'The Royal Scam' Revisited
by Jim Kenaston
Steely Dan's 1976 song The Royal Scam (from the album of the same name) reflects on the plight of Puerto Rican immigrants to New York City during the 1950s and 60s, people who hoped to get a piece of the American dream for themselves, only to have their hopes dashed by the hateful discrimination they experienced soon after their arrival.
The song notes the irony of fabricated success stories the immigrants relayed to relatives back home, helping to perpetuate the "scam" of a new and wonderful life here in the U.S.
As lyricists, Steely Dan's Donald Fagen and the late Walter Becker were known for the cynicism they cultivated and conveyed in their songwriting. They also created a whole new genre of music, mixing rock and roll with jazz, funk, and R&B. Their musical contribution to the time was certainly unique.
Sadly, the negative message of The Royal Scam has aged well and is still quite relevant today. While part of the scam may still be perpetuated by immigrants themselves, it is also advanced by our current administration, and upon the American people as a whole. Having erased our southern boarder, they're seeking, at taxpayer expense, to resettle illegal immigrants throughout the nation. This is all being done, of course, in the name of compassion, though it's hard to argue that our current leaders aren't simply trying to secure (or buy) a reliable voting block that will help keep them in power.
As the song's refrain proclaims, "See the glory of the royal scam."
I don't expect this chorus to replace "Hail to the Chief" anytime soon, though it seems to me as a fitting substitute, and certainly in light of the human trafficking (and its consequences) surrounding the erasure of our southern border, as well as the gaslighting and the various other forms of curruption we've seen perpetrated by this administration, including their double-standard for justice.
Indeed, "See the glory of the royal scam."
For a cynical walk down memory lane, here's the entirety of the title song from the album:
[And as posted, with comments, in American Thinker]
