Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942 – October 27, 2013) was an American musicia… Read Full Bio ↴Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942 – October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. Although not commercially successful during its existence, the Velvet Underground became regarded as one of the most influential bands in the history of underground and alternative rock music. Reed's distinctive deadpan voice, poetic and transgressive lyrics, and experimental guitar playing were trademarks throughout his long career.

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)

Images
Lou Reed Lyrics

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I think images are worth repeating
Images repeated from a painting
Images taken from a painting
From a photo worth re-seeing
I love images worth repeating, project them upon the ceiling
Multiply them with silk screening
See them with a different feeling
Images images images images

Some say images have no feeling, I think there's a deeper meaning
Mechanical precision or so it's seeming
Instigates a cooler feeling
I love multiplicity of screenings
Things born anew display new meanings
I think images are worth repeating and repeating and repeating

I'm no urban idiot savant spewing paint without any order
I'm no sphinx, no mystery enigma
What I paint is very ordinary
I don't think I'm old or modern, I don't think I think
I'm thinking
It doesn't matter what I am thinking
It's the images that are worth repeating
Images images images images

If you're looking for a deeper meaning, I'm as deep as this high ceiling
If you think technique is meaning, you might find me very simple
You might think the images boring
Cars and cans and chairs and flowers
You might find me personally boring
Hammer, sickle, Mao Tse Tung, Mao Tse Tung -
I think that it bears repeating the images upon the ceiling

I love images worth repeating and repeating and repeating
Images images images images

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Lou Reed and John Cale's "Images" delve into the idea of the power and value of images, particularly in the form of repetition. Reed and Cale express their fondness for images that are worth repeating, which could be taken from paintings or photographs. The repetition of these images could be done through silk screening or projection onto a ceiling, allowing for a different feeling or meaning to emerge.

Despite the mechanical precision of some images, Reed and Cale argue that there is a deeper meaning that can be evoked through repetition. Multiplicity of screenings can give things a new meaning or context, and they believe that images are worth repeating and repeating. The lyrics also touch on the idea that the artist behind the images doesn't necessarily matter, as it's the images themselves that are valuable.

The refrain of "images images images images" serves as a reminder of the importance of these repeating images, and the lyrics suggest that even seemingly mundane images like "cars and cans and chairs and flowers" are worth repeating. They even mention Mao Zedong, highlighting the potential political or social significance of certain images.

Overall, the song champions the power of images and the value of repetition in unlocking deeper meanings.

Line by Line Meaning

I think images are worth repeating
Repetitive images have value

Images repeated from a painting
Paintings can be the source of repeating images

Images taken from a painting
Images can be extracted from a piece of art

From a photo worth re-seeing
Revisiting a photo is worthwhile

I love images worth repeating, project them upon the ceiling
I appreciate recurring imageries and want to display them on the ceiling

Multiply them with silk screening
Adding silk-screening can increase an image's copies

See them with a different feeling
Different perspectives can give images different meanings

Some say images have no feeling, I think there's a deeper meaning
Although some believe images lack emotion, I see a hidden significance

Mechanical precision or so it's seeming
Images may seem mechanically precise

Instigates a cooler feeling
They can evoke a colder sensation

I love multiplicity of screenings
I appreciate the diversity of image replication techniques

Things born anew display new meanings
Rebirth of images can bring fresh implications

I'm no urban idiot savant spewing paint without any order
I am not a chaotic artist with no sense of structure

I'm no sphinx, no mystery enigma
I am not a hidden or unknowable figure

What I paint is very ordinary
My art is not extraordinary

I don't think I'm old or modern, I don't think I think
I don't associate myself with a particular artistic time period, and I do not overthink art

It doesn't matter what I am thinking
My thoughts are irrelevant to the value of the images

It's the images that are worth repeating
The repeating images are valuable, not my thoughts

If you're looking for a deeper meaning, I'm as deep as this high ceiling
If you search for deeper implications, I am not profound

If you think technique is meaning, you might find me very simple
If you believe that a technique has the meaning, my art is elementary

You might think the images boring
The images might seem dull

Cars and cans and chairs and flowers
Subjects can be ordinary objects such as vehicles, cans, chairs, and flowers

You might find me personally boring
My art may lack excitement to some individuals

Hammer, sickle, Mao Tse Tung, Mao Tse Tung -
Symbols such as a hammer and sickle or Mao Tse Tung's face can also appear in the images

I think that it bears repeating the images upon the ceiling
I believe that it is worthwhile to put the images on the ceiling

I love images worth repeating and repeating and repeating
I adore images that can be repeated and replicated

Images images images images
Images are the focus

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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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