# Lou Reed

Lewis Allan Reed (2 March 1942 – 27 October 2013) was an influential American rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. He first came to prominence as the guitarist and principal singer-songwriter of the Velvet Underground (1965–1970).

## Quotes

* My week beats your year.
** In the liner notes of Metal Machine Music
* Fuck Radio Ethiopia man, I'm Radio Brooklyn!
** On his Take No Prisoners album
* LR: "Are you political, Lou? Audience: "Yeah, are you?" LR:"Political about what? You give me an issue, I'll give you a tissue and you can wipe my ass with it."
** On his Take No Prisoners album
* Nothing beats 2 guitars, drum and bass.
** In the liner notes of New York
* Anyone that gets to side four is dumber than I am.
** Of his 'Metal Machine Music' double album, as quoted at BBC - collective - Lou Reed: RR Buyer's Guide (and elsewhere; please put the original here if you know it.)
* This is the impossible level, boys. Impossible doesn't mean very difficult, very difficult is winning the Nobel Prize, impossible is eating the sun.
** In the video game Penn & Teller's Smoke and Mirrors, after Reed murders the player on the "Impossible" difficulty level.
* He's probably the single most untalented person I've heard in my life. He's a two-bit pretentious academic, and he can't play rock'n'roll, because he's a loser. And that's why he dresses up funny. He's not happy with himself, and I think he's right.
** On Frank Zappa in Uptight: The Velvet Underground Story (1996) by Victor Bockris and Gerard Malanga
* Of course. All the best people are.
** When asked if he was Jewish. Quoted in The Jewish Chronicle obituary, 1 November 2013, p. 31
* It always bothers me to see people writing 'RIP' when a person dies. It just feels so insincere and like a cop-out. To me, 'RIP' is the microwave dinner of posthumous honors.
** On death

## About Reed

* The news I feared the most, pales in comparison to the lump in my throat and the hollow in my stomach. Two kids have a chance meeting and 47 years later we fight and love the same way – losing either one is incomprehensible. No replacement value, no digital or virtual fill . . . broken now, for all time. Unlike so many with similar stories – we have the best of our fury laid out on vinyl, for the world to catch a glimpse. The laughs we shared just a few weeks ago, will forever remind me of all that was good between us. — John Cale about Reed's death

## Lyrics

* And Romeo had Juliette And Juliette had her Romeo I'll take Manhattan in a garbage bag With Latin written on it that says "it's hard to give a shit these days" Manhattan's sinking like a rock Into the filthy Hudson what a shock They wrote a book about it They said it was like ancient Rome
** "Romeo Had Juliet" full lyrics online
* This room cost 2,000 dollars a month You can believe it man it's true Somewhere a landlord's laughing till he wets his pants No one here dreams of being a doctor or a lawyer or anything They dream of dealing on the dirty boulevard Give me your hungry, your tired your poor I'll piss on 'em That's what the Statue of Bigotry says Your poor huddled masses, let's club 'em to death And get it over with and just dump 'em on the boulevard
** "Dirty Blvd."
* You can't depend on a beginning You can't depend on an end You can't depend on intelligence... You can only depend on one thing You need a busload of faith to get by... You can't depend on any churches Unless there's real estate you want to buy You can't depend on a lot of things You need a busload of faith to get by... You can depend on cruelty Crudity of thought and sound... You need a busload of faith to get by, ha
** Busload of Faith
* And I feel just like Jesus' son
** "Heroin"
* Life's like a mayonnaise soda And life's like space without room And life's like bacon and ice cream That's what life's like without you
** What's Good Full lyrics online
* Candy came from out on the Island In the backroom she was everybody's darlin' But she never lost her head Even when she was giving head She says, Hey babe Take a walk on the wild side
** Walk on the Wild Side Full lyrics online
** The title was inspired by Lou Reed being approached in 1970 for a musical based on Nelson Algren's 1956 novel A Walk on the Wild Side.
* Candy says I've come to hate my body And all that it requires In this world . . . What do you think I'd see If I could walk away from me
** Candy Says
* I'll be your mirror Reflect what you are In case you don't know
** I'll Be Your Mirror
* When she turned blue, all the angels screamed.
** " Run Run Run"
* The Rally Man's patter ran on through the dawn Until we said so long to his skull Shrill yell.
** Black Angel's Death Song
* "Just watch," said Sheila, touching her finger to her head.
** The Gift (written by Lou Reed, narrated by John Cale)
* You made me forget myself; I thought I was someone else, someone good.
** Perfect Day
* I watched it for a little while, I like to watch things on TV
** Satellite Of Love
* An eye for an eye is elemental.
** I Believe
* There are problems in these times, but none of them are mine I'm beginning to see the light
** "Beginning to See the Light"
* First thing you learn is that you've always got to wait
** "I'm Waiting for the Man"
* Jesse you say Common Ground Does that include the PLO?
** Good Evening Mr. Waldheim
** Attacking Jesse Jackson's support for terrorist organisations
* And Pontiff, pretty Pontiff Can anyone shake your hand? Or is it just that you like uniforms and someone kissing your hand
** Good Evening Mr. Waldheim
** Attacking the Pope for receiving ex-Nazi Kurt Waldheim

### Sweet Jane

Sweet Jane (released 1970) is a song written by Lou Reed and performed by the American rock band the Velvet Underground; it appears on their fourth studio album Loaded. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked it No. 335 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
    Lyrics
* Some people, they like to go out dancin' And other people, they have to work ... And there's even some evil mothers Who'll tell you everything is just dirt You know that women never really faint That villains always blink their eyes, ooh That children are the only ones who blush And that life is just to die But anyone who ever had a heart They wouldn't turn around and break it And anyone who ever played a part Oh, they wouldn't turn around and hate it ... They say Jane, Sweet Jane, oh woah, Sweet Jane, Sweet Jane Heavenly wine and roses seem to whisper to her, hey, when she smiles
* Lou Reed - Sweet Jane (youtube)
* The Velvet Underground - Sweet Jane (youtube)

## External links

* ↑ Penn & Teller's Smoke and Mirrors - The Impossible Level