"Do It Again" is a rock composition by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, written in 1972 as the opening track and lead single for Steely Dan's debut album Can't Buy a Thrill on ABC Records. Not to be confused with the George Gershwin standard of the same name, this is a Latin-inflected rock song driven by congas and a hypnotic, cyclical chord progression that reinforces its lyrical theme of compulsive repetition. The original recording features a distinctive electric sitar solo by Denny Dias and an organ solo by Fagen on a Yamaha YC-30, elements that gave the track its unusual sonic character within the early 1970s rock landscape. The song reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973, establishing Steely Dan's reputation for blending jazz complexity with rock accessibility and ironic, literate songwriting. Becker and Fagen's composition exemplifies their early approach of embedding sophisticated harmonic movement and jazz-influenced textures within pop-accessible structures, a method they would refine across subsequent albums with producer Gary Katz. While primarily known as a rock classic and Steely Dan concert staple rather than a jazz standard, the tune's harmonic and rhythmic sophistication has made it an appealing vehicle for jazz reinterpretation, where its groove-oriented foundation and minor-key harmonic palette lend themselves to extended improvisation.
