Having played guitar and sung in doo-wop groups in high school, Reed studied poetry at Syracuse University under Delmore Schwartz, and had served as a radio DJ, hosting a late-night avant garde music program while at college. After graduating from Syracuse, he went to work for Pickwick Records in New York City, a low-budget record company that specialized in sound-alike recordings, as a songwriter and session musician. A fellow session player at Pickwick was John Cale; together with Sterling Morrison and Angus MacLise, they would form the Velvet Underground in 1965. After building a reputation on the avant garde music scene, they gained the attention of Andy Warhol, who became the band's manager; they in turn became something of a fixture at The Factory, Warhol's art studio, and served as his "house band" for various projects. The band released their first album, now with drummer Moe Tucker and featuring German singer Nico, in 1967, and parted ways with Warhol shortly thereafter. Following several lineup changes and three more little-heard albums, Reed quit the band in 1970.
After leaving the band, Reed would go on to a much more commercially successful solo career, releasing twenty solo studio albums. His second, Transformer (1972), was produced by David Bowie and arranged by Mick Ronson, and brought him mainstream recognition. The album is considered an influential landmark of the glam rock genre, anchored by Reed's most successful single, "Walk on the Wild Side". After Transformer, the less commercial but critically acclaimed Berlin peaked at No. 7 on the UK Albums Chart. Rock 'n' Roll Animal (a live album released in 1974) sold strongly, and Sally Can't Dance (1974) peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard 200; but for a long period after, Reed's work did not translate into sales, leading him deeper into drug addiction and alcoholism. Reed cleaned up in the early 1980s, and gradually returned to prominence with The Blue Mask (1982) and New Sensations (1984), reaching a critical and commercial career peak with his 1989 album New York.
Reed participated in the re-formation of the Velvet Underground in the 1990s, and made several more albums, including a collaboration album with John Cale titled Songs for Drella which was a tribute to their former mentor Andy Warhol. Magic and Loss (1992) would become Reed's highest-charting album on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at No. 6.
He contributed music to two theatrical interpretations of 19th century writers, one of which he developed into an album titled The Raven. He married his third wife Laurie Anderson in 2008, and recorded the collaboration album Lulu with Metallica. He died in 2013 of liver disease. Reed has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice; as a member of the Velvet Underground in 1996 and as a solo act in 2015.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Reed
Studio albums
Lou Reed (1972)
Transformer (1972)
Berlin (1973)
Rock 'n' Roll Animal (1974)
Sally Can't Dance (1974)
Metal Machine Music (1975)
Coney Island Baby (1975)
Rock and Roll Heart (1976)
Street Hassle (1978)
The Bells (1979)
Growing Up in Public (1980)
The Blue Mask (1982)
Legendary Hearts (1983)
New Sensations (1984)
Mistrial (1986)
New York (1989)
Magic and Loss (1992)
Set the Twilight Reeling (1996)
Ecstasy (2000)
The Raven (2003)
Hudson River Wind Meditations (2007)
All Tomorrow's Parties
Lou Reed Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To all tomorrow's parties
A hand-me-down dress from who knows where
To all tomorrow's parties
And where will she go, and what shall she do
When midnight comes around
She'll turn once more to Sunday's clown and cry behind the door
To all tomorrow's parties
Why silks and linens of yesterday's gowns
To all tomorrow's parties
And what will she do with Thursday's rags
When Monday comes around
She'll turn once more to Sunday's clown and cry behind the door
And what costume shall the poor girl wear
To all tomorrow's parties
For Thursday's child is Sunday's clown
For whom none will go mourning
A blackened shroud
A hand-me-down gown
Of rags and silks, a costume
Fit for one who sits and cries
For all tomorrow's parties
The song "All Tomorrow's Parties" is a melancholic reflection on a girl who is relegated to playing the role of the clown at parties. The lyrics begin by asking what costume the poor girl will wear to the upcoming events. The costume is a hand-me-down dress, which speaks to her marginalized status. The lines "And where will she go, and what shall she do, When midnight comes around, She'll turn once more to Sunday's clown and cry behind the door" suggest that the girl is not really part of the festivities but merely a passive observer. The persona is asking questions about the girl's future but is resigned to the fact that she will always be known as Sunday's clown.
The second verse talks about the girl's attire and her inability to move up the social ladder. This time, she is donning the silks and linens of yesterday's gowns. She is relegated to wearing Thursday's rags when Monday rolls around. The lines "She'll turn once more to Sunday's clown and cry behind the door" are repeated once more, emphasizing the girl's lack of agency and control over her life. The final verse ties up the song's theme, revealing that the girl is a "Thursday's child", a reference to the nursery rhyme that assigns certain personality traits to children based on their day of birth. They say that "Thursday's child has far to go" but in this case, the girl is Sunday's clown. The verse ends on a melancholic note with the image of the girl sitting and crying, dressed in a blackened shroud, a hand-me-down gown of rags and silks, a costume suited for her role at all tomorrow's parties.
Line by Line Meaning
And what costume shall the poor girl wear
To all tomorrow's parties
The singer wonders what the girl will wear to the upcoming parties.
A hand-me-down dress from who knows where
To all tomorrow's parties
The girl's dress is a used, old one that has been passed down to her.
And where will she go, and what shall she do
When midnight comes around
She'll turn once more to Sunday's clown and cry behind the door
The singer ponders on what the girl will do at the party and says she will feel trapped in the same distressing routine.
Why silks and linens of yesterday's gowns
To all tomorrow's parties
The girl will wear a dress made of outdated, luxury materials.
And what will she do with Thursday's rags
When Monday comes around
She'll turn once more to Sunday's clown and cry behind the door
The girl will be left with worn-out clothes after the parties are over and will feel sad and alone like she always does on Sundays.
For Thursday's child is Sunday's clown
For whom none will go mourning
The girl, born on a Thursday, is seen as a clown and no one will show any empathy towards her.
A blackened shroud
A hand-me-down gown
Of rags and silks, a costume
Fit for one who sits and cries
For all tomorrow's parties
The girl's dress is made of torn, old and shiny material, it looks like a costume given her sadness and crying.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Lou Reed
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind