, especially for songwriters. These concepts are equally applicable to any artistic endeavor or scientific invention. The following lyrics come from the song “Throw Back The Little Ones” from the Steely Dan album Katy Lied:
Throw back the little ones
And pan-fry the big ones
Use tact, poise and reason
And gently squeeze them

Here is my interpretation of what they mean:

Throw back the little ones (Not all original ideas are meant to come to fruition; be content to let the majority of ideas serve as stepping stones or fertilizer on the way to the finding the ideas that will inspire great works.)

And pan-fry the big ones (Once you find an idea–whether it is a compelling title, melodic hook, unique sound, undeniable groove–that feels great, get to work on it…)

Use tact, poise and reason (Mold the idea with your will and mind and appreciate the process as it slowly comes into form…)

And gently squeeze them (Let the complete finished work organically evolve out of this process.)

May you catch a big one soon!