A Profound and Self-Aware Declaration, a Meditative Anthem on the Unstoppable Compulsion of the Artist’s Lifelong Commitment to His Craft.
By 2006, Donald Fagen had long shed the immediate drama of the Steely Dan breakup, establishing his solo career as a masterclass in mature, sophisticated songwriting. His third solo album, Morph the Cat, was the triumphant conclusion to his loose “Nightfly” trilogy, a record that proved his creative brilliance remained undimmed by the passage of time. It was a critical sensation and a commercial juggernaut, peaking at an astonishing number 2 on the Billboard 200. Amidst this collection of meticulously crafted, nocturnal tales, there lies a track that serves as the album’s philosophical core. That song is “What I Do.” It was never released as a commercial single and found no place on the charts, yet it remains one of the most profound and self-aware confessions of his entire career. Its drama lies not in external events, but in the mature, introspective reckoning with a lifetime spent in the relentless pursuit of musical perfection.
The story behind “What I Do” is the drama of the aging artist, a powerful, emotional monologue delivered from a position of mastery. The album Morph the Cat is heavily imbued with themes of mortality, memory, and the sense of a changing world, and this track is Fagen’s stark admission of his own immutable place within that landscape. The lyrics are a self-aware, almost resigned, statement of purpose. The protagonist isn’t arguing for the choice to create music; he is admitting the compulsion. It is his core identity, an obsession that has defined his existence. This admission—that he is bound to his craft, regardless of fame or shifting musical tides—is the profound emotional core of the song. The drama is the quiet, lifelong struggle and ultimate acceptance of one’s artistic fate, a sentiment that resonates deeply with anyone who has committed their life to a solitary, consuming passion.
The musical architecture of “What I Do” is the living demonstration of its meaning. It is a slow, sleek, and supremely confident groove, built on a foundation of sophisticated jazz-funk that moves with a deliberate swagger. The intricate arrangements are not superfluous; they mirror the very essence of the artist’s dedication to his craft. The precise, almost surgical placement of every horn blast, every guitar chord, and every bassline showcases the meticulous labor that the narrator admits is simply “what he does.” Fagen’s vocal is cool and detached, a wry tone that often serves as a shield, but here, it undercuts the lyrics’ vulnerability. The musical centerpiece is the instrumental interlude: a dramatic, complicated jazz-funk break that is pure, unadulterated musical prowess, making the art itself a defiant testament to the longevity and enduring relevance of the artist.
For those of us who have followed Donald Fagen’s journey from the rebellious complexity of Steely Dan to this late-career wisdom, “What I Do” is a powerful, nostalgic thesis statement. It’s an essential reflection on finding one’s purpose and sticking to it with unrelenting devotion. The song stands as a timeless, deeply emotional, and magnificent piece of musical self-portraiture, a quiet affirmation that the greatest drama often lies not in what happens to us, but in the relentless commitment to what we do.