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)
Guardian Angel
Lou Reed Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I keep him in my head
And when I'm afraid and alone
I call him to my bed
I have a guardian angel
Who keeps bad things from me
The only way to ruin it would be for me not to trust me
I have a guardian angel
Who's often saved my life
Through malevolent storms and crystal drums
The angel on my right
Has lifted me up and set me down
Always showing me what's right
And if my instinct proved me wrong
The angel set it right
And if my instinct proved me wrong
The angel set it right
I have a guardian angel
I keep him in my head
And when I'm having nightmares
He shows me dreams instead
I have a ring
I have a dress
I have an empty shell
By the books below tea cups
I've kept a kind of hell
By the books below tea cups
I've kept a kind of hell
Panic and anxiety so often in my head
But I had a guardian angel
Who took care of me instead
The champagne cork, the nightlight owl
A raven and a duck
The seed of pining parents
And your despairing love
The seed of pining parents
And your despairing love
Love and luck both having charmed lives
Can change all things about
I had a guardian angel
That's what this is all about
I have a guardian angel
I keep him in my head
And when I thought I was alone
He saved my life instead
And when I thought I was alone
He saved my life instead
In Lou Reed's song "Guardian Angel," the artist sings about the concept of a personal guardian angel, someone who protects and guides a person through difficult times. The song describes the singer's personal relationship with his guardian angel, whom he keeps in his head and calls upon when he feels afraid or alone. Through malevolent storms and crystal drums, the angel on the singer's right lifts him up and shows him what's right. Even when his instincts prove him wrong, the angel sets it right.
The song also touches on themes of anxiety and panic, which are so often in the singer's head. But despite these feelings, he has a guardian angel who takes care of him and saves his life when he feels alone. The song's chorus, "I have a guardian angel, I keep him in my head, and when I thought I was alone, he saved my life instead," reveals the singer's deep gratitude towards his guardian and highlights the importance of personal belief and trust in oneself.
Overall, the song speaks to the universal human desire for protection and guidance during times of uncertainty, and the power of faith in oneself and in something greater.
Line by Line Meaning
I have a guardian angel
The singer has a spiritual protector
I keep him in my head
The angel exists within the singer's thoughts and consciousness
And when I'm afraid and alone
The presence of the angel is activated when the singer is in a state of fear or isolation
I call him to my bed
The artist consciously invokes their guardian angel, seeking their reassurance and protection
Who keeps bad things from me
The guardian angel acts as a shield against negative or harmful circumstances
The only way to ruin it would be for me not to trust me
Failure to believe in oneself would jeopardize the efficacy of the angel's protection
Who's often saved my life
The angel has intervened in life-threatening situations to prevent harm to the singer
Through malevolent storms and crystal drums
The angel has accompanied the artist through metaphorical and literal difficulties
The angel on my right
The artist perceives their guardian angel's presence as located to their right
Has lifted me up and set me down
The angel has carried the artist through obstacles and aided their recovery
Always showing me what's right
The angel offers guidance and direction towards positive choices
And if my instinct proved me wrong
The artist's impulses or intuition have been challenged or misguided
The angel set it right
The guardian angel corrected or redirected the singer's course of action
I have a ring
The singer possesses a symbolic object with significant meaning
I have a dress
The singer possesses a garment with significant meaning
I have an empty shell
The artist may feel spiritually vacant or purposeless
By the books below tea cups
The location of these objects is somewhat obscure or overlooked
I've kept a kind of hell
These possessions or internal experiences may contribute to a sense of suffering or entrapment
Panic and anxiety so often in my head
The singer frequently experiences intense emotions and mental distress
But I had a guardian angel
Despite these challenges, the artist possesses a source of protection and comfort
Who took care of me instead
The angel replaced fear and suffering with care and guidance
The champagne cork, the nightlight owl
These objects may have nostalgic or significant personal meaning for the artist
A raven and a duck
These animals may have symbolic significance or represent personal associations to the singer
The seed of pining parents
Family history and dynamics may influence the artist's emotional state and identity
And your despairing love
Another person's emotional distress or negative feelings may affect the singer
Love and luck both having charmed lives
The singer acknowledges positive fortune in their life
Can change all things about
The singer recognizes the potential for positive change and growth
That's what this is all about
The song expresses gratitude and reverence for the artist's guardian angel
And when I thought I was alone
The artist may have felt isolated or unsupported
He saved my life instead
The guardian angel once again offered salvation and protection to the singer
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LOU REED
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind