Starlight
John Cale & Lou Reed/John Cale & Lou Reed Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Starlight open wide, starlight open up your door
This is New York calling with movies from the street
Movies with real people, what you get is what you see
Starlight open wide, Andy's Cecil B. DeMille
Come on L. A. give us a call
We've got superstars who talk, they'll do anything at all
Ingrid, Viva, Little Joe, Baby Jane, and Edie S.
But you better call us soon before we talk ourselves to death
Starlight open wide everybody is a star
Split screen 8-hour movies
We've got color we've got sound
Won't you recognize us, we're everything you hate
Andy loves old Hollywood movies, he'll scare you hypocrites
to death
You know that shooting up's for real
That person who's screaming, that's the way he really feels
We're all improvising, five movies in a week
If Hollywood doesn't call us - we'll be sick
Starlight open wide
Do to movies what you did to art
Can you see beauty in ugliness, or is it playing in the dirt
There are stars out on the New York streets
We want to capture them on film
But if no one wants to see them
We'll make another and another
Starlight let us in that magic room
We've all dreamt of Hollywood, it can't happen too soon
Won't you give us a million dollars the rent is due




Andy will give you 2 movies and a painting
Starlight open wide!

Overall Meaning

The song 'Starlight' by Lou Reed is a commentary on the art world, specifically the film industry in New York City where the city itself is a player. The lyrics reference the 60s underground cultural scene in Manhattan that Andy Warhol was part of. The first verse asks the titular starlight to 'open up your door' - the city is requesting access to the world of show business. The next verse name drops several Warhol superstars, such as Ingrid, Viva, Little Joe, Baby Jane, and Edie Sedgwick and describes their willingness to do anything on screen.


Reed contrasts 'real people' with the 'superstars who talk' in a world where 'shooting up's for real' and 'everything you hate' is now the mainstream. The message is potentially a critique of the commercialization of art as well as the fickle and transient nature of the celebrity world where stars can be made and then destroyed in a week. The song ends with a request for Hollywood to recognize New York's contribution to cinema and with a plea to not only 'do to movies what you did to art' but find beauty in the ugly and real.



Line by Line Meaning

Starlight open wide, starlight open up your door
Welcome us and let us in to achieve stardom and greatness.


This is New York calling with movies from the street
We're capturing real life people and events in our movies.


Movies with real people, what you get is what you see
Our films are authentic and depict the reality of life.


Starlight open wide, Andy's Cecil B. DeMille
Andy is a great filmmaker just like Cecil B. DeMille and we want him to be recognized for his talent.


Come on L. A. give us a call
We're ready to make it big in Hollywood and need their recognition and support.


We've got superstars who talk, they'll do anything at all
We have talented performers who are willing to do anything to bring our films to life.


Ingrid, Viva, Little Joe, Baby Jane, and Edie S.
These are the names of our talented and committed cast members.


But you better call us soon before we talk ourselves to death
We're passionate about our work and can't stop talking about it, so Hollywood better recognize us before we exhaust ourselves.


Starlight open wide everybody is a star
Everyone has the potential to be a star and we want to show that in our films.


Split screen 8-hour movies
Our films are unconventional and challenge traditional movie-making.


We've got color we've got sound
Our films are technologically advanced and use color and sound to enhance the viewer's experience.


Won't you recognize us, we're everything you hate
We're the opposite of mainstream Hollywood and want to be recognized for our unique vision.


Andy loves old Hollywood movies, he'll scare you hypocrites to death
Andy admires the classics and isn't afraid to shake things up in Hollywood.


You know that shooting up's for real
We depict real-life drug use in our films.


That person who's screaming, that's the way he really feels
Our films capture the raw emotions and reality of life.


We're all improvising, five movies in a week
We're constantly adapting and creating new projects at a fast pace.


If Hollywood doesn't call us - we'll be sick
We need Hollywood's recognition and support to continue creating our unique vision.


Do to movies what you did to art
We want to revolutionize movies just like we did with art.


Can you see beauty in ugliness, or is it playing in the dirt
We want to capture and appreciate the beauty in all aspects of life, even the unattractive and dirty parts.


There are stars out on the New York streets
The real-life people we depict in our films are the true stars of our movies.


We want to capture them on film
We want to show the world the unique and authentic people and events that make up New York City.


But if no one wants to see them
We fear that our films won't be recognized or appreciated by the mainstream audience.


We'll make another and another
We're committed to creating our vision and will continue to produce our films regardless of recognition or support.


Starlight let us in that magic room
Let us into Hollywood and give us the chance to make our mark.


We've all dreamt of Hollywood, it can't happen too soon
We see Hollywood as the pathway to success and recognition for our unique vision.


Won't you give us a million dollars the rent is due
We need financial support to continue creating our films.


Andy will give you 2 movies and a painting
Andy is willing to offer his artistic talents in return for financial support.


Starlight open wide!
We're ready and eager for Hollywood to recognize and embrace our unique vision.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN DAVIES CALE, LOU REED

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found