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)
Balloon
Lou Reed Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Squeeze me and bend me it's never enough
Put your lips around me, blow me up
But if you prick me I will pop
I'm a little balloon full and firm
Here is my aft and here is my stern
Here's my lips and here's my hose
If you prick me I will burst
The lyrics of Lou Reed's song Balloon are fascinating and metaphorical. The song apparently talks about a person who is extremely vulnerable to the outside forces, just like a balloon which could pop if it is pricked by a pin. The balloon also represents the person's ego, which can be inflated and deflated by other people's words and actions. In the first two lines of the song, Reed talks about how easily he can be convinced or persuaded and how he gets "puffed up" by praise or flattery. However, this praise or flattery is never enough, and he always craves more.
Furthermore, the song portrays how people can manipulate or control others for their benefit. The line "Put your lips around me, blow me up" represents how people can shower others with compliments or show them love and affection to gain their trust and control them. However, Reed warns that even though he may appear solid and indestructible, he is still vulnerable to pain, and a single prick can lead to his downfall. Overall, the song tells us to be careful about who we trust and not to inflate our egos too much as it can lead to our downfall.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a little balloon and I get puffed up
I am something small and insignificant, but when given attention and praise, I become inflated with ego and self-importance.
Squeeze me and bend me it's never enough
No matter how much pressure or manipulation I experience, I always crave more and never feel satisfied.
Put your lips around me, blow me up
I crave the attention and affection of others, and will do anything to receive it, even if it means being used and manipulated.
But if you prick me I will pop
Despite my tough exterior, I am fragile and susceptible to harm. If someone were to harm me, I would fall apart and lose all of my inflated sense of worth.
I'm a little balloon full and firm
I am currently feeling confident and secure in my inflated sense of self-worth.
Here is my aft and here is my stern
I am willing to expose all aspects of myself, even the vulnerable and sensitive parts, in order to receive attention from others.
Here's my lips and here's my hose
I am willing to do anything to obtain the attention and affection of others, even if it means sacrificing my own dignity and self-respect.
Put me down or I will burst
If I am not consistently receiving the attention and praise I desire, I will become defensive and potentially lash out or harm myself emotionally.
If you prick me I will burst
Even though I come across as confident and strong, I am ultimately fragile and can easily be hurt or destroyed by others.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LOU REED
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind