Venus In Furs
Cale John Lyrics
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Whiplash girlchild in the dark
Comes in bells, your servant, don't forsake him
Strike, dear mistress, and cure his heart
Downy sins of streetlight fancies
Choose the costumes she shall wear
Ermine furs adorn the imperious
I am tired, I am weary
I could sleep for a thousand years
A thousand dreams that would awake me
Different colors made of tears
Kiss the boot of shiny, shiny leather
Shiny leather in the dark
Tongue of thongs, the belt that does await you
Strike, dear mistress, and cure his heart
Severin, Severin, speak so slightly
Severin, down on your bended knee
Taste the whip, in love not given lightly
Taste the whip, now plead for me
I am tired, I am weary
I could sleep for a thousand years
A thousand dreams that would awake me
Different colors made of tears
Shiny, shiny, shiny boots of leather
Whiplash girlchild in the dark
Severin, your servant comes in bells
Please don't forsake him
Strike, dear mistress, and cure his heart.
The song "Venus in Furs" by Cale John is a complex and evocative piece of music that explores themes of dominance, submission, and pleasure. The lyrics describe the experiences of the singer, Severin, as he submits to the will of his mistress, who is personified as the goddess Venus in the lyrics. The song is full of vivid imagery and metaphor, painting a picture of a world where pleasure and pain are intimately intertwined.
The opening lines of the song, "Shiny, shiny, shiny boots of leather / Whiplash girlchild in the dark," describe the mistress as both glamorous and dangerous. She is a cruel taskmaster, but the singer is willing to submit to her will in order to experience the pleasure he craves. The lyrics go on to describe the costumes and furs that the mistress wears, creating a sense of opulence and decadence.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of tension between the singer's desire for submission and his weariness with the experience. He longs to sleep for a thousand years, to escape the constant cycle of pleasure and pain, but he cannot resist the pull of the mistress's whip. This tension is reflected in the music, which features repetitive, hypnotic riffs and a pulsing beat.
Overall, "Venus in Furs" is a rich and complex song that explores themes of power, pleasure, and submission. Its vivid imagery and evocative lyrics make it a classic of the psychedelic rock genre.
Line by Line Meaning
Shiny, shiny, shiny boots of leather
The boots are made of shiny leather material and their appearance is very impressive.
Whiplash girlchild in the dark
A young girl who is enjoying the sexual pleasures while being lashed with a whip by her dominatrix in the dark.
Comes in bells, your servant, don't forsake him
The girl comes wearing bells and is a willing servant who can be controlled as long as she is not abandoned.
Strike, dear mistress, and cure his heart
The mistress should strike the girl to cure her male companion's heart and alleviate his woes.
Downy sins of streetlight fancies
The little sins are adorned with streetlights and are alluring.
Choose the costumes she shall wear
Select what the girl should wear to make her sexually appealing to the male dominate.
Ermine furs adorn the imperious
Luxurious ermine furs are owned by the powerful person and are worn to show their social status.
Severin, Severin awaits you there
Severin, a willing submissive, eagerly awaits to serve their mistress.
I am tired, I am weary
The artist is tired and fatigued due to excessive sexual activity.
A thousand dreams that would awake me
The dreams are so intense they could wake up the artist.
Different colors made of tears
The tears represent a range of emotions and the colors of those emotions.
Kiss the boot of shiny, shiny leather
The submissive should show respect by kissing the dominant's shiny leather boots.
Tongue of thongs, the belt that does await you
The thong represents a sexual desire and the belt represents punishment waiting for the submissive.
Severin, Severin, speak so slightly
The submissive must speak with care and gently since they are subservient to the dominant.
Severin, down on your bended knee
The submissive should show submission by getting down on their knees.
Taste the whip, in love not given lightly
The submissive should obediently take the punishment given by their dominant in love.
Taste the whip, now plead for me
The submissive pleads to the dominant to continue and give the punishment while enjoying it.
Please don't forsake him
The dominant should not abandon their submissive.
Strike, dear mistress, and cure his heart.
The mistress should strike the submissive to cure the male companion's heart.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Lou Reed
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ForARide
Totally agree! Cale - Godfather of alternative music and yet most underrated musician of our times. Lou Reed once said: "I only hope that one day John will be recognized as ... the Beethoven or something of his day. He knows so much about music, he's such a great musician. He's completely mad - but that's because he's Welsh."
Pulsonar
I’m shocked at how magnificent and ‘finished’ this sounds, like it was always meant to be. Cale sounds darker, even the guitar sounds like a chain saw on a challenging assignment. The original has its unassailable place, but this too has its place, a world of lost masterpieces.
caribman10
..that's because Cale had the original vocal on the VU album, but being him, Lou erased it and replaced him...
andrew J
100%. Cale's version is a masterpiece.
NicoDraak74
this song is so crazy, the whole structure, the lyrics, the whole gloomy sound. I love it.
Nancy Delagrave
I love the recorded Velvet Underground version, but this one is equally good. The mesmerising part of this song has always been Cale's string play and his singing is much more tuned to the melody than Reed's.
Crimson Wolf
Hahaha, you mean... Cale can actually SING!
tsak99
Cale's version is so majestic
MAKARAS MUSIC
Epic sound from 1:25 to 1:45 - and what lyrics!! I am tired, I am weary I could sleep for a thousand years A thousand dreams that would awake me Different colors made of tears
gary smith
John Cale - responsible for most of the cool shit we listen to! We should all be thankful that this man exists, because without him 'alternative music' wouldn't be so 'alternative' at all! and thats a fact! Genius!