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)
Betrayed
Lou Reed Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
By the one who says she needs you - above all other men
Betrayed, by her fragile, vicious beauty
Her father did his duty and I lie down betrayed
Justice taught her confidence, her mother was like steel
Her cousins, they're all convicts
She alone rose above that wheel
Is slave to the oncoming truck
And the poison of her father was her most pitiless luck
Betrayed, by the one who says she loves you
By the one who says she needs you - above all other men
Betrayed, by her fragile, vicious beauty
Her father did his duty and I lay down betrayed
Three of us lie in his bed - night of infamy
One of us lies on our back - her father's in her head
And quick she turns and slaps my face
And with her eyes open wide she screams
I hate you, I hate you, I hate you
But she's looking right by me
Betrayed, by the one who says she loves you
By the one who says she needs you - above all other men
Betrayed, by her fragile, vicious beauty
Her father did his duty and I lie down betrayed
Lou Reed’s song Betrayed is a powerful representation of the complexities of human emotion and the impact of familial abuse. The lyrics describe the pain and betrayal of a man who is in love with a woman that he believes loves him too. However, he soon discovers that the woman he loves is carrying the scars of abuse inflicted by her father. Despite having risen above her difficult background, she is nevertheless unable to escape the legacy of her father and the harmful impact this has on her relationships.
The lyrics further describe how the woman’s inner turmoil leads her to lash out at the man she loves, causing him further pain and confusion. The song is a poignant commentary on the impact of abuse, the long-lasting effects of trauma and the survival instincts and coping mechanisms that people develop over time. The use of metaphors such as the motorcyclist and the oncoming truck adds depth to the narrative while the vivid descriptions of violence, both physical and emotional, communicate the anguish of the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Betrayed, by the one who says she loves you
Feeling betrayed by the person who professed love for you
By the one who says she needs you - above all other men
The person who claimed to need you more than anyone else is the one who betrayed you
Betrayed, by her fragile, vicious beauty
Feeling betrayed by the allure of her fragile yet fiercely attractive nature
Her father did his duty and I lie down betrayed
Betrayed after realizing that the root of her harmful behavior was her father's upbringing
Justice taught her confidence, her mother was like steel
Growing up with a just father made her confident, while her mother's unyielding nature made her strong
Her cousins, they're all convicts
Her relatives were predominantly criminals
She alone rose above that wheel
Despite her background, she managed to break free from the cycle of crime and negativity
But a motorcyclist, no matter how good
Even a skilled motorcyclist is vulnerable to the dangers of the road
Is slave to the oncoming truck
Regardless of skill or ability, a motorcyclist has no control over an impending accident
And the poison of her father was her most pitiless luck
The most unfortunate fact of her life was that the negative influence of her father poisoned her personality
Three of us lie in his bed - night of infamy
Three people, including the singer, shared the same bed one fateful night
One of us lies on our back - her father's in her head
One person, still under the influence of her father's toxic presence, is lying on her back
And quick she turns and slaps my face
Suddenly, she turns around and slaps the singer
And with her eyes open wide she screams
Screaming with her eyes wide open
I hate you, I hate you, I hate you
Repeating the phrase 'I hate you' in a fit of anger
But she's looking right by me
Despite screaming at the artist, she doesn't seem to be looking at him
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BERESFORD ROMEO, LOU REED, TONY ADDIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind